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32-year-old Lex Gillies first noticed that her complexion was beginning to worsen when she was at university. For several months, she assumed her reddened skin, pimples, and alternatively oily and dry patches were all caused by her body trying to adjust to a new lifestyle.
When the symptoms persisted over time, Gillies sought out medical advice.
That was when they diagnosed her with rosacea, a skin condition that manifests itself on the face as red, blotchy, swollen skin. There is currently no cure for rosacea, and when they told Gillies this, she was “devastated.”
“My face looked like a tomato,” she said, “and it was impossible to tell when the flare ups would happen…the condition was ruining my life. At first I didn’t know how to deal with my skin, I had horrible pimples and oily skin combined with dry, scaly patches that would glow bright red.” [sic]
Even after Gillies finally graduated from university, she was still struggling to handle her rosacea.
She never left her house without having first put on an entire face of makeup, in hopes of covering as much of her red skin as possible. Gillies managed well enough; people mostly assumed she was perpetually sunburnt.
It was only when one of her colleagues mentioned at work that her constantly red complexion was a sign that she was flustered and attracted to her boss. Gillies’ confidence plummeted, and she ended up quitting her job.
Gillies was desperate for help at that point.
She went to a new doctor, who suggested her find ways she could calm her body and lower her body temperature (her rosacea flare ups were often caused by stress and temperature changes). Gillies also independently conducted research on her condition, discovering that cutting gluten and alcohol out of her diet also helped with her appearance.
Now, several years after university, Gillies finally feels confident in her skin again. She currently runs a blog where she writes about her experiences with rosacea and provides beauty tips, hoping to reassure others that their condition doesn’t have to “rule [their lives].”
