#RealRosacea: An Interview With Rose Gallagher
Getting up close and personal with Rose Gallagher, make up artist, rosacean, and all-round good egg
I’ve been talking about my rosacea on the internet for 12 years and, as part of that work, I’ve met so many other wonderful rosaceans. So I wanted to start a series where I interview all sorts of people with rosacea and hear their stories. How did they get diagnosed? What are their tried and true products? What do they wish they had been told when they were diagnosed?
I’m calling it #RealRosacea because, although everyone’s story will be different, we’re all experiencing the same condition and any and I believe that any representation helps us all.
I’m kicking off the series with someone you’re probably all well-acquainted with: Rose Gallagher. I first met Rose 6 years ago and we’ve worked together so many times since then. She’s a trained make up artist whose tutorials are my ultimate comfort-watch, genuinely feeling like I’m on FaceTime with a friend.
I’m so thrilled to have Rose as the first interviewee - I hope you enjoy it.
Demographic info: Rose Gallagher, 35, female, Birmingham, white/Irish.
Diagnosis
What type of rosacea do you have?
I have type one and type two rosacea. Type two is largely under control thankfully due to regular use of azelaic acid. Type one is a bit worsening – I’ve noticed some thread veins in the last couple of years, so definitely thinking about the potential for laser treatment soon.
When did you first notice symptoms of rosacea? What were they?
When I moved to London at 28, my skin was noticeably aggravated and I thought it was the water there. I’ve always, always had a rosy complexion since school so I had no idea this was an actual condition. When I went to have my skin looked at, they told me it was rosacea, suggested changes to my skincare routine, and I was blown away by how quickly things took a turn for the better.
When were you diagnosed with rosacea?
I was lucky in that I worked in the beauty industry, so I was able to see a private dermatologist and seek a consultation and treatment instantly. A fellow journalist saw me doing my skincare routine on the train on a press trip. She challenged me on why I was using the products I was using given I likely had rosacea, and I had no idea what any of this meant! I sought help after this.
What were your initial medical experiences like?
The private derm was fantastic. I was given two prescription creams, and full guidance on what a day and night skincare routine should look like with suggested products and brands. It was fantastic. This was originally Dr. Stefanie at Eudelo clinic.
When I told my GP what had happened and asked them if they could prescribe me the same creams to save me going privately each time, they were unable to.
Did you know what rosacea was before you were diagnosed? Do you know anyone else with rosacea?
I had no idea what rosacea was before my diagnosis and knew no one with it. And now, I can spot it in a lot of my family members.
How did you feel about your diagnosis?
My diagnosis really shocked me. I had no idea something I’d had my entire life – redness – was actually a condition, and furthermore that it was treatable and reducible. It was a revelation.
Treatment and Management
What treatments have you tried for your rosacea?
I’ve tried a number of creams for my rosacea. Metronidazole doesn’t do an awful lot for me in all honesty. Azelaic acid is the main thing I’ve seen huge results from - it’s the ingredient that not only manages my skin but also drastically improves things if and when I have a flare up. I currently go between a Klira special treatment which I absolutely love, or if I’m getting a prescription from Boots online doctor I get the Finacea cream.
One thing I’ve never personally done is use antibiotics. From what I know of the gut/skin connection, I feel a bit sad that this is one of the first ports of call, because actually all of these derms will say that cultivating a healthy gut can be key in managing your skin.
Have you sought help from other healthcare professionals, such as a nutritionist or psychologist?
I actually sought help from a nutritionist this year for other health issues, and when I made dietary changes (for example I’ve cut out dairy) I noticed a reduction in my type 2 rosacea.
Have you ever felt misunderstood or dismissed by a healthcare provider?
I’m a bit of an exception to the rule because working in beauty I am lucky to have access to dermatologists, so in all honesty I am very lucky and can’t say I’ve ever had a negative experience. But people tell me time and time again that they have felt so dismissed by their GP, or made to feel they are making a fuss of something small. It’s very upsetting to hear stories like that because I know how huge the impact is of not feeling good in your skin, both from personal experience and also hearing other peoples stories.
Have you tried any natural or alternative treatments?
If I’m honest I am quite happy to follow a science-led approach to rosacea. I know there are lots of home remedies, but doctors I trust like Dr Hextall or Dr Wedgeworth always recommend you eat your food rather than making those at-home concoctions!
Symptoms and Triggers
What are the most common symptoms you experience with rosacea?
My skin flushes all the time, and when I’m not on top of my azelaic acid I get bumps and texture. I also notice that in cold weather my skin gets so, so dry, and I have to balance deeply moisturising with the knowledge that this tends to bring out more of my bumps. My skin actually gets very hot and sore when it’s badly flared, and I find myself desperately reaching for moisturiser just to soothe it.
