The NRS recently highlighted the possible negative effects of rosacea in the workplace and on their career.
As well any physical symptoms such as facial burning, blurred vision and debilitating flushing, the secondary worries about what others will think about your appearance make it tough for rosacea sufferers at work.
Will others think that if you can’t get your `acne face’ under control that something is wrong and pass you over when thinking about promoting you on merit? We would all like to think that this doesn’t happen, but what about the reality of it?
This survey suggests that the vast majority of those who suffer from severe rosacea do suffer negative effects in their career and in their relationship to their workplace.
Rosacea Takes Toll on Sufferers in the Workplace, Survey Shows
BARRINGTON, Illinois (June 1, 2011) — Unless effectively controlled, rosacea can play havoc on job interactions and employment, according to a new survey by the National Rosacea Society (NRS) on the impact in the workplace of this red-faced, poorly understood disorder now estimated to affect more than 16 million Americans.
In the survey of 1,134 rosacea patients, 60 percent of all respondents and 88 percent of those reporting severe symptoms said the disorder had negatively affected their interactions with others in the workplace. Among those with severe symptoms, 51 percent said they had even missed work because of their condition.
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In the new survey, 69 percent of all respondents and 87 percent of those with severe symptoms said they had noticed others staring at their face when they were experiencing a rosacea flare-up. Forty-five percent of all respondents, including 66 percent of those with severe symptoms, had also heard rude or inappropriate comments in the workplace about their facial appearance.
Of the survey respondents who were affected by rosacea in the workplace, 78 percent said effective medical treatment had improved their professional interactions with others.
Does Rosacea Hold You Back at Work?
Does your rosacea cause problems for you at work, or finding work? Any tips for covering up?
How about the other way round; Is your workplace bad for your Rosacea?
In my position at work, I know I should look glamorous but quite often I can’t wear makeup…particularly when the p&p’s ark up! Urgh! My face has taken a backwards turn of late and I have had negative comments at work. At least they are comments of sympathy! Still…who really knows what people are thinking?!
Our national conference is coming up in July and as much as I’m not worried about giving my power point presentation, I know I will also feel conscious about my appearance…which ultimately reflects on how the presentation is made.
Sadly, we live in a vain society and it will take quite some strength to carry on when ‘facing’ (pun intended) a crowd of work peers in a conference room that will no doubt have heaps of fluoro lights and heaters on making the redness etc worse.
If they can past staring at the third eye growing (all three of them LOL) then I’ll be fine! Urgh! Wish me luck!
I’ve been a welder since 1978. I’m always around high amounts of electromechanical forces which I know are not good for me. And that’s not counting the dust,heat & cleaning chemicals in the workplace. Plus I was told by my dermatologist,and my optomitrist many years ago (I’m 50 now) that the lotions I use to try to control my severe Rosacea would eventually weaken my eyesight. And it’s defenitely coming true… But right now I need the money I make welding & can’t really afford a career change. This getting old with rosacea really sucks!
What to do??
Steve
What lotions are you using?
agree w/ both prior comments my take is a bit different in that
it is not so much how others interact with me but how i interact
with others when rosacea flares up
i realize all of us have our own demons to fend off making it thru the day
and so i know i see the inflammations more than others do
just the same i find myself unable to interact as i normally do/would
when the rosacea in remission
it’s just tough to be sociable when things are going poorly
Fortunately I don’t have to work at the moment as I have young children to look after, but when my Rosacea started and I was getting regular flare ups, people at work started to think that I couldn’t cope at times was getting ‘stressed’. I was nothing of the sort :0(. I have also had the rude comments like, ‘why are you always red, you’re like a belisha beacon’. I don’t know how I will cope going back into work again, will have to start wearing lots of makeup I guess :0)
I’ve been home for 2 days because of an acne rosacea flare up because it has triggered my anxiety/depression. I can’t stand to think of seeing people right now. I don’t know how to handle this if it continues. I know ther is no ‘cure’ for this but is it manageable or will it always flare up? Does the acne part get better with age? I’m 33 years old. I’m being treated bt a dermatologist, but what was working for months is no longer helping so I’m trying new things. So frustrating and debilitating. If anyone has any advice to my questions I would appreciate it!
Try to arrange so you have direct contact near AC, fan and heat sources so that you might use and control as needed. If you have your own office that is ideal. I also limited exposure to flourescent lighting, at times sitting with a low light lamp and computer screen set to low resoultion.
PS It is easier to just claim migraine in my experience. That people get. Neurogenic rosacea not so much.
Have you tried Ivermectin 1% cream? It worked very well for me!
Well, partly because Rosacea makes you look older, you may face age discrimination in the workplace. Also, it is mistaken for hot flashes for menopause and sometimes depending on the gender in your work place, this can be a negative.
I have left jobs due to the office being extremely hot and no A/C. I tried fans but if the heat is too much it does not work. I feel extremely depressed about it. Do other people experience this?
Anyone have any makeup tips for covering up Rosacea?
searching for Dr.Dray. She is a phenomenon dermatologist, and lots of tips , lots of information of ingredients for makeup.
“I’m the most miserable at work.”
“It’s certainly not easy, ”
“Perhaps when we are younger this bothers people more….but I am too old to care about what others think.
I tell them straight up I have Rosacea….I use tinted sunblock, etc…”
” I can’t tell you how many people day to me, oh look how much sun you got. I tell them what I have and they always say, I’m so sorry….it is what it is…”
“Any cooking career is a “no” for me. …too hot in the kitchen. I would also like an article on how to manage rosacea while on a long flight. I only have mild redness now and it’s still hell.”