Rosacea and the workplace

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | rosacea

Anyone who has rosacea always dreads the first bathroom break at work, because it is in the workplace bathroom where you realize for the first time on any particular day, that your face looks really red. When you’re at home and look in the bathroom mirror, things are usually not so bad. Not so at work and in particular in the workplace bathroom: huge mirrors with the overhanging fluorescent lights make everyone look bad, but because of the greenish hue of the fluorescent light bulbs, the red in our face is being emphasized even more.

This can, of course, increase any feelings of anxiety you may have even further, so it’s important not to pay too much attention to what you see in the bathroom mirror at work. Since most workplaces have fluorescent lights (and are out of our control), there are a few things you can do to reduce the reddish appearance of your face.

First, what you wear will have an effect on how your face looks under fluorescent lighting. Wear dark neutral colors (black, gray, navy) and avoid anything green or red. At home, decide what clothes go best with your complexion and if you happen to have those energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, determine what of an effect the greenish hue has on your face.

Then, there are several good mineral (make-up) foundations that can cover up and reduce the redness of your face. I don’t think this is something that is solely reserved for women with rosacea. Men can benefit from this as well. Just perform a Google search on the term “mineral makeup rosacea green”, and do some research. Look for mineral makeup that does not have too many ingredients and is free of fillers, talc and parabens. Mineral makeup usually contains zinc oxide, which is a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient. So you are not just covering up reddish skin, you may actually reduce the inflammation and swelling in the process.

Rosacea may also be a factor of stress and anxiety when you are looking for a new job and have to go on an interview. Just keep what I mentioned above in mind and if you have the luxury of giving a presentation, just dim the lights a little bit. There are always many things during an interview that are totally out of our control, but if you have the choice of being interviewed in a room with no windows versus a room which has natural light, the choice is obvious. In the days before an interview, be sure to avoid to any rosacea food triggers and drink plenty of water.

Due to our increased activities and stress levels in the afternoon, our faces will often appear more red in the afternoon. It is always a good idea to allow yourself regular breaks. Anything will work, such as taking a short walk through the building, some breathing and streching exercises in front of your desk and going to the water fountain.

Tags: rosacea and work

3 Comments to Rosacea and the workplace

Paula Harris
November 19, 2008

Thank you for info! So true! Those lights make my face more purple-ish. My problem is the tiny veins…really bad! I use make-up daily now. In the summer, though, it’s often to hot&humid for it. Swimming is a problem, too. There are just times when make-up isn’t possible. One must just learn to accept the condition, & get on with life! Education is helpful, too. I just tell people! Paula Harris

Andrea
December 21, 2009

It’s so refreshing to find so many websites where people are discussing this. I’m so accustomed to being the only flushy faced red person around that it makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one. And since my face stings constantly at work as well, I’m glad to hear I’m not imagining it. Here is a piece I got from another message board that you might find interesting.

Hello Group,

Very intriguing subject. Yes, fluorescent lighting is a very common
trigger for rosacea flares. However, if you ask a dermatologist or
rosacea specialist about this trigger, they will say they never
heard of it and dismiss it off the cuff. The derms just don’t
understand triggers like these. During my doctoral work my lab and
office was stacked with fluorescent lighting. After complaining
about this trigger to 25 to 30 dermatologists and getting the blow
off, I finally did some research and found out that the best doctor
to talk to was a highly specialized eye doctor called a neuro-
opthalmologist,

I set up a time to interview the doctor and he immediately knew what
I was talking about. Fluorescent lighting has some properties in it
that when it penetrates the eye and is transduced back through the
optic nerve, it excites the visual cortex of the brain (normal
action), but also alters the production of two chemicals in the
anterior hypothalamus – norepinephrine and gabba (not normal).

These chemicals then stimulate dilatory nerve fibers to the face
and also releases cortisol, a dilatory hormone; hence rosacea
flushing. In the normal population fluorescent lighting is a common
trigger for migraines and cluster headaches because of the changes
caused to norepinephrine and gabba (blood brain vessels dilate, but
they don’t flush because they don’t have rosacea). So, fluorescent
lighting does not induce a rosacea trigger via direct interaction
with facial skin, but is in fact a visual cortex processing affect.

During my doctoral work, studying in the lab 10 to 12 hours a day
was killing my rosacea. So, I have some suggestions that worked
quite well for me during that time period:

1. If you can, remove all the fluorescent light bulbs overhead your
work area and replace them with normal light bulbs (which do not
change those two brain chemicals). I did this in my office and it
was wonderful.

2. If you cant do the above, remove every other fluorescent light
bulb to decrease the total light penetrating the eye. I did this in
my lab and it made a difference.

3. If you cant do any of the above, order a pair of non-corrective
glasses with various shading that are specially made for indoors.
This works and is highly recommended by the neuro-opthalmologist
for his patients that get migraines or headaches from fluorescent
lighting but cannot remove the light system. Be sure to order the
shaded glasses that are designed for indoor lighting as they don’t
interfere with vision and in fact usually brighten/sharpen the
contrast of indoor material due to multiple mechanisms.

The real take home story is that I don’t think a single
dermatologist or rosacea specialist has ever heard of this trigger
or immediately dismisses it. This is a real trigger. This is a
common trigger. This reaction is a physiological one (not a
psychological one) that is caused by the simple excitation of two
chemicals in the anterior hypothalamus.

Hope that helps some.

Regards,

Geoffrey
______________________________

Dr. Geoffrey Nase
Ph.D. Neurovascular Physiologist
http://www.drnase.com

Megumi
May 29, 2010

Andrea, thanks for the info. My workplace is filled with fluorecent lights. I hate going to work because of this.

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