Patient-focused Solutions in Rosacea Management: Treatment Challenges in Special Patient Groups

Overview

Rosacea is among the most common facial skin conditions diagnosed by dermatologists. Typical clinical features include erythema, flushing, telangiectasia, papules, and pustules distributed on the central face. While the prevalence of rosacea is highest among white populations of Northern European descent, recent reports have found that rosacea frequently occurs in people from a broad range of racial/ethnic backgrounds and skin types. When rosacea presents in darker skin types, the diagnosis is often more challenging due to masking of features by increased epidermal melanin. As such, under-diagnosis and underreporting may contribute to misconceptions about the prevalence of rosacea in populations with skin of color. Recognizing the unique presentations and complications associated with darker skin types is necessary to reduce the disparities in rosacea treatment, especially as the American population continues to become increasingly heterogeneous. Although rosacea is most common in middle-aged females, patients of other demographics may have more negative impacts on quality of life due to their disease. In this article, we review rosacea management with a focus on special patient groups: people with skin of color, and less common forms of rosacea, in order to diminish the physical and psychosocial burden of rosacea in all patient groups. Due to the variability inherent to rosacea, we advocate for an individualized, patient-centered approach to disease management.