“Your Face is Red”

[SilverOnToast]

I’ve had rosacea pretty much my whole adult life. Triggers include exercise, hot drinks, alcohol, uv light, changes in temperature, spicy food and public speaking. It’s mainly on my nose and cheeks. I can’t imagine this is going to get much better going into menopause, so I’m just accepting it and moving on.

AIBU for getting a bit annoyed with others commenting about my “red face” at work/school/every social occasion? I usually just say “oh yeah, it’s just my rosacea,” but AIBU to think that etiquette dictates that you don’t need to comment on others appearance?

CraftyYankee cracked heel cream on your upper arms every day will get rid of the KP 👍

Thanks Sleep - as I've gotten older the KP has smoothed out a lot, still gets red though.

Silver there are some green powders that work pretty well if you can deal with the faff. Sticks are much too heavy except for the tiniest amount, like concealing a bit.

Grrr zit not bit!

Try Kalme Chameleon Concealer. It’s really good. Goes on green but then changes to adapt to your skin colour and it’s super easy to blend in.
I also bought IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness recently but it sits in my pores a bit so I don’t like it as much.

I have had the most awful rosacea for years..I've been on high doses of long term steroids for 8 years now and enjoyed the odd tipple or three--both of which can cause broken veins..
I didn't let anyone except my hubby see me without thick foundation and concealer for years.. After using serums and green tinted concealers etc I found a brilliant product about a month ago called Skin Doctors Vein Away Plus 100ml tube. I have been using it twice a day and can honestly say I can't believe how much it has helped already... My skin is much better I wish I had taken some photos of it when I started using it my skin even feels smoother on my nose and cheeks now as well as looking better.. I can see the worst of the veins have gone , skin is still red of course but nowhere near like the deep purple it was,, You have to use it twice daily on clean skin and be patient I suppose.. I am sure my skin will keep on getting better though--best product I have used-and believe me I have tried everything ..

Soolantra has made a huge difference to my rosacea, I suffered badly with the pimples which Soolantra has completely cleared, however it has helped with the redness too.
For makeup I use Estee Lauder maximum cover camouflage makeup. It works brilliantly at toning down the red, no other makeup needed. You can get colour matched at an estee lauder counter. Its not cheap but you only need a little and a tube lasts a couple of months. I wear it everyday.

I have the papopustular kind of rosacea so it is particularly rancid when it flares up.

After a bad few months, it settled down due to steroids and drugs for a colleague to say "ooh I am glad you have done something about your skin at last. It was terrible".

Like it was just result of me not being arsed to deal with it.

I had a little cry in the toilets later.

Grr.

I switched from metrogel to azelaic acid, I hated metrogel but the acid is much better.

I use the yellow Clinique powder, prefer loose but they only sell it pressed now. Doesn’t make you look washed out like green can.

Paula’s choice products have really helped too.

I am at how rude people are, commenting on others' appearance!

I hate my red nose and cheeks, especially if I drink wine.

15 plus years of rosacea here too. I tried IPL laser treatment but despite spending a ridiculous amount of money, it didn't work for me. I've now given up and just use Bare Minerals primer which seems to even out the skin tone a little so it makes it less noticeable. I think you have to be very skilled at applying green to rosacea skin.

Things I have found helped in order
Steroids (but no good long term)
Azithromycin (antibiotics, also not a long term option)
Soolantra
Azaelic acid

Avoiding heat!
Avoiding stress which isn't helped by people pointing it out.

I find redness can be covered with make up - I went to an independent make up artist for two lessons. I'd recommend that over going to a counter where someone is selling stuff. She taught me how to blend concealer, foundation etc. But the bumps and pustules cannot be hidden well. So my focus is on trying to reduce those.

Totally outing but sod it! I'll name change later! Hello everybody!
It's permanent - it's itchy! It's me! That's all I can say.

I'm just going to say SOOLANTRA again very loudly for those of you who may have missed it! Its changed my rosacea dramatically. I know that's not what this thread is about but I suffered for 20 years with awful rosacea and stumbled across the treatment myself, GPs are not all aware of it. It treats mites called demodex mites which are more abundant on some people's skin.

Not the same thing, I know, but I blush very easily, like some pps.

