Sarah Jagger, Celebrity makeup artist and rosacea sufferer, recently embarked on a venture which aimed to shed new light on the struggles those with rosacea will experience day to day. As a part of Galderma’s ‘Experience my Rosacea’ campaign, Sarah used her makeup artistry to show the true visual extent of a rosacea flare-up.
Throughout the day, Sarah was very aware of the people around her, feeling extremely self-conscious and anxious, “I spend my time helping people cover up their imperfections and help them feel confident in their skin. However, during this experience I felt increasingly conscious of those around me, constantly wondering what they were thinking. It was completely isolating.”
Rosacea is a common skin condition where those affected experience red rash-like symptoms on their face. Current figures suggest as many as 1 in 10 people are affected by rosacea. Symptoms can vary in their severity, with symptoms being at their worst during a ‘flare-up’. These can include a burning or stinging sensation on the skin, the formation of red bumps on the skin, spots, skin dryness, plaques (raised red patches of skin), and swelling or thickening of the skin.
Further to the physical symptoms, many of those who suffer with rosacea also struggle with the psychological impact of the condition. Due to the fact that rosacea tends to affect the face, many often experience low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, with some socially isolating themselves in fear of how people will react to their red, blotchy and swollen skin.
Working together with Embarrassing Bodies’ Dr Dawn Harper and Dr Anton Alexandroff, Consultant Dermatologist at University Hospitals Leicester, Sarah Jagger walked through the streets of London to see how the public reacted to her rosacea symptoms. On the day, members of the public were interviewed about their awareness of rosacea. Of those who did know what it was, the majority held incorrect perceptions about it, with many thinking that the red facial flushing commonly seen in those living with the condition was caused by drinking alcohol.
Earlier this year, talkhealth conducted a survey to find out what knowledge our membership had, if any, of rosacea. Despite being so common, many were unaware of what rosacea really was. Surprisingly, out of the participants we surveyed who answered that they did not currently have rosacea; many of them reported they had been experiencing rosacea-related symptoms.
Through campaigns such as ‘Experience my Rosacea’, awareness and understanding of the condition should become more prevalent. With so many people suffering in silence, the need for understanding and psychological support continues to grow.
If you are experiencing any physical or psychological symptoms associated with rosacea, and you believe you may have the condition, please visit your GP. If you have any questions regarding your condition, or you want to share best practice, please visit our talkrosacea forum and speak with our growing rosacea community.
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This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.
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