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Given the visibility of facial skin conditions such as acne vulgaris (AV) and rosacea, these diseases are prone to cause internalized stigma.

Internalized stigma (IS) represents the acceptance of negative societal stereotypes about their disease, leading to feelings of shame and social withdrawal. Given the visibility of facial skin conditions such as acne vulgaris (AV) and rosacea, these diseases are prone to cause IS, according to research published online in Cureus.

“Dermatological diseases that can be noticed from the outside have a feature that makes the individual different from others, which stigmatizes the patient,” study authors wrote. “Patients may fear other people’s reactions and experience serious self-confidence problems due to misperceptions about their illness. Patients may even withdraw from society by accepting these misperceptions about themselves.”

Based on this knowledge, researchers aimed to assess IS levels in patients with AV and rosacea and to compare these two groups. The study involved 53 patients with AV and 46 patients with rosacea aged 18-65, who completed the Internalized Stigma Scale (ISS) adapted for their conditions, along with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire.

Results of the study indicated a positive correlation between total DLQI scores, total ISS scores, and ISS subscale scores for all patients. Notably, no significant differences were found between patients with AV and rosacea regarding DLQI and ISS scores. According to the study authors, this suggests that both patient groups experience high levels of IS, which is closely associated with a lower quality of life and poorer perceived health status. Furthermore, the study found that IS levels were not influenced by age, gender, or disease duration in either group. However, IS increased with disease severity in patients with AV, while those with rosacea experienced high IS levels regardless of disease severity.

The study underscores the psychological impact of visible skin diseases, highlighting the need for clinicians to consider the mental health of patients with AV and rosacea alongside their physical symptoms. These findings support the importance of addressing IS in dermatological care to improve the overall well-being of patients with facial skin diseases.

“Patients with AV and rosacea experience high IS, and the clinician must never forget the psychological burden of these diseases,” they concluded.

“When compared within themselves, both AV and rosacea experience similar IS levels. However, in contrast to AV, IS levels in rosacea are high regardless of disease severity. As a result, the clinician should also prioritize the psychological status of these patients, as well as their clinical severity.”