I used to have people coming up and rubbing their hands together and holding them out to my face (like you would at a fire) and oh-so-amusingly joke about needing to warm their hands or whatever.

Depending on who was doing it, I would either:

Give them a Paddington Bear stare for an embarrassingly long time, complete with raised eyebrows, before flatly saying "Oh. How very funny . Ha ha ha" And then turning away.

OR: I would ask lots of questions about why they were doing/saying that, did they think it was funny, would they like it if I made fun of their (big ears/spots/bald patch/whatever) and so on.

There is one person who persists in making 'funny' comments about it and she is one of those ones who will respond to either of the above with "I was only joking!/I'm just messing!". To which the only replies are "Jokes are supposed to be funny though" or "Well, don't"

I’ve got rosacea and extremely sensitive skin/eczema so can’t bung green powder/foundation on my mine which is a pain. I use la Roche posay tinted moisturiser if I am going out for a special occasionbut don’t think it helps very much. Heat sets mine off terribly so after a shower I can be flushed for hours (if i’m going out in the evening I have to remember to shower several hours before leaving).

It’s a horrible condition and really uncomfortable when it’s at the burning ‘you could fry an egg on my face’ stage. I’m lucky not to have had nasty comments, only ‘are you ok, you look a bit flushed’ type ones from colleagues.

My sympathies to all my fellow sufferers

Oh love my husband suffers from this and everyone thinks he’s on the brink of a heart attack and urges me to take him to hospital. He’s as strong as an ox but when you here a little voice saying grandad when nanny’s asleep she has 4 chins! SW here I come XX

• How I'd love to respond to those sort of comments thus:

Them: Your face is a bit patchy isn't it (that's my current skin problem that I can't seem to sort out)

Me: I know. You're quite ugly, aren't you.*

I think you're joking but I do genuinely often think this. I have really sensitive eyes and someone will always point it out if they get bloodshot - and it'll never be someone you'd rather look like. It always makes me think, would you be okay with me cheerfully pointing out "oh, look, you're not as good looking as me, are you?" No, thought not.

• How I'd love to respond to those sort of comments thus:

Them: Your face is a bit patchy isn't it (that's my current skin problem that I can't seem to sort out)

Me: I know. You're quite ugly, aren't you.*

I think you're joking but I do genuinely often think this. I have really sensitive eyes and someone will always point it out if they get bloodshot - and it'll never be someone you'd rather look like. It always makes me think, would you be okay with me cheerfully pointing out "oh, look, you're not as good looking as me, are you?" No, thought not.

I'd just say "thanks for noticing!" in a really fake smiley way. That or "ever heard that saying, if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all?"

I live in Korea where it is really standard to make comments on people’s appearance. I don’t have rosacea but I get red easily. EVERY time we see my MIL it’s the same questions. Why is your face red? Do you want some cream for it? What is it?

All of this is always attributed to people ‘caring’ about you but I just think it’s more about being a nosy bastard who can’t hold their tongue.

Total strangers will do it too. I hate it.

@Silver, as a PP said, the stick/creams can be too heavy. Usually the primers and powders go on with just a slight tint. If the green is too much (and makes you look gray), try yellow. That’s also used to counteract redness. If you have a yellow undertone in your skin, a yellow undertone foundation will match and help a bit with canceling out the redness.

I too have rosacea. A few years ago I went into boots and the woman said oh my god have you seen your face? You're really burnt (it was summer). I said no I'm not I have rosacea I always look like this. No she says, really I mean it you need to see your face. YES! I said, I know, I have rosacea, trust me it isn't burnt. Ffs! So rude.

The old lady I look after loves it. She's always stroking my face and says look at your lovely rosy cheeks

DH won't let anyone except me and his parents see him without makeup because of his rosacea, it makes me really sad that he feels that way I have severe acne and people don't constantly comment on it and yet so many other conditions people think it's appropriate

Can't believe the poor manners of some of the people mentioned on this thread. Those with rosacea should not feel they have to try to cover it up to avoid unwelcome personal comments.

I’d love to say ‘and your face is stupid’ in response, but I’d be lowering myself to their level.

They'd deserve it, but I know what you mean.