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Your nose and the area around it can become red due to conditions that cause skin irritation. But sometimes, nose redness can occur with an infection or allergic reaction.
Temporary redness around your nose is not uncommon. External factors like wind, cold air, and allergens can trigger the sensitive skin right under your lip and around your nostrils.
You might be searching for answers because you’re prone to this symptom and want to know if you should be concerned, or you might simply be looking for a quick way to treat it.
This article will go over several possible reasons for the redness around your nose, touching on treatment ideas and ways to stop each one from happening.
The treatment you choose to ease redness around your nose should ultimately depend on what’s causing it. But there are some general remedies you can try at home to reduce inflammation and redness.
Any products used on the face should be oil-free and noncomedogenic, meaning they won’t clog your pores.
For dryness, sunburn, windburn, and other conditions cause by skin irritation: Try a hypoallergenic moisturizer to soothe redness, such as those from Vanicream or CeraVe. Shop for Vanicream and CeraVe moisturizers online.
For acne, rosacea, and bacterial infections: You may need to experiment with topical moisturizers to see what works well on your skin, as it can be easily irritated by a variety of products. Vanicream and CeraVe are two product lines that are well-tolerated by many people.
For contact dermatitis and other allergic reactions: Speak with your dermatologist to see if a low potency topical steroid or steroid alternative is an appropriate treatment to calm down inflammation.
When you’re treating redness around your nose, be careful not to irritate the area further. If you can go makeup-free for a day or two, you’ll avoid irritating the redness further and help symptoms dissipate.
Depending on the cause of your symptoms, you might want to also avoid ingredients like witch hazel and rubbing alcohol, which can aggravate the appearance of redness.
Avoid other triggers that can make blood vessels appear more visible, such as drinking alcohol and eating spicy food.
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that can cause redness, flushing, and visible blood vessels. It’s not an uncommon condition, but there’s currently no cure for it.
Erythematotelangiectatic (ETH) rosacea and acne rosacea are subtypes of the condition that can cause breakouts and redness around your nose area.
How to treat the redness
Rosacea redness is treated differently than redness caused by other conditions.
Avoid the ingredients witch hazel and menthol, which can be found in many toners, and other exfoliant products.
Prescription topical ointments can be used to treat the redness. Laser treatment is also an excellent treatment option for persistent rosacea redness on the face.
Lifestyle recommendations
People with rosacea typically need to figure out what’s triggering their symptoms so they can decrease the frequency of their flare-ups.
Common triggers include spicy food, alcoholic beverages, and prolonged sun exposure.
People with rosacea should also wear a high-SPF sunscreen or a physical blocker, such as zinc oxide, as well as sun-protective clothing.
It’s not uncommon to have acne around your nose. Touching your nose often or picking at breakouts can inflame the pores around your nostrils. Clogged pores around your nose can be painful and sometimes take a while to go away.
How to treat the redness
Acne around your nose can be treated with an over-the-counter (OTC) medication like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in combination with an OTC counter topical retinoid, such as Differin Gel (adapalene 0.1 percent), which can be found online or at a pharmacy.
Be careful when applying these products, as the skin around the nose is very sensitive and prone to irritation.
Lifestyle recommendations
Remember that the skin above your lips and around your nose can be particularly sensitive to harsh chemicals, so treat it with care.
Skin irritation can be the temporary result of rubbing or scratching your skin. It’s not uncommon for this to cause redness around your nose and above your lips.
Many times, this happens when you’re dealing with another condition, like a cold or the flu, that draws you into contact with your nose more often than usual.
How to treat the redness
You might not even need to treat skin irritation. Chances are it’ll go away on its own within an hour or two. Use a soothing, hypoallergenic moisturizer or aloe vera gel to get rid of some of the redness.
Any products that are applied to the face should be oil-free and noncomedogenic.
Lifestyle recommendations
Avoid touching your nose whenever possible. Every time you come into contact with the inside of your nostril, you’re exposing your delicate mucous membrane to germs from your fingernails.
When you have an itch or need to blow your nose, make sure your nails are trimmed neatly. Use an unscented, soft tissue to remove debris from the area.
Windburn is the burning, stinging sensation on your skin that you sometimes feel after being exposed to cold, blustery air. It can cause redness and peeling under and around your nose.
How to treat the redness
Topical moisturizer can help get rid of redness while your skin heals. Try to choose a moisturizer that doesn’t contain fragrance and is hypoallergenic so you don’t irritate the redness further.
Lifestyle recommendations
When you’re out in cold conditions, shield your face with a scarf or a high collar, and wear sunscreen. Since ultraviolet (UV) rays reflect off of snowy surfaces, sunscreen is just as important in wintery conditions.
Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by direct contact with an allergen. This rash is usually itchy and uncomfortable.
Scented tissues, fragrances, and skin care products are possible triggers of allergic contact dermatitis around your nose.
How to treat the redness
Your first step is to gently wash your face with warm water to remove any traces of the allergen. Allergic contact dermatitis can be treated with OTC 1 percent hydrocortisone.
It’s important to use care when applying this product, as topical steroids, when applied to the face, can contribute to skin conditions like acne and a rash.
