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

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His Rosacea Was Harrowing Before He Took Control

Matthew Trumble of England was just 28 years old when his first signs of rosacea developed -- three large, hard spots on his face. A confident young man, Trumble assumed the problem would just sort itself out, so he left it alone.

However, the condition began to spread across his face. "It became harrowing," he said.

"When my rosacea was at its worst, I got very depressed and didn't even want to go outside or speak to anyone," Trumble said. "Even worse, I got very little attention from the ladies."

Through Study, She Catches Eye Symptoms Early

Ramona McDaniels had no knowledge of rosacea when her symptoms first appeared. When her face began to flush frequently, with the redness lasting longer each time, she suspected everything and anything.

"I tried to figure it out," McDaniels said. "Everything under the sun was suspect. I thought it might be my makeup, allergies, foods, the sun."

The list of potential culprits grew until one day her mother read an article about rosacea. "She looked at me and said, 'This is what you have.'"

At First, She Couldn't Believe Her Misfortune

When Pearl Poole first found out she had rosacea, she couldn't believe her misfortune.

"I had acne as a teenager and it was detrimental to my self-esteem," Pearl said. "I already had a shy and sensitive nature."

She learned to live with her acne, though. "I couldn't wear makeup, so I tried to look my best in other ways," she said. "Although I wasn't a social butterfly, I did find true love and have a wonderful family."

Yet it was another blow to her self-esteem when she began developing signs of rosacea in her early 50s.

This Performer Keeps Rosacea from the Spotlight

As someone accustomed to the public spotlight, Marlane Fairleigh knows that when you look your best, you feel your best. So, having the red face of rosacea can bring you the kind of notoriety you don't want.

"A rosacea flare-up really bothers me," said Fairleigh, a classical singer and former business consultant and public speaker. "If my face is red, I am afraid people are noticing."

Ignoring Doctor's Orders Leads to Rhinophyma

Joseph Sheehan may be a thick-skinned individual, but when his rosacea got out of control, it was more than he could bear.

Sheehan, a naval architect who teaches ship design, developed rosacea around 60. "At first it was basically just a redness, and oily skin around the nose," he said.

He tried a few home remedies and lived with the symptoms for about a year. Finally, he saw a dermatologist.

"He prescribed an oral antibiotic, but I didn't like the idea of having to use it indefinitely," Sheehan said. "So I never took it."

Map of Red Lines Leads Her Down Wrong Path

When Joyce Kierstead first began to notice the road map of tiny red lines appearing on her chin in her late 20s, she didn't realize it would lead her down the wrong path.

"It sent me right to the nearest cosmetic counter, where I ended up getting all the wrong information," Kierstead said. She was often told her problem was that she was not cleaning her skin properly, or that she needed a better foundation.

He Thought It Was Just Dust in His Eyes

Mark (not his real name) couldn't see the whole picture. In fact, he was having trouble seeing at all. His eyes were red and irritated. But he never suspected that this irritation was related in any way to the mysterious redness on his face.

"I woke up one morning and my eyes were sore," Mark said. "It felt like I had something in them that I couldn't get out." Despite the irritation he went to work anyway.

When Her Tan Faded, She Had Suspicious Red Patches

It wasn't until her tan disappeared that Karin van der Valk noticed the suspicious red patches on her left cheek.

"I thought it was sunburn, but when my tan was all gone in the winter, I realized the red patches were quite prominent," she said.

It took her a while to discover the cause of the redness. "I also have asthma and allergies, and tend to break out in red patches when I'm suffering an attack," she said.

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