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You know the feeling all too well. Your face flushes. It feels hot. And maybe tender. This is rosacea, and you’re having a flare. It’s tough to look in the mirror and see your red skin, visible blood vessels, and pus-filled bumps staring back at you. Confidence crusher? You bet: In one survey, more than 90% of rosacea patients said the skin condition lowered their self-esteem. We’d be lying if we said it’s easy to feel great when your skin is behaving like a toddler throwing a tantrum, but there are ways to give your attitude a boost. Check this out.
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First things first. Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that impacts 16 million Americans. What it isn’t? Your fault. “You’ve got to understand that you did nothing to get this,” says Sharleen St. Surin-Lord, M.D., a dermatologist, assistant professor of dermatology at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. “Some people are prone to rosacea, and some are not. If it runs in your family, you might get it. If you’re of a certain ethnic group [like Irish and Northern European], you can be more prone.”
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Like things that set you off in your relationships, rosacea comes with a unique set of triggers that apply to you and you only. Being able to ID those triggers gives you some control over having a flare, and that can boost your confidence. Enter: a trigger diary. “With any self-esteem issue, it’s always a good idea to identify your triggers,” says Nicole Arzt, a licensed therapist in Fullerton, CA. “Dedicate a few weeks to writing down what happens before, during, and after a flare. You may start to notice a pattern.”
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One universal trigger you can control: Sun exposure. In fact, 81% of rosacea patients say direct sunlight is their biggest trigger. “When you have rosacea, your best friend is sunscreen,” Dr. St. Surin-Lord explains. “It will help prevent rosacea flares.” Because people with rosacea tend to have sensitive skin, your best bet is using a physical sunscreen instead of chemical one. Look for a fragrance-free product that contains zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both, with a SPF of at least 30 or more.
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Do you tell yourself “I’m flawed” when you flare? Negative self-talk about the disease can rattle your sense of self-worth. “Nothing inhibits confidence quite effectively as shame,” says Rochelle Walsh, a clinical social worker in Topeka, KS. How to break the habit? Arzt suggests a cognitive technique known as “thought-stopping.” When a negative thought arises, “picture an actual stop sign or some kind of symbol,” she says. “Some people even use a rubber band and flick it on their wrist to remind themselves to focus on something else.”
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Another way to raise your confidence? Keep inspirational sayings taped to your mirrors, fridge, and front door. “Motivational quotes help build self-esteem,” says Alisa Bedrov, a social psychology Ph.D.-candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who co-published a paper on the topic. Bedrov found that simply reading motivational quotes can promote positive health behavioral changes in people, while lessening depressive symptoms, “thus reducing some of the barriers to proper managing chronic conditions,” she says.
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It’s easier to forget about something you can’t see, so reducing the appearance of rosacea is a good step towards raising your confidence, says Dr. St. Surin-Lord—while also lessening stress, a big flare trigger! Look for tinted sunscreen—it functions like beauty/blemish (BB) balm, giving you a nice glow. Also, foundations with a green tint can offset the ruddiness of rosacea, and mineral makeup with mica will make your skin glisten, disguising some of the redness.
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