How do your symptoms affect your daily life?
In my day to day life, if I’m honest, I’m very happy to go makeup free and don’t really mind what my skin is saying. But, if I wanted to feel truly nice in myself, I would always wear full coverage foundation. As much as going makeup free doesn’t bother me, I don’t feel nice in myself when I do that.
Are there specific triggers that worsen your symptoms?
Sugar can really flare mine up in terms of bumps, and I notice that I flush in cold weather more than normal. Sometimes though I can eat super healthily, sleep well, do everything right, and it still flares up big time. Curries and spices really cause me to flush too!
How do you manage your known triggers?
Honestly, my main management is just wearing full coverage foundation so that whatever is going on underneath it is none of my business!
Have you noticed any changes in your symptoms over time?
My flushing is now accompanied by thread veins which it wasn’t before. This is a bit of a shame because even when my skin is as calm as it can be, those thread veins are visible.
Lifestyle and Coping Strategies
Have you made any lifestyle changes to help manage your rosacea?
I travel a lot for work, and I know it sounds simple but I would never travel without my proper travel bag with all of my creams and proper skin routine. It’s just non-negotiable at this point to keep my skin as calm and comfortable as possible.
Have you found any particular products that help soothe your skin? Are there any specific skincare routines you follow?
There have been so many products over the years that I’ve loved. In general I don’t go wrong with basic pieces from La Roche Posay, Avene, Vichy – the French Pharmacy brands. I tend to just cleanse, moisturise and SPF, and sometimes will add serums.
Specific product recommendations:
The entire La Roche Posay Toleriane range I would recommend to anyone, in particular the cleanser.
I love the Vichy Mineral 89 100H moisturiser. I have gone through jars and jars of that since it launched a couple of years ago.
Lots of high street SPF brands are great, L’Oreal, Garnier etc all have affordable ones, but La Roche-Posay Anthelios is my fave.
The Avene Thermal Spring Water is a great instant soother.
Do you wear makeup? Why?
I wear makeup for two reasons really. One, I just love it! I love glitters and pops of colour and fun elements. But when it comes to complexion, I tend to wear full coverage so that I’m not thinking about my skin. I don’t want it to distract me when I look at myself and encourage negative self talk. When I have a blank canvas, I don’t do that to myself, so that’s what I like.
What are your ultimate make up recommendations?
I know I’m a broken record, but I truly love the IT Cosmetics original CC Cream and wear it every day. I love it. It’s full coverage and dewy, so I can look as fresh as I like but my redness is covered.
I’m trying to embrace less powder as I get a bit older, so I have got massively into setting sprays and love the Urban Decay All Nighter. Something to seal my makeup in is a must, whether it’s the Bye Bye Pores powder from IT or that spray, or both, because my skin is so hot, my makeup tends to melt without it.
Emotional and Social Impact
What has been the most challenging aspect of living with rosacea?
I think the most challenging part of living with rosacea is that actually I express myself with makeup differently than I would like to. I’ve been a makeup artist since 2010, though since the pandemic I do less makeup on others than I used to. My personal favourite aesthetic is really barely-there skin, minimal complexions and then pops of colour everywhere. But if I try and do that on myself, the redness is too distracting for me to have the impact I’d like to have. If I didn’t have redness, I wouldn’t wear foundation anywhere near as full coverage as I do.
What has been the most rewarding or positive experience related to your rosacea journey?
The most rewarding experience and a true blessing has been sharing my rosacea story online. I feel really touched when people open up to me about how they feel in themselves, and it makes me feel so happy to know that maybe I can chat to a derm and share info that you might otherwise have to pay for, and be able to be something of a messenger between that derm and a viewer or reader. I want to do a lot more of that, because it brings me a lot of joy.
How has rosacea affected your self-esteem?
Rosacea definitely makes me look at my face differently than I look at those without it. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But, being able to connect with people and have people trust me with their stories, it brings me a different kind of self-esteem boost that I feel really privileged to have, and I wouldn’t change for the world.
What are your thoughts on the link between skin conditions and poor mental health?
Just this year I’ve been researching the gut-skin-brain axis, and I wholeheartedly believe now in a link between mental health and skin conditions. I would have been a bit skeptical before if I’m honest, but I’ve seen so much now to categorically prove a strong link, it really makes me realise that the social proximity of a person’s life can have a huge impact on their skin. I think practitioners need to really take into account a full holistic view of a person before they can adequately treat them, and I’m very inspired by the likes of Dr. Justine Hextall who does just that.
