A recent study in Estonia of 348 randomly selected workers over 30 years of age found that 22 percent had one or more primary features of rosacea,¹ as identified in the standard classification system developed by the National Rosacea Society consensus committee and review panel of rosacea experts. The Slavic nation is located off the eastern Baltic Sea.

Reference

1. Abrams K, Silm H, Oona M. Prevalence of rosacea in an Estonian working population using a standard classification. Acta Derm Venereol 2010;90:269-273.

Q. What kind of sunscreen should be used for people with rosacea?

A. Using sunscreen is especially important for rosacea patients, as sun exposure was named the top trigger for rosacea flare-ups by 81 percent of those responding to a National Rosacea Society survey.

Homai Baria of India felt quite alone when she was diagnosed with rosacea.

"In India, I have still not heard much about the term rosacea," Baria said. As a result, many people in her country don't understand her condition.

"My family, friends and colleagues at work would sometimes make unkind comments about what was happening to me," she said, referring to her red face and rosacea flareups. "I went to the point of avoiding going to parties and social gatherings. I would often cry when I was alone."

While rosacea is thought to be most common in fair-skinned individuals, it may simply be more difficult to diagnose in those of African American, Asian and Hispanic heritage, said Dr. Fran Cook-Bolden, associate director, The Skin of Color Center, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, during a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A recent survey of 2,052 rosacea sufferers conducted by the National Rosacea Society provides evidence that this chronic skin condition runs in families, and that people of some nationalities are more likely than others to develop the disorder.

Nearly 40 percent of the respondents indicated they had a family member who also suffered from rosacea. For 27 percent, that family member was a parent. Eighteen percent had a brother or sister suffering from rosacea, while 13 percent had a grandparent with the disease and 16 percent had an aunt or uncle who was affected.