To be really fed up with people commenting on my face?

[squashedalmondcroissant]

For context, I work in a customer facing role in a hot environment and I have pretty severe rosacea. I have obvious red patches all over my face that have joined up in places and almost looks like bad sunburn, when it flares up it is even more noticeable.

I notice a lot of people staring and I’m well aware of what I look like but as long as they don’t comment I mostly just try to ignore it and convince myself it isn’t that bad, its all in my head and I’m just being self conscious.

But more and more people are commenting and it’s really starting to piss me off. From the people openly asking what’s wrong with my face (yes, in those exact words), to people pointing at their own face and going ‘oooh’ with a pained expression, to the guy today who asked me ‘where’s your face from’ (????), AIBU to be getting pissed off?

YANBU - people should learn to shut the fuck up and keep their thoughts to themselves. It isn’t kind or helpful and someone with obvious facial differences is highly aware of what they look like and you mentioning it makes you look like a massive dick.

YABU - people are just curious and don’t mean any harm by it.

Forget about online treatments. Ask your GP for a referral to a very good skin specialist.
If they can not help, ask for a referral to a second opinion. Whatever you are doing is not right for you.
As for the customers:
Smile politely and say ...
Thank you for your concern and point to a printed information sheet on wall. -

I know I appear painfully red. I am not contageous. I have Rosacea. I am under medical treatment. Look it up if you want to know more, and should you wish to help me, I have a GoFundMe page - xxxxxxx. (Include name of FFMPage on rip off strips so they can tear one off.) If people try to talk more remind them that, sorry, you are being paid to work not to talk about your appearance.

I had a delivery guy comment on the fact that I was in my pyjamas at lunchtime and that I was really lucky to be able to be so lazy. I explained that I had multiple sclerosis and that my dad had just died and asked him which part of my life he was particularly envious of. Sorry OP, people can be such wankers.

Skin & me worked on my pustular rosacea (the spotty kind). It wasn’t severe but it really sorted it out. It’s expensive so I frequently stop and restart.

Not as bad as your rosacea, OP, but I have red patches on my face due to a horrendous reaction to Vichy products years ago. It was so bad, we had to call out the dr. I use Estee Lauder foundation every day if I'm going out as I'm so aware of the redness. It's the only foundation I'm not allergic to. No links at all to Estee Lauder and it may not suit your skin, but perhaps you could ask for a tester pot and try it?

Not as bad as your rosacea, OP, but I have red patches on my face due to a horrendous reaction to Vichy products years ago. It was so bad, we had to call out the dr. I use Estee Lauder foundation every day if I'm going out as I'm so aware of the redness. It's the only foundation I'm not allergic to. No links at all to Estee Lauder and it may not suit your skin, but perhaps you could ask for a tester pot and try it? I'm in my 70s and it seems to glide over most wrinkles.

Sorry. Forgot to add that I edited the above post....

Yeah op, I am pretty thick skinned and 90% of the time I end up telling people on here to brush things off, but that is really rude imo.

I think tic Tok culture is really destroying people's sense of appropriate interactions.

<raised eyebrows>

“I was always taught that it’s rude to comment on people’s appearance”.

Extremely rude. I was brought up to not make personal remarks about people's personal appearance, manners are regarded as stuffy and old fashioned but these remarks are very hurtful.

@TempestTost I don’t disagree that social media has removed a lot of people’s filters but it’s never young people that makes these comments, usually middle aged men! Not surprisingly 😂

I agree.

I also agree with this strategy, though I would slightly change the wording at the beginning to:

I know I appear painfully red. I have Rosacea. It is not contagious.

You are a person. You are more than your condition.