Red skin can have a number of causes. It's often a sign that you have spent too much time in the sun without protective sunscreen, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Red patches can develop on the skin from certain skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, or eczema. Skin can sometimes take on a reddish hue due to embarrassment, or a fast change in temperature. Red skin can detract from your appearance, and may cause discomfort and itchiness.
Sun Exposure
Spending time in the sun without wearing sunscreen or protective clothing can cause a reddening of the skin known as sunburn. The sun's damaging ultraviolet B, or UVB, rays are known as the burning rays, according to the AAD. A severe sunburn results in pain, blistering, and swelling.
In order to protect your skin from sunburn, the AAD recommends you apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 year round, even on days when the sun is behind the clouds.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is the most widespread type of eczema, and causes redness, crusting, scaling, and itching. Up to 20% of children, and 3% adults, suffer from this skin condition, the AAD reports.
Atopic dermatitis most often appears on the face, forehead, and scalp of infants. In older children and adults, it also develops on the hands, knees, feet, wrists, and neck.
Rosacea
The persistent inflammatory skin condition called rosacea causes red areas on your face, according to the Mayo Clinic. It may produce small tiny red bumps on your chin, cheeks, forehead, and nose.
Adults between the ages of 30 and 60 who are light- or fair-skinned are most prone to rosacea. Menopausal women, in particular, are at risk of contracting this skin condition.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a persistent autoimmune disease, and occurs when the immune system emits signals that erroneously accelerate the growth cycle of skin cells, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Signs of psoriasis include raised, red patches or lesions that lie beneath a silver-colored buildup of dead skin cells.
Psoriasis can develop anywhere on the body --- and can be a sign of an underlying health issue, like heart disease or diabetes.
Flushing/Blushing
Your skin can quickly develop an overall reddish appearance due to blushing or flushing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Blushing is a sudden reddening of the face, neck, or upper chest. Blushing is a normal response to anger, embarrassment, and other strong emotions.
Your face may also become flushed in response to a high fever, eating hot or spicy foods, drinking alcohol, and rapidly changing temperature.
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