I'm Depressed.. Makeup to hide redness?

[aftermathshady]

Sorry if this may be a bit off-topic, but if anyone is willing to help I'd really appreciate it. Also sorry if this is a bit long, I feel the need to explain myself though lol.

I'm a 17 year old male and I'm not exactly sure if I have rosacea, but I have the (cosmetic) symptoms. I have an appointment with a dermatologist next month to see if I actually have it, and an IPL treatment scheduled soon after.

Even though I'm a guy, I have thought about wearing make-up to hide the purplish/redness I have. I dropped out of high school in 9th grade and had to be home-schooled because my self-esteem was really low. Since then I have moved (almost 3 years ago) and have NEVER made contact with anyone other than my family who I live with.

In June I'm really looking forward to going back to my city and seeing my friends and family and actually having fun instead of sitting in the house day after day (which I have been doing literally for almost 2 years straight.) But, as I said I can't do that because I feel so bad about my face.

I'm only able to get 1 IPL treatment before I go so I most likely won't be comfortable with how my face is after only 1 treatment, but since I've been sitting in a house every single day for over 2 years, I kind of like the idea of hiding my problem and don't care to wear make-up (as long as no one can tell of course.)

So can anyone recommend make-up that does not clog pores? I read that green corrects red and yellow corrects purple, and you're supposed to put foundation over it. I'm really confused because obviously I've never thought about wearing make-up before. I also have a prescribed acne medication I apply on my face every morning so I need something that won't interfer with that. Also if I do have rosacea, I read that certain make-up can irritate it.

Last question, sometimes my face will be a purplish color, in which case yellow would be the foundation (I think that's what it's called) to go for, but it does switch to red from time to time, so I don't know weather to get yellow or green.

I'm sure I will get some people making fun of me, but I'll say this - I don't see a big problem with a guy wearing basic make-up to hide flaws, it's not like wearing eyeliner or something. If it's to hide something your worried about I don't see a big deal. Of course it's not ideal for me to wear make-up, but as I said I'm really depressed about my face so anything that will make my skin look normal, I'm willing to use.

[bcage]

hey, glad you posted. there's been a recent thread in one of the forums about men and makeup, and what works/doesn't --> perhaps one of the mods can direct you to that?

what i would recommend, though, is that once you're armed with some information about which products might work for you - take the plunge and order them online, get them delivered to your house, and experiment. there's really no other way, unless you have enough confidence to go to a makeup counter - which it doesn't sound like. i have a complete aversion to them also, and literally can't even walk past them without lowering my head!!

my makeup routine is informed by friends advice and experimenting. i really hate wearing makeup so it looks like makeup, so i have a very specific approach to avoid that look!

i use Avene anti-redness moutirising to start. it's tinted green so immediantly the red has diminished PLUS it's priming my skin to be mosuritised enough to take the foundation. you need to make sure you do this, otherwise the foundation will just 'stick' to your dry skin.

then i use the Avene rich mousitirising creme and mix it with a little bit of Chanel liquid foundation. Mixing the two together gives me coverage but in a very natural way.

so; my advice; buy products online, and experiment. we have a speciaist store in central london which gives you little sample pots of the products to try -- but these stores are a dying breed. Alternatively, you could find one that specialises in problem skin and they may take refunds if you have a bad reaction. in london, we have the Garden Pharmacy, which do that. it's brilliant for me, because i have a reaction to most things! Avene is the only brand which is working for me at the mo.

hope that helps a little

[Melissa W]

Hi aftermathshady,

Welcome to the RF

Here are some of the threads that bcage were referring to:

http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...ht=makeup+guys

http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...ht=makeup+guys

http://www.rosaceagroup.org/The_Rosa...ht=makeup+guys

Good luck!

Melissa

[Auburn]

Dear Aftermath,

Please know that you are safe here. No one will make fun of you because we all understand what you are going through. Some male forum members use makeup or tinted moisturizers. I think one of them has been experimenting with mineral makeup with good results.

I completely disagree with dcage's advice. You might end up wasting a lot of time and money buying makeup online plus you wouldn't know what to do with it. You need to go to a makeup counter and consult with one of their experts. They will tell you exactly what you need, based on your skin type and tone. It's not just about shades (and how does one know what shade is the right one based on what one sees on a computer skin?), texture and coverage are just as important if not more so. A makeup expert will test stuff on your skin and they'll also teach you how to apply it to make it look as natural as possible.

