Rhinophyma is the name of a chronical skin disease in the facial area of ones body.  The word rhinophyma is derived from the Greek word “rhis” meaning nose and “phyma” meaning growth. Commonly Rosacea is referred to as the main cause of this particular illness. While Rhinophyma can have other causes it will very often occur due to untreated Rosacea and is described as third stage Rosacea.

Leaving Rosacea untreated will some times end up in Rhinophyma. This is a very slowly progressing disease which has its peak age of onset between 30 and 55 years, but it can strike at any age and also much earlier. Rosacea can be treated in order to prevent it from developing into Rhinophyma.

Only around 4% of patients with Acne Rosacea will develop Rhinophyma as a cause of it. So we can say it is a pretty uncommon disease. But due to its ability to change a person’s facial appearance so drastically it is very unpleasant for people suffering from it and straight away noticeable.

The origin of Rhinophyma

The true origin and cause of Rhinophyma are unknown. But statistically it is predominantly recorded in people of English, Irish and Scottish descent. Therefore it is nicknamed the ‚curse of the Celts’. A famous example of a British person, not with Rhinophyma but Rosacea, is Sir Alex Ferguson. Bill Clinton has the exact same condition, which is noticeable due to his facial erythema (redness).

Many people will associate Rhinophyma with alcoholism. While it is true that alcoholism will aggravate the condition (and make it more noticeable in patients), it isn’t the cause. Excessive drinking will not give you Rhinophyma or Rosacea.

There are nearly three times as many female patients of Rosacea as there are men. On the other Hand more men will end up having Rhinophyma as its untreated cause (nearly 12 times more than women).

Effects of Rhinophyma

Rhinophyma is not necessarily a painful disease, but due to its effect on ones personal appearance it can have a strong psychological impact. It can cause embarrassment and even bad depression. People will often get asked about it or even laughed at in public which will lower their self esteem and they feel bad as a consequence.

Treating Rhinophyma is extremely difficult and a lot of times a surgery is needed. So it is key to prevent it. If it can not or was not prevented in time one has two options. Either taking drugs (antibiotics) in order to stop the disease from spreading further, which as a side-effect will darken your teeth. Or trying to remove the large, bulbous, ruddy skin on the nose with a surgery. Surgery attempts paring down the bulk of the tissue, mostly on the nose, either with a sharp surgical knife or a carbon dioxide laser.

At the moment there is NO cure available for both Rhinophyma and Rosacea.