For many, summer is the most awaited time of the year with its promise of sunny weather and outdoor activities. Yet for 14 million Americans with rosacea, it may be a season of despair unless special precautions are taken to prevent rosacea flare-ups.

Q. I have very large pores and am very oily in the "T" zone of my face. Is this common for rosacea sufferers?

A. There is no standard skin type for rosacea patients. Many sufferers experience dry, flaky skin, while others may have normal or oily skin. The key is to identify your skin type and use medication and skin-care products that are suitable for you.

It wasn't until her tan disappeared that Karin van der Valk noticed the suspicious red patches on her left cheek.

"I thought it was sunburn, but when my tan was all gone in the winter, I realized the red patches were quite prominent," she said.

It took her a while to discover the cause of the redness. "I also have asthma and allergies, and tend to break out in red patches when I'm suffering an attack," she said.

While sun exposure is one of the most common trigger factors for flare-ups, finding a sunscreen that does not irritate the face can be a challenge for many rosacea sufferers.

"Individuals with rosacea are often uniquely sensitive to topical preparations applied to the face," said Dr. Mark Lebwohl, chairman of Dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. "For this reason, attention to ingredients can help patients find products that work best for them."

Has your rosacea made you camera shy? Here are some ways you can put your best face forward for the camera.

While emotional stress is one of the leading causes of rosacea flare-ups, stress management can be highly effective in reducing its impact, according to a new survey conducted by the National Rosacea Society.

In a survey of more than 700 rosacea patients, 91 percent reported that emotional stress caused or sometimes caused their rosacea to flare up. Stress reportedly led to frequent flare-ups for 45 percent of the survey respondents and occasional flare-ups for 42 percent. Only 10 percent indicated that stress rarely affected their rosacea.

In today's high-tech world, powerful and nearly painless beams of light are increasingly used to treat components of rosacea that were once considered difficult or even impossible to correct.