Rosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea SocietyRosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea Society

Published by the National Rosacea Society.
Editor: Dr. Julie Harper, president and owner, Dermatology and Skin Care Center of Birmingham
Managing Editor: Andrew Huff

Rosacea Review is a newsletter published by the National Rosacea Society for people with rosacea. The newsletter covers information pertaining to the disease and its control, including news on research, results of patient surveys, success stories, lifestyle and environmental factors, and tips on managing its signs and symptoms. To receive Rosacea Review by mail, please join the NRS. You can also sign up to receive the newsletter by email.

Spring 2012

Rosacea Awareness Month Focuses on Effects Beyond Appearance

Emotional stress and physical pain are among the invisible components of rosacea beyond its red-faced, conspicuous appearance, according to new patient surveys by the National Rosacea Society (NRS). The NRS has designated April as Rosacea Awareness Month to alert the public to the warning signs of this chronic and often progressive facial disorder now estimated to affect more than 16 million Americans.

Behavior Therapy May Help Blushing

Individuals with severe rosacea are often anxious about the social consequences of blushing and may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, according to a recent study published in the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.1

To evaluate the psychological and social impacts of rosacea, 31 patients completed five standard psychological questionnaires, according to researchers Dr. Daphne Su and Dr. Peter Drummond, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

Doctor's Dedication Tames Stress-Related Flare-Ups

Christine Patterson does not go so far as to call her dermatologist a miracle worker, but she is effusive with her praise for the doctor who helped her overcome her severe flare-ups of papules and pustules.

"It was amazing how in two years' time I went from a horrible breakout to almost clear skin," said Christine, a 62-year-old medical coder from Arkansas. "Even with the stress I've had this year — I thought I was having a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital — my rosacea didn't flare up."

Sunscreen, Other Measures Help Reduce Flare-Ups, Survey Shows

Although sun exposure may be the most common rosacea trigger, patients who take steps to protect their skin when outdoors have been successful in reducing rosacea outbreaks, according to a new National Rosacea Society patient survey. Virtually all of the 739 respondents said they make an effort to shield their skin from the sun, and 88 percent of those said their efforts had been successful or somewhat successful in reducing their rosacea flare-ups.

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