Does this seem like a malar rash due to lupus?

Hi, !

First off, I am sorry your daughter is experiencing this issue. I do not have Lupus, but I have dealt with rosacea. There are some similarities in how a rosacea outbreak and a malar rash present. I would take your dermatologist's assessment into consideration, but you are always welcome to seek a second opinion. Has your daughter been experiencing any other symptoms of Lupus (like joint pain, headaches, sun sensitivity, etc)? Also, you mentioned nothing seems to be helping with the rash. Has your dermatologist been prescribing topical treatments? It can take some time and trial-and-error to find what helps your daughter. If it's indeed rosacea, she may have to figure out what her triggers are (like spicy food, overheating, stress, etc) and avoid them, when possible. To muddy the waters even more, I will say that sun sensitivity can be a symptom of both Lupus and rosacea! And, some of our community members have been diagnosed with rosacea before receiving a diagnosis of Lupus.

To get to the point, a negative ANA generally rules out Lupus in most doctor's minds, so you may want to take a look at other conditions that may be causing the skin issues and seeing if the dermatologist is right and it is rosacea.

I wish I could give you a surefire diagnosis and, better, surefire treatment options. But, I can't. And I know how frustrating it is as a parent to not be able to immediately fix something for our kids. I do hope she starts seeing some relief from the outbreaks very soon!

Best, Erin, Team Member.