Be sure to eliminate the suspected allergen and use hypoallergenic products moving forward. This extends to the use of any products used to wash the face.
For a non-medicated home remedy, soak the area with a cool washcloth or apply aloe vera to soothe redness.
Lifestyle recommendations
If you have recurrent contact dermatitis, you may need to identify what’s triggering it around your nose. Finding out the substance that affects you, and avoiding it, is the key to keeping it from flaring up again.
Consider if the redness around your nose could be the result of:
- switching up your makeup routine
- a lotion or toning product
- scented tissues
- new laundry detergent
People can also develop allergies to products they have previously used for a long time without any previous problems.
Perioral dermatitis is a rash that occurs around your nose and the skin around your mouth. Topical steroid creams can produce this rash as a side effect.
How to treat the redness
If you’re using any kind of steroid cream, speak to your doctor about discontinuing use. You’ll need to figure out if there are other triggers causing the rash.
Oral antibiotics or topical anti-acne creams may be recommended by your doctor to treat the rash. These are not used because you have an infection. Rather, your doctor may recommend them for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Soothing moisturizers from the Vanicream or CeraVe product lines can also help treat redness caused by perioral dermatitis.
Lifestyle recommendations
Once you have an outbreak of perioral dermatitis, you may be aware of your triggers for this condition. Avoiding your triggers is the best way to prevent another outbreak.
Rhinophyma is a subtype of rosacea that appears as thickening on the nose. It can appear red or skin-colored.
How to treat the redness
There’s no cure for this chronic skin condition, and it can be extremely difficult to treat. Some patients have had luck using ablative lasers and resurfacing procedures.
Treatment of rosacea using topical and oral medications may prevent progression, but they’ll likely not treat the existing tissue overgrowth.
Lifestyle recommendations
While it’s unlikely that you can treat rhinophyma with lifestyle changes, you should still take care to avoid common rosacea triggers, such as:
- overexposure to sunlight
- spicy food
- alcohol
- hot liquids
Nasal vestibulitis is an infection that affects the inside of your nostrils. It can be caused by blowing your nose often when you’re experiencing the cold, flu, or allergies.
How to treat the redness
This can usually be treated with a warm compress and mupirocin topical ointment, which is a prescription drug. Occasionally, the infection may progress and require an oral antibiotic prescription from a doctor.
Lifestyle recommendations
Picking at your nose and blowing your nose can both contribute to this condition. Being more gentle with the sensitive area just outside your nose can help keep this from happening again.
Sunburn is skin inflammation caused by damage from the sun’s UV rays. Sometimes, sunburn can cause peeling and redness on and underneath your nose.
How to treat the redness
Sunburn goes away fairly quickly on its own, but in the meantime, you can use soothing products to help make redness less visible. Pure aloe vera gel and calamine lotion are good first lines of treatment for mild sunburn under your nose.
Lifestyle recommendations
It’s important to prevent sunburn as much as possible. Always make sure to wear an SPF 30 or higher when you go outside, even if it’s an overcast or cooler day.
Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, or more often if you’re sweating, exercising, or swimming outdoors. You should also use a water-resistant SPF if you plan to be in the water.
Protect sensitive skin with a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap when you’re going to be in prolonged sunlight, and try to avoid being outside at midday when the sunlight is most harsh on your skin.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means your own immune system attacks parts of your body. In the case of lupus, the body attacks your organs, which can affect the skin.
One common symptoms of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose.
How to treat the redness
If your doctor suspects lupus is the cause of the redness on your face, they’ll likely confirm the diagnosis with testing.
A dermatologist can help come up with a treatment plan to address the redness on your face, while your primary care provider will devise a treatment regimen for the lupus.
Lifestyle recommendations
Follow your lupus treatment plan, as well as the treatment regimen from your dermatologist to treat the skin aspect of lupus. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions if you’re not seeing results.
People with lupus are very sensitive to the sun and should wear sunscreen and sun-protective clothing when spending time outdoors.
A lifetime of sun exposure can lead to chronic sun damage on your face, which can cause spider veins to develop around your nose.
How to treat the redness
The best way to treat spider veins on the face is with a laser treatment at your dermatologist’s office. Though, it’s important to note that your insurance won’t cover this procedure, as it’s considered cosmetic.
Lifestyle recommendations
To avoid sun damage, always remember to wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Wear a hat, and avoid sun exposure midday. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about sun damage to your skin. They may offer procedures to minimize the appearance of damage.
If you still experience redness around your nose frequently, even after changing up your routine to avoid irritants and environmental factors, you should speak to your general practitioner or go to a dermatologist.
If you don’t already have a dermatologist, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area
Red skin under and on the sides of your nose isn’t usually a cause for concern, but it might indicate rosacea or another chronic skin condition.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor:
- redness that doesn’t go away
- skin that cracks and oozes
- patchy and peeling skin that doesn’t heal
- birthmarks that bleed or itch
Most of the time, redness around your nose is caused by something fairly harmless, and your skin will heal quickly. Many cases of redness around the nose are caused by:
- irritation
- allergic reactions
- environmental factors
There’s also the chance that the redness can indicate a more chronic skin condition, like acne or rosacea. Speak to your doctor if you’re concerned about recurring redness around your nose.
