Rosacea and Alcohol

The cause of rosacea is not fully understood. Heat, sunlight, stress and alcohol may coincide with symptoms for some people. Alcohol can be a trigger, but it does not cause rosacea.

Alcohol and Rosacea

Alcohol can widen blood vessels and may coincide with flushing or a flare in some people with rosacea. Individual responses vary by person and occasion, and no type of alcoholic drink should be described as universally free of triggers.

What Observational Associations Can Show

• Population associations do not show that alcohol causes rosacea in an individual.
• Observational findings can be influenced by other differences between people and do not establish cause and effect.

Facial redness after drinking is not enough to identify rosacea, and having rosacea does not mean that drinking caused it. Key points include:

• People who do not drink alcohol can still have rosacea
• Alcohol does not cause rosacea
• A personal trigger pattern does not establish the cause of the condition

Can People with Rosacea Drink Alcohol?

Individual responses vary. A symptom diary may help someone observe whether alcohol coincides with a flare, but no choice of drink, hydration strategy, moderation plan or abstinence can be promised to prevent or improve rosacea symptoms. Discuss persistent symptoms with a clinician.