A Malaysian woman recently shared a viral post depicting very noticeable changes to her face during pregnancy. People quickly observed the redness, texture and severity all over her face. The video received over 100 million hits in days.
Her Instagram name was Farah Faizal. During her pregnancy, she developed a red facial rash and rough skin texture. She does not confirm a medical diagnosis in her posts, but followers noticed the abrupt and severe changes and expressed concern. Some of the comments were mean and insensitive. One even told her “Congratulations, you have just taken the worst birth control ad.” While others were suggesting she should blame her husband or blame the baby.
Farah shared updates thanking her followers for their concern. She expressed that her skin condition was much improved after childbirth; since then she has undergone further treatment routines at the clinic and at home with her skincare regimen.
Doctor’s perspective: Was it Rosacea Fulminans?
Dermatologist, Dr. Zachary Rubin responded to her case through an online post. He congratulated her for having a healthy baby. He goes on to explain how being pregnant can result in major shifts in hormones, which directly impact the health of your skin. He noticed in Farah’s video; what we see may be the rare condition called Rosacea fulminans or Pyoderma faciale. However, he was careful to state that he did not give direct diagnosis on social media. Either situation, the condition of Rosacea Fulminans is characterized by sudden red nodules all over the face.
It looks similar to acne but it is a more extreme form of rosacea. It mostly affects young female populations and will typically start during pregnancy. It almost never lasts longer than a year. Treatment is usually antibiotics and steroids. He said her skin already looked like it was going clear postpartum.
Regarding her open age sharing, Farah defended herself by stating it was damaging to her mental health when she didn’t share. She noted how much pregnancy hormones could shift ones skin and emotions. She asked viewers to have empathy and see the person. She said what you see is real, including her flaws and feelings. She has no problem with people using filters but the filter does not change who you are.
Viewers wanted to know if her partner was supportive. She answered, by saying besides Allie, her husband is her safe space. He always made it to her appointments and gave her emotional support. In closing she shared, she was grateful for her husband’s belief in her beauty and encouragement at all times.
Also Read: Viral Story: Man Fights False Cases And Wins Divorce Without Alimony
To wrap it up, pregnancy can have drastic changes to skin because of hormonal shifts. Although very rare, a skin condition called rosacea fulminans can appear during pregnancy too. Supportive care and empathy add to the avail of where women sit with managing unfamiliar situations. Having open discussions like this, along with Farah’s will continue to minimize stigma of appearance that comes with pregnancy skin changes.
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