If you feel like you couldn't possibly go to the stores in your neighborhood/town, get yourself to another town/city and keep in mind that 99.99% of the people you'll see there are too preoccupied with their own problems to really notice you. And the makeup counter people will not judge you because of the way your skin looks. You are not the first guy with red skin they've helped (plus, you will be sitting facing the expert and not the public - and... you can always pretend to be a rock band member! ).

I'm glad to hear that you've decided to start seeing your friends again.

All the very best.

[faust405245]

I'm a guy, I've tried the makeup route, not very successfully so far it has to be said, but I'm still trying. I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of, but I do understand you don't want it to look like you're wearing makeup.

Personally I'd recommend following Auburn's advice, re the makeup counter. I haven't got the confidence to do it myself, but trust me, it'll save you money. I've only had rosacea for maybe six months, and already I've wasted maybe £300 on stuff that doesn't work, or doesn't suit me.

At the moment I'm thinking about giving Jane Iredale mineral make-up a try. You might want to take a look at that?

One thing I will say: while it's possible to get makeup that looks relatively natural, people, some people anyway, will be able to tell you're wearing it. Now I've worn makeup for maybe seven years now (Concealer to start with, foundation these days) and people very rarely say anything. In that whole time only one person has ever said anything to me and that was when we were both drunk so I didn't really care.

I guess what I'm saying is, go for it, but don't be too surprised if at some point somebody says something. Maye come up with a stock answer, something to say, maybe make a joke of it. Or, alternatively, just tell them to f off. Up to you.

Good luck mate. Hope you can get your life back on track. Trust me, I know what you're going through.


On an unrelated note, if you're actually depressed, maybe go to your GP? I'm currently taking anti depressants, feel much better these days. Not perfect, but less obsessed with my appearance. Something to think about maybe...

[Aklady09]

I think a make-up consult is a great idea. I had one done about two months ago. I was thinking of purchasing Jane Iredale liquid foundation but I had no idea what shade would work for me and I did not want to waste money in case it didn't work.

I called a spa that offered Jane Iredale products and just talked to them first. I told them about my skin condition and I was amazed at how compassionate they were. They see rosacea clients all the time, no big deal.

I had the nicest young lady do my make-up, she explained the tones that would be best to offset the red (yellow for foundation, bronzer color for rouge, etc) I told her how embarrassed I was and she told me she has bad redness on and around her nose but she had it concealed so well w/ her make-up. She said she sees people all the time w/ various skin conditions and that is what she is there for...to help people feel better about themselves despite that. She did my make-up application at no charge (I tipped her of course) I wound up having a reaction to the liquid foundation so it would have been a waste of money for me to purchase it as I had planned She did me huge favor so I am going back to pick up the mineral make-up (I had no reaction to that) She has my colors all ready for me when I am ready to purchase. It was well worth it going in to see her.

I think you will find the same, Just tell them when you make the appointment. Maybe they could just do a spot treatment of your problems areas. I'm sure you won't be the first guy they have seen either.

Good luck and I'm so sorry to hear you having these problems, especially at your young age. I can totally relate, as I had skin issues also at your age (acne) I outgrew it for a while and you may find you will as well. I actually went several years with decent skin but now I have rosacea so I'm back to square one!

[Brady Barrows]

I have written about several tips about cosmetics for rosacea. Might want to consider Veil Cover. Hope this helps.

[bcage]

yes, to clarify, i do of course believe that the makeup counter is the best/quickest/most cost effective means of finding out what works for you.

but with it comes a massive undertaking. and from the OPs post, i thought if he's unable to leave the house, in two years, going to a makeup counter probably isn't viable at this stage.

[Leesee]

I'm sorry you are having such a time of it. Makeup could possibly help, as long as it does not contribute to your skin woes. You may want to do some sampling of the array of mineral foundations that are available. Avoid those that are made with bismuth oxychloride, rice powder, or corn starch, though, because those ingredients can cause skin flareups. The advantage of mineral foundation is that it can look and feel very natural, and generally will not cause skin to become sensitized (particularly if the aforementioned ingredients are not in the formula). Alima makes good mineral foundations; so does Aromaleigh. Both have several shade options to choose from, both are reasonably priced, and both offer small sizes for sampling. Good luck.