I first developed rosacea aged 21. I had always had red cheeks and had blushed easily, but as time went on the redness became more severe, especially at certain points: when drinking alcohol, after exercise, when I was under a lot of stress. My skin would feel extremely warm and itchy, almost like heat rash, and would take hours or sometimes days to calm down.

Apparently such an early onset of rosacea is rare, as Dr Mahto told me: It "most commonly affects individuals aged 30-60 years of age. It is generally more common in females and often presents with facial redness. This is usually intermittent at first, but over time can become fixed. Rosacea tends to affect those with fair skin, blue eyes, or Celtic origin."