Correlates of health-related quality of life in women with severe facial blemishes

Background Facial appearance plays a large role in self‐perception and interaction with others. Visible facial skin lesions are a common condition. Purpose This study assessed factors associated with health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in women with visible facial skin lesions. Methods The study included 73 women with one or more of the following conditions: acne, dermatosis papulosis, hypopigmentation, lentigenes, melasma, rosacea, vascular proliferations and other facial scars. The Skindex‐16 was used as a measure of HRQOL. Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) was assessed to determine whether self‐perception characteristics relate to HRQOL. Results There were strong correlations in both bivariate and multivariate analyses among increased FNE, heightened perception of QOL without the facial condition and lower overall HRQOL (P