I have vivid memories of growing up with pink-toned skin but some really stick out. I played a lot of sport at school and I remember wondering why my face would go so red compared to other girls in my class but, as my family had similar complexions, I brushed it off. When I went to university, nights out would be cut short by trips to the bathroom to splash cold water on my red hot, pulsating face. Arriving late to a crowded lecture hall would trigger a flush that would last for hours, and staying in for a big takeaway with my flatmates would result in a swollen face peppered with pustules.
I was at a loss. I’d never had ‘bad’ skin. In fact, I had never even considered a skincare routine. I assumed the excessive redness must be an allergic reaction or an infection of some kind — something short-term and easily fixed. So you can imagine my surprise when the university GP explained, “It’s rosacea — and there isn’t a cure.”