Quench
26th July 2006, 01:05 PM
I too have been lurking for a while and want to join in now. :D
I was diagnosed with rosacea a couple of months ago. I am 99% certain that I have it but my symptoms don't fit exactly so I'd like some of your expert opinions please.
I am very, very fair skinned (Scots genes) and until very recently I always had very clear skin. I have always been sensitive to products though, especially make-up so my skincare routine has always been very simple; Neutrogena soap and Clinique moisturiser.
About 10 months ago, I started a new (and fortunately, temporary) routine. It involved a daily 120 mile round trip commute, working 7 days a week as well as coping with a young family. To help me cope with the sleep deprivation, I started drinking copious quantities of caffeinated coffee – I only ever took decaf before. I started noticing that I was getting spotty on my left cheek, right next to my nose. I thought it would go away. Then it got red too. I eventually went to my doctor who gave me some cream – a topical antibiotic mixed with a little steroid (sorry I don’t know the name). I used it three times before discontinuing as it made me skin flare. I saw my doc again about two months ago. She diagnosed rosacea and gave me tetracycline. The pimples cleared up within a week and the redness has improved slowly although it is still there. I am off the antibiotics now.
I have been doing loads of research about this condition and so have been peering at myself in the mirror a lot. :oops: I certainly do have enlarged pores across my nose and some spider veins at the sides of my nose and on my cheeks but I honestly think that I wouldn’t have paid them any attention if I hadn’t been reading about rosacea so much. The red patch on my left cheek is small – probably no bigger than a 10p coin. I’d rather it wasn’t there but if that’s the extent of my symptoms, then I will be able to live with it. I have read though that the condition is progressive but can be controlled. I want to control it NOW so that it doesn’t get worse.
Like I said I think I probably do have rosacea but I am a bit confused about the symptoms. I have just discovered that the redness improves if I expose it to sunlight (under a zinc sunscreen of course). Does that indicate seb derm too? Also, I don’t get any itching, burning, stinging, flaking, swelling or flushing. At least I don’t think I flush – that’s where I’m most confused. Like everyone I go pinker if I drink alcohol or if it’s warm. Not so much that it is uncomfortable though and not so that it looks unusual. When I exercise however, I go really, really red and have done ever since I was a child. My whole face goes beet red. The length of time it takes for my face to go back to normal depends entirely on my fitness level. The fitter I am, the faster the red colour leaves my skin. It’s not an uncomfortable feeling though. Now, during my recent high-stress routine where I was throwing pints of coffee down my neck, I did experience a couple of uncomfortable flushes. My face felt hot, and had a lot of pressure behind it. I had palpitations too. It didn’t look like an exercise flush though – only a strip across my nose and cheeks were affected and they turned a pinky purple colour, not the blood red of an exercise flush. I suspected the coffee and so took myself to Starbucks to test my theory. Yes, hot coffee definitely gives me an uncomfortable, pink flush.
So since my diagnosis I am trying to make changes to my lifestyle that will help. My horrible, stressful routine is over and the coffee has gone! I haven’t flushed since. I am now trying to eat a more healthy diet and have started drinking the lemon/lime juice in water and taking supplements. I’d really like some more pointers on healthy diet and appropriate supplements though.
I’m also interested in the red LED therapy and would like info on how to build one and where I can source the components in the UK. I have also seen the lamps for sale in the USA. Would a small lamp (one head) be of any use at all – the homemade devices are so much bigger that I wonder if buying a small one would just be a waste?
Sorry – didn’t mean this to turn into such an essay. Thanks if you’ve made it this far.
I’ll be posting some pics shortly so you can have a look and give me your opinion on what might help or not. I am determined not to be beaten by this.
I was diagnosed with rosacea a couple of months ago. I am 99% certain that I have it but my symptoms don't fit exactly so I'd like some of your expert opinions please.
I am very, very fair skinned (Scots genes) and until very recently I always had very clear skin. I have always been sensitive to products though, especially make-up so my skincare routine has always been very simple; Neutrogena soap and Clinique moisturiser.
About 10 months ago, I started a new (and fortunately, temporary) routine. It involved a daily 120 mile round trip commute, working 7 days a week as well as coping with a young family. To help me cope with the sleep deprivation, I started drinking copious quantities of caffeinated coffee – I only ever took decaf before. I started noticing that I was getting spotty on my left cheek, right next to my nose. I thought it would go away. Then it got red too. I eventually went to my doctor who gave me some cream – a topical antibiotic mixed with a little steroid (sorry I don’t know the name). I used it three times before discontinuing as it made me skin flare. I saw my doc again about two months ago. She diagnosed rosacea and gave me tetracycline. The pimples cleared up within a week and the redness has improved slowly although it is still there. I am off the antibiotics now.
I have been doing loads of research about this condition and so have been peering at myself in the mirror a lot. :oops: I certainly do have enlarged pores across my nose and some spider veins at the sides of my nose and on my cheeks but I honestly think that I wouldn’t have paid them any attention if I hadn’t been reading about rosacea so much. The red patch on my left cheek is small – probably no bigger than a 10p coin. I’d rather it wasn’t there but if that’s the extent of my symptoms, then I will be able to live with it. I have read though that the condition is progressive but can be controlled. I want to control it NOW so that it doesn’t get worse.
Like I said I think I probably do have rosacea but I am a bit confused about the symptoms. I have just discovered that the redness improves if I expose it to sunlight (under a zinc sunscreen of course). Does that indicate seb derm too? Also, I don’t get any itching, burning, stinging, flaking, swelling or flushing. At least I don’t think I flush – that’s where I’m most confused. Like everyone I go pinker if I drink alcohol or if it’s warm. Not so much that it is uncomfortable though and not so that it looks unusual. When I exercise however, I go really, really red and have done ever since I was a child. My whole face goes beet red. The length of time it takes for my face to go back to normal depends entirely on my fitness level. The fitter I am, the faster the red colour leaves my skin. It’s not an uncomfortable feeling though. Now, during my recent high-stress routine where I was throwing pints of coffee down my neck, I did experience a couple of uncomfortable flushes. My face felt hot, and had a lot of pressure behind it. I had palpitations too. It didn’t look like an exercise flush though – only a strip across my nose and cheeks were affected and they turned a pinky purple colour, not the blood red of an exercise flush. I suspected the coffee and so took myself to Starbucks to test my theory. Yes, hot coffee definitely gives me an uncomfortable, pink flush.
So since my diagnosis I am trying to make changes to my lifestyle that will help. My horrible, stressful routine is over and the coffee has gone! I haven’t flushed since. I am now trying to eat a more healthy diet and have started drinking the lemon/lime juice in water and taking supplements. I’d really like some more pointers on healthy diet and appropriate supplements though.
I’m also interested in the red LED therapy and would like info on how to build one and where I can source the components in the UK. I have also seen the lamps for sale in the USA. Would a small lamp (one head) be of any use at all – the homemade devices are so much bigger that I wonder if buying a small one would just be a waste?
Sorry – didn’t mean this to turn into such an essay. Thanks if you’ve made it this far.
I’ll be posting some pics shortly so you can have a look and give me your opinion on what might help or not. I am determined not to be beaten by this.