Rosacea can cause negative first impressions, says new study

Rosacea sufferers appear shy, nervous, and stressed on first impressions, according to a recent US study conducted by manufacturer Galderma Laboratories and the National Rosacea Society.

The skin condition has also caused some 63% of sufferers to avoid social situations, the research has found.

Two surveys were carried out. The first gave 1,015 people not suffering with skin condition a series of photographs showing men and women with healthy skin and with digitally enhanced rosacea symptoms, and asked them to report their first impressions. According to the results, the people with the facial redness due to rosacea were more likely to be seen as shy or nervous than people with healthy skin. Some 22% of the people with facial redness were perceived as quite or shy, compared to 17% of those with healthy skin.

Likewise, survey respondents felt the rosacea sufferers were less likely to be in a relationship (27%) than those with health skin (26%).

The second survey researched more than 500 people disganosed with rosacea, and found that symptom of facial redness was ranked the hardest thing about having the condition by 83% of respondents.

According to the survey, more sufferers were concerned about their faces being red (56%) than coming across fit for a job (47%) or saying something inappropriate (20%) when making a first impression.

Samuel Huff, the executive director of the National Rosacea Society, said, “The survey results show how difficult it can be for rosacea sufferers to be confident in their own skin and to immerse themselves in social situations. Overall, rosacea’s emotional impact on patients appears to increase and symptoms progress.”