Exploring the lived experience of women with rosacea: visible difference and psychological impact

Rosacea is a chronic, symptomatic and potentially disfiguring inflammatory skin condition with high prevalence, particularly among women. Quantitative research into the psychosocial factors associated with rosacea has consistently reported the presence of anxiety, depression, decreased quality of life and feelings of stigmatisation. Such factors may be challenging to identify in clinical practice, since the objective severity of a visible difference does not always correlate with the lived experience..