A recent NRS survey found that 70% of respondents with rosacea feel uncomfortable at parties, and 75% said it negatively affected their workplace interactions. However, 62% said the best way to deal with those negative interactions was to talk openly about rosacea. Being open can help you feel more in control and less stressed about social or professional situations, and of course, lowering stress levels can help ease rosacea symptoms!

Here are some conversation starters to help inspire your interactions.

Take a moment to educate:

• We don’t actually know what causes rosacea, and it can look totally different on different people.
• Everyone’s triggers are different, and it takes a while to figure out what helps. I try to avoid [my triggers].
• Did you know over 16 million Americans have rosacea? That’s equal to the entire population of Zimbabwe!

Try a casual aside:

• Just a seltzer for me, I have rosacea and drinking alcohol makes it worse.
• Whenever I lead a meeting, I get so nervous my rosacea flares up!
• I’m obsessed with skin care, but I’m careful to choose products that don’t make my rosacea worse.

A dose of humor if you’re feeling sassy:

• This isn’t acne, it’s rosacea! But I’m still a teenager at heart.
• Naomi Watts, Sofia Vergara and Brie Larson have rosacea, so we have a lot in common.
• My secret to a rosy glow? Rosacea.

Photo by Tim Douglas via Pexels