Originally considered a rare disease, the first treatment for rosacea was approved in late 1988 as an orphan drug by the FDA in the belief that fewer than 200,000 Americans suffered from it. It soon became evident that rosacea affected the lives of an estimated 14 million Americans who had failed to realize they had a medical condition that could be treated.The National Rosacea Society was formed in 1992 to raise awareness, provide health information and to support medical research that may lead to improvement in the management, prevention and potential cure for rosacea.