Afraid to ask?

SKIN IS SO BLOTCHY

Q

As a young woman I had good skin, but now in my 40s I feel like a teenager! I look like I am blushing and have spots all over my cheeks and chin. And if I drink alcohol the redness gets worse, which is really embarrassing. I don’t feel I should bother my GP, but it’s really starting to get me down. Any advice would be gratefully received.

A

This sounds like rosacea and your GP will be able to confirm this for you if you email a photograph to the surgery. It’s common for alcohol to cause the redness to flare. Other triggers include hot drinks, spicy foods, caffeine, cheese and aerobic exercise. Your GP will be able to prescribe a cream to improve your symptoms. You may also find it useful to visit rosacea.org.