Whatever your rosacea symptoms may be, they are on your face, and that means people likely notice notice. Often well-meaning folks voice their observations: “Your face is really red," or possibly, "Your skin looks dry and flaky." Chances are that you're painfully aware. Living with rosacea can severely impact your self-esteem and, in turn, can affect your social life and even career opportunities. Here are five tips for overcoming these obstacles and living with rosacea:
- Talk about it.
Rather than leaving people wondering why your face is so red or whether you might be an alcoholic (a common myth about people with red faces), just talk about it. Define your disease; don’t let it define you. Chances are, learning to communicate about rosacea will help you to lead off with your intelligence and personality rather than hiding behind your symptoms.
April is Rosacea Awareness month; post information on social media to help educate those around you. Communication will take the elephant out of the room, make you more confident, and give others understanding rather than fuel for judgment.
- Find support.
Realize you are not alone. According to the National Rosacea Society (NRS), nearly 16 million other American men, women, and even some children share this disease with you. The good news is that while you know about your disease and can find ways to reduce your symptoms, many do not, and their symptoms may worsen or become permanent.
Ask your dermatologist about support groups in your area or join an online community. Seek out a therapist or someone with whom you may confide your insecurities, and surround yourself with people who support and encourage you during flare-ups.
- Listen to your face.
Since there is no cure for rosacea, doctors recommend reigning in your chances of a flare-up by learning your triggers. A multitude of environmental, emotional, and dietary factors can trigger your symptoms, and they vary for everyone. Conduct research on your own or discuss the best rosacea skin care practices with your doctor.
Keep a rosacea diary. Symptoms usually appear the day after you experience a trigger, so when they manifest, make note of what you ate the day before. Stress level, sun exposure, and exercise activity are also factors deserving of your attention. Jot down when you try a new skin care product, hair care product, makeup product, or even laundry detergent.
- Find alternative ways to spice up your life.
It seems living with rosacea is all about dodging extremes and embracing a bland lifestyle. Stay out of the heat; stay out of the cold. Avoid spicy foods. Don’t feel things intensely: don’t get embarrassed—you’ll flush, don’t laugh uncontrollably, and for goodness sake, don’t get angry. If all these don’ts make you feel panicky, well, panicking isn’t recommended either.
Focus on ways in which you can make your life a little more exciting. Sure, you should always wear a scarf over your face on cold wintry days, and while that scarf shouldn’t be wool or another abrasive fabric, who said it can’t be stylish? Who said it couldn’t be an exciting color or have a pattern? Ski masks and balaclavas come in all sorts of fun colors too; the same could be said of sun hats. Bring a portable misting fan to the playground and watch every sweaty parent gaze at you with envy.
- Be kind to your skin.
Your skin is your largest organ, and your face is its most visible part. Learn what products are best for your skin type, what shaving techniques might reduce flare-ups, and what makeup products will help conceal unwanted symptoms. Choose a thick daily moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher to block UVA and UVB sun rays and shield your face from the sun and wind. Wash your face morning and night, and change your pillowcase regularly too. Use products that are recommended by your physician, choosing those with the fewest ingredients.
