Does Rosacea Flare-Up When Stressed?
Essentially, yes. This simple connection was a turning point in my understanding of chronic skin conditions, and it might be for you too.
When my rosacea first appeared, I was going through an intensely stressful period – both emotionally and physically. Looking back now, I can see how clearly these were connected, but at the time, I was focused everywhere except where I needed to be.
The Missing Piece in Rosacea Treatment
Have you noticed how much focus there is on topical treatments for rosacea? Creams, serums, gentle cleansers – all targeting the symptoms rather than exploring what might be causing those symptoms in the first place.
For years, I overlooked what was perhaps my biggest trigger: stress and emotional distress.
I’m sharing this perspective not as just another personal story, but to offer you another approach to skin healing – another way of looking at your skin condition which might open doors I wish someone had shown me years ago.
The Vicious Cycle Nobody Talks About
Here’s what happens: rosacea flares up when you’re stressed, which then creates another layer of emotional distress as you worry about your appearance. This additional stress triggers more inflammation, which worsens your rosacea… and the cycle continues.
It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Has this happened to you too – that moment when your skin betrays your emotional state despite your best efforts to keep it together?
What made it worse for me was that I couldn’t hide when I was upset or stressed. My skin was literally communicating what I was feeling – displaying my emotions for everyone to see when I was trying so hard to maintain composure.
And when well-meaning people would point it out – “Gosh, you’re really red!” – I would cringe inside, becoming even more self-conscious and stressed. I’d draw inward, which only added to the emotional overwhelm.
Why We Don’t Address the Stress Connection
In today’s society, we’ve normalised stress to such an extent that we barely question it anymore. We accept the pressure as inevitable, rarely stopping to consider its physical manifestations.
But here’s what’s actually happening: When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol (the primary stress hormone), triggering inflammatory responses throughout our system. And what are chronic skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and acne? Fundamentally, they’re inflammatory conditions [1].
My baseline rosacea might have been a 1-2 on the redness scale, but during stressful periods, it would jump to a 3-4 out of 5. Rosacea flares when stressed – the connection couldn’t have been clearer, yet I wasn’t seeing it.
Not All Stress Is Created Equal
It’s important to note that not all stress is negative. We actually need some stress to function – that little boost of cortisol in the morning helps us get out of bed, and the adrenaline which helps us react quickly when crossing a busy street is beneficial.
I like to think of it as the “stress bucket” – an image shared with me years ago which perfectly captures how stress accumulates. We all have different-sized buckets, and problems arise when our bucket gets too full.
Even “happy stress” can contribute to our stress bucket filling up:
- Moving house
- Going on holiday
- Having a child
- Planning a wedding or party
- Job promotions
While these events are exciting, they introduce unfamiliar territory and extra responsibilities which can trigger skin responses. It’s not about eliminating stress entirely – it’s about managing our stress bucket before it overflows.
Finding Your Way Through
Healing began when I started listening to my body instead of ignoring what it was telling me. I needed to understand if what I was experiencing was simply a stress response or an unexpressed feeling manifesting physically.
The approach involved:
- Creating space for understanding – Having someone to talk to when you’re dealing with skin conditions can be transformative. It can feel so isolating when you’re surrounded by people who don’t understand what you’re going through.
- Recognising patterns – Is there a connection between certain environments, foods, times of day, or emotional states and your flare-ups? This pattern recognition became fascinating to me – a way to unravel what was happening.
- Listening to what my skin was communicating – Was I not expressing myself? Was my skin speaking for me when my words couldn’t? Emotional patterns often manifest as stress responses or unexpressed feelings seeking release.
How Colour Work Became My Gateway
For me, colour work became the key – the gateway to understanding what I was feeling. Sometimes we don’t have the words to express our emotions, but selecting a colour in response to how we’re feeling can tell us so much more.
The beauty of working with colour is its simplicity. You don’t need to unpack your feelings with countless words – just one colour can communicate volumes. It’s almost like there’s a match between what our skin is communicating and what colours can express for us.
Creating Breathing Room
I imagine stress like a balloon which keeps filling with air. We need to let some of that air out before the balloon bursts. For me, that meant:
- Finding moments in my day where I could truly relax
- Creating a sustainable way to process historical stress
- Developing practices which prevented stress from building up again
The key isn’t following someone else’s should-do list – that just creates another layer of stress! Instead, it’s about discovering what activities make YOUR body feel calm, happy, and relaxed.
It’s a two-pronged approach: creating moments of calm throughout your day while also working through the historical layers of stress which may have accumulated over time.
A Different Approach to Skin Healing
This alternative perspective on managing chronic skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and acne recognises the profound connection between our emotional state and our physical symptoms.
I created my skin healing mentor sessions because I believe this holistic approach is what’s often missing in conventional treatment plans. A place where people with chronic skin conditions can be understood, where they can explore the emotional patterns behind their physical symptoms, and where they can find gentle, personalised guidance.
I don’t want to promote myself – I genuinely would just like people to feel good about themselves and feel supported. Because having someone who truly understands what you’re going through can make all the difference.
References
[1] Pickett K, Loveman E, Kalita N, et al. Educational interventions to improve quality of life in people with chronic inflammatory skin diseases: systematic reviews of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2015 Oct. (Health Technology Assessment, No. 19.86.) Chapter 1, Background.
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