Stress is one of the most common causes of rosacea flare-ups, according to patients. A recent National Rosacea Society survey delved deeper into the nuances of this top trigger, revealing the frequency and causes of stress that many people with rosacea report as problematic.

In the survey of 544 rosacea patients, 62% of respondents said they experience a flare-up as a result of stress at least once a month. About 11% said it was a daily occurrence, and nearly 19% said it happens every few days, while about 8% said it happens once a week, 17% said it occurs every few weeks and 7% said once a month. Twenty percent reported a rosacea outbreak due to stress only every few months. 

Family problems were the top cause of stress triggering a flare-up, cited by 48% of survey respondents. Perhaps not surprising at a time when concerns over the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic weigh on many people’s minds, problems at work and health problems were nearly tied, named by 40% and 38% of respondents, respectively. Other common causes of stress included relationship problems, cited by 32%; uncertainty, named by 31%; social events, 30%; criticism, 28%; public speaking, 27%; financial concerns, 24%; loss of a loved one, 19%; deadlines, 17%; poor customer service, 12%; and bad traffic, 9%.

Anxiety was the leading form of emotional stress, cited by 79% of the survey respondents, followed by worry, named by 61%. Other types of emotions mentioned included frustration, affecting 44%; anger, reported by 43%; embarrassment, 39%; fear, 29%; grief, 21%; excitement, 18%; indecision, 13%; and guilt, 9%.

The good news is that more than two thirds of survey respondents said they have been able to minimize the causes of stress and their reactions to stress to reduce their rosacea flare-ups, and more than 46% said that medical therapy has helped to reduce the frequency of stress-related flare-ups.