Extina for mild seb derm

[ckm]

Hey guys, I havent been on in a while but I wanted to let everyone know that I have found something that works for me. Its no miracle cure, but it has definitely improved my condition.


I have mild SD around the sides of my nose, mostly consisting of redness and mild flakiness. Itching has never been a big problem. I have tried pretty much every OTC and prescription med for SD, and nothing seemed to have any effect. Then I heard about a new ketoconazole foam med called extina. I asked my dermatologist, and she gave me a sample.

I was skeptical at first because it is alcohol based, and the most common side effect is burning/itching/irritation... not exactly soemthing you would want to put on an irritated area! However, although it does sting a bit when you first apply it, and redness does temporarily increase, the stinging only lasts a couple minutes and the redness is gone in about 15.

After a few days of using this stuff (it took a while for my skin to adjust to it, as it is a bit harsh), I noticed a significant decrease in erythema. It has not helped with the flaking so much, probably because of the alcohol... but honestly it is the only product I have used that I can say has shown to improve my condition. I have been using it for almost a month now, and although I still have some very mild redness, it is about 75% better. (I still have some broken capillaries in the area that I am getting treated with VBeam... but that is a whole different issue)

I think this works better than the cream or gel form of ketoconazole (ive tried both) because it absorbs much better. After a couple minutes, it is dry and you cant tell there is anything there at all. Its basically liquid so it soaks down into the cracks and crevices of the skin (and under the flakes!) without having to irritate the skin by rubbing it in. Another plus is that since it dries quickly and invisibly, is that I can apply a bit of cover-up if I want and it goes on evenly.

Those of you that have rosacea overlap should probably steer clear of this, as it is fairly irritating. but for SD, this stuff is a miracle.

It is really expensive though, so try a sample from your doctor first, and if you do buy it without insurance, get the small size (50g), as it is still pretty big.

[m90291]

I tried Extina and it flared up my acne. Also Xolegel flared up my acne. I can only use a certain brand of generic ketoconazole cream unfortunattely.

[Yvette]

Hi CKM,

I use Extina periodically too. I like it much better than lotion (pharmacist formulated) as it's light and absorbs quickly. Just make sure your face is completely dry before applying it - a damp face will increase absorption and can increase sensitivity or irritation. I even use it periodically on my outer earlobes for the waxy/oily feeling I sometimes get.

Thanks for sharing your experience with it. Let us know how things go.
Yvette