Rosacea’s impact goes beyond what you can see. The skin condition, which causes flushing and reddened cheeks, often takes a toll on the emotions. Patients may feel embarrassed, stigmatized or misunderstood.
Galderma is asking patients and their loved ones to create artistic expressions of what rosacea means to them and upload them to a new online gallery, Rosacea Space, during Rosacea Awareness Month.
The global initiative encourages Rosacea sufferers or their loved ones to upload artwork, photos, poetry, videos, musical recordings and all forms of artistic expression to be displayed in the virtual space, which resembles an art gallery.
In a recent Galderma online survey, 69% of rosacea patients said stigma associated with the skin disease impacted their mental and emotional well-being. Nearly half (48%) have been told that “rosacea is not a serious skin condition,” according to the company.
The campaign aims to shine a spotlight on the disease and provide a platform where rosacea sufferers can be “seen, heard and felt” and gain comfort from the shared experiences of others, according to a spokesperson for Havas Life Medicom, which is working with Galderma on the campaign.
Galderma launched the space with more than 30 pieces of content from artists and rosacea influencers all over the world. There are paintings such as “Splat” which shows blotches of deep red paint splattered on a white canvas and “Rosacea, my friend,” a portrait of a woman in black, white and gray hues, save for the splash of rosy pink paint across her nose. Close up photographs of faces sans makeup are interspersed with poems describing life with rosacea and educational content about the disease.
One patient named Karina wrote a letter addressed “Dear Rosacea.” “I realized you're a part of me and are here to stay. So why not build a healthy relationship with you? Why not appreciate the color you paint on my skin and wear you with confidence,” she wrote. “So I did. I removed the mask and let the natural blush shine.”
A submission by “TalontedLex” shows a series of selfies, taken 10 years apart, as the woman’s skin progresses from the deep red of a flare-up to calm and clear in the final photo. “[B]ut this is not a before and after,” the caption reads. “This is a message of hope. It’s a sign to keep going.”
Another wrote about how his mother stopped going to the local butcher because he asked her if "she was on the booze."
Galderma is promoting the space on its unbranded "Beyond the Visible" social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and is also spreading the word through its network of influencers. The site will remain live until the end of the year. Additionally, there's a guestbook where visitors can leave supportive messages for members of the rosacea community.
While the campaign is unbranded, Galderma’s dermatology portfolio includes Oracea capsules for adult rosacea and topical treatments Mirvaso Gel and Soolantra Cream. The independent dermatology company was spun out in 2019 from a wholly owned subsidiary of Nestle.