Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon helped Galderama S.A. launch a rosacea awareness program, “Act on Red,” which urges sufferers to seek treatment.

Nixon spoke about her experience with rosacea to show her support. Facial redness is a common and persistent symptom of rosacea. The skin condition known to affect around 40 million people worldwide.

Nixon commented: “My facial redness used to affect my confidence on set and at big social occasions and I struggled to manage what I thought was a recurrence of acne, like I had when I was a teenager. So it was a relief when my dermatologist told me I had rosacea as it has transformed the way I can manage my symptoms and better understand my triggers.

Nixon continued, “Programs such as Act on Red are important to help people recognize their symptoms and get the professional help they need.”

New research data from the survey, “Face Values: Global Perceptions,” conducted by Bryter, an independent market research consultancy, shows how the lives of people with facial redness associated with rosacea are affected by the condition, as well as how other people perceive them.

Results show:

• Facial redness affects sufferers emotionally (77%), socially (67%), at work (63%) and in their relationships/dating behavior (53%).


• Nearly two thirds (62%) of people with facial redness agree it embarrasses them, with 56% indicating that flare-ups cause most embarrassment when they had a business meeting, presentation or job interview.


• Nearly half (46%) of all people with facial redness associated with rosacea believe their redness changes others’ perceptions of them and the survey findings confirmed their fears – overall, first impressions were more negative for faces with redness. The physical attributes of facial redness were directly linked to sufferers being more likely to be perceived as sick, tired, unhealthy, and stressed.