Have you experienced any social challenges due to rosacea?
I have had so many dickhead remarks over the years, and still get them daily online. People coming up with the most simple solution like ‘oh you should stop drinking and your skin won’t look like that’. It’s laughable but there’s nothing funny about it.
How do you handle questions or comments about your skin from others?
Honestly, if someone leaves me a nasty comment, I’ll sometimes have a look at what the rest of their digital footprint looks like. 9 times out of 10, they’re quite a negative person all round and generally get a kick out of leaving hate for others. That’s just not how I operate, and it makes me feel better that it’s just spouting off from someone who would spout off at anything. It makes it much less personal.
How do you stay positive and motivated despite the challenges?
I actively practise things to keep myself positive. For example earlier this year I did Gabby Bernstein’s 21 day manifest challenge for the new year. I think positive thinking and positive self talk need constant practise and reinforcing, and I carve out time to listen to positive speakers or look at The Secret Daily app on my phone to make sure I’m always encouraging myself to be more positive.
Have you found any support groups or communities that help you?
I’m not a huge Facebook person but whenever I go on I always look at your group, Lex (Note from Lex: you can find the FB group HERE). It’s such a great community to see what people are experiencing, see like-minded people, read recommendations. I don’t think there’s anything else like it on the internet and I really, really enjoy reading it.
Looking To The Future
What do you hope to see in the future in terms of rosacea treatment and management?
Now that pharmacists can prescribe, I really hope people utilise things like the Boots Online Doctor a bit more. At the end of the day, the NHS is in crisis and you can’t expect a GP to know as much about your skin than you, or a derm. Affordable-ish services like these pharmacy prescribers will allow people to speak to practitioners that are trained in skin, ready and waiting to treat skin specifically, and there to offer much needed emotional support.
I know in an ideal world all of this would be available at the GP, but the truth is it just isn’t able to be, and I really feel these kinds of services are going to bridge a gap big time.
Also people like Skin and Me, Klira, they’re all doing a fantastic job to make people feel seen and heard in their worries about their skin. I think this is the future.
How do you stay informed about new developments in rosacea research?
I am super fortunate to see and speak to derms quite a lot, so I always have a friendly face to ask. But above all I watch a lot of professional derms on Instagram. It’s great that so many of them are sharing their knowledge in abundance, and I’d recommend everyone to follow experts like the derms to get all of this info as and when it unfolds.
Do you think public awareness about rosacea has improved over the years?
Rosacea awareness is definitely on the up which is brilliant. I think the likes of TikTok can really amplify this too and I hope it continues to. I’m very grateful to anyone leaning into the rosacea discussion, even people like Charley Marlowe the presenter or Selena Makeup on Instagram, both of whom don’t focus on it as their day to day content but just mention that they have it and keep it as part of the conversation. It’s nice to see it come up more in general chats.
Personal Insights and Advice
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you were first diagnosed?
If I could go back in time to when I was first diagnosed, I’d tell myself that even though I miss all of my exfoliants and facial oils, I can still enjoy them occasionally without going berserk with them.
How has your perception of beauty and self-care changed since your diagnosis?
My perception of beauty since my diagnosis has changed in a few ways. Whether my skin or my hair, I’m much more keen to embrace my natural states! I love wearing my hair curly now and I don’t mind going makeup free even though I do admit I feel less pretty when I do.
I also somehow overcame my fear of showing myself without makeup online, and now I never feel like if someone sees me on a less makeup day they’ll think I’m different to what I look like in my videos, because they always see me without make up.
What message would you like to share with others who are struggling with rosacea?
If you’re struggling, my message would be to please seek help from a dermatologist however that might work for you. Instead of going to the GP, go to someone who is dedicated in research to skin. I don’t say that to be nasty, but going to someone who specialises in skin (for example the services I mentioned above), means you’ll get the answers you need so much more quickly. In my years of interviewing derms, they all reassure me that rosacea can be managed and reduced, and sometimes with the right treatment things can get better in a matter of days.
You don’t have to live with troubling symptoms, there is help available, and you can massively improve any discomfort, so why not try? You deserve to feel great.
If you want to feel less alone, look at Lex’s resources (like the Facebook group) to see how many people are in the same boat and you’ll also see lots of remedies and success stories to make you see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you so so much to the lovely Rose for sharing her story with us, there is so much wisdom and practical advice in those answers. You can find and follow her HERE.
I hope you enjoy this interview, if you have any other questions for Rose please leave them in the comments.
Thanks so much for this, loved reading it and so open, honest and informative xx
Thank you Lex and Rose this was so good to read ❤️