Although Rosa Menchen had battled skin problems for years, she received her rosacea diagnosis less than two years ago – quite by accident.  The 59-year-old chaplain from Arizona accompanied her son to his dermatologist appointment, but ended up becoming the patient when the doctor walked in the examining room and immediately announced to Rosa, “I know what you have.  You have rosacea.”

The facial skin of rosacea sufferers may be more susceptible to irritants due to impaired barrier function, a recent study found, resulting in the dryness experienced by many with the disorder.

Whether the occasion is a family wedding, a business dinner or a “night on the town,” the desire to look your best is the same.  Here are tips on how to avoid or cope with a flare-up that might otherwise put a damper on the festivities.

While each new season brings its own delights, from spring’s blooming flowers to autumn’s falling leaves, the change in weather can also bring challenges to rosacea patients, according to a new National Rosacea Society (NRS) patient survey.  Nearly 90 percent of the 852 survey respondents said their rosacea is affected by the change in seasons, and more than 58 percent said their symptoms are at their worst during the summer.

Could it be lupus – or could it be rosacea?

Lupus erythematosus – long known as an autoimmune disorder – and rosacea share several signs and symptoms: facial redness, sensitivity to sunlight and a tendency to affect women more than men. In fact, physicians have sometimes turned to blood tests to tell them apart. Now, researchers have discovered that those tests may not be as indicative as once thought.

In today’s increasingly complex health care system, it can be important to know the ins and outs of prescription insurance coverage in order to receive the medication that is intended by your doctor.

“With adequate knowledge, rosacea patients are empowered to take proactive measures that may be necessary to receive medical therapy appropriate for their individual cases,” said Dr. John Wolf, chairman of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine.  “This can be especially important when prior authorizations and ‘step edits’ are required.”