Rosacea

[Babybump87]

Hi

Does anyone have the above skin condition ? From a google search I may have this. GP booked for next week for advice !

My face over the last few months especially around my cheek and nose area is really red .It seems to be getting worse . I've tried all kinds of over the counter skin creams but nothing works. It's getting harder to cover it with my make up which is making me feel self conscious. I can't even do the school run without putting make up on which is annoying !

I've started using hydrocortisone cream which my girls get off the doctor but still nothing!

I make sure I wash my face each morning and night to remove makeup and dirt etc !

Anyone recommend any good but no overly expensive creams or any recommendations for one I can get on perscription

Thanks !

 

[bluebell]

Me Mine started about 5 years ago whilst I had some other health issues but has never improved and is worse in the winter or if I go in the sun. My skin is usually a bit blotchy but every so often I'll get spots as well which do dry out quicker with the prescription cream. I'm the same with washing my face regularly and have never had any success with clearing up the redness with the cream the doctor gave me. Thankfully my concealer does cover the worst of it but I'd love to have clear skin again!

Sorry no suggestions but really interested to hear if anyone else has found something that helps! I've done some research on various produces but they're all so expensive that I wouldn't want to buy them unless I knew that they actually worked!

xx

 

[calm]

Hi! I too have rosacea, and it affects my eyes too (apparently its all linked). I have some green primer that if you put it under your foundation it does hide it quite well. Having said that I've gone many years without putting on makeup, but lately I am making the effort. I am going to try and cure mine through diet. I know certain foods are said to aggravate it though it can vary depending on the person. I am currently cutting out refined sugar and dairy, and I have a few other ideas of what to try. If anything does work I will come back and update! X

 

[Babybump87]

Thanks for your replies ladies . My face is just red and blotchy I really hate it !!. Skin conditions run in my family .

I've also looked online all the products seem to be really expensive which is annoying .

I've cut out certain foods really cut down on fizzy drinks and chocolate still nothing ! .

Which concealers are you both using and the minute . I am actually not sure if it's he brand of make up iam using Maybelline better skin foundation not sure what the primer is . The blusher is a natural collection one from boots ! .

Thanks ladies !

 

[calm]

I use maxfactor, and the primer is from smashbox. I have heard people say that their rosacea went when taking out all sugars (including most fruit), and others say that it went completely taking Vitamin D. Other people taking out all tannin foods (google to get a list). I haven't tried any of those, but I know that cutting out dairy and refined sugar helps a lot for me. I'm also going to try taking omega 3!

 

[shellideaks]

I don't have it but I'd recommend investing in a green concealer. NYX do a pot one that's about £5.50. Put that on after priming, but before foundation. It cancels out the red.

 

[calm]

I don't have it but I'd recommend investing in a green concealer. NYX do a pot one that's about £5.50. Put that on after priming, but before foundation. It cancels out the red.

It is a concealer though, not a primer? It does sound a good price though, I will have a look.

My rosacea has really improved, I wonder if its taking out the sugar or some of the other things I've been doing? It could just be the sun... I think its going to take some time to work out my triggers

 

[Babybump87]

That's for the suggestion She'll .
I don't have a clue what triggers mine as this is all new to me!

I'm glad yours is improving Calm fingers crossed it continues

 

[sabby52]

I have this and it is linked to my mini-pill it started about 12 years ago, 10 years ago I fell pregnant with my son and it disappeared while I was pregnant, after I had my son I decided I would go on the combined pill and for the whole 8 years I was on the combined pill I didnt have a problem but the minute I went back on the mini pill (for health reasons) within 6 weeks my face was red, angry and sore The only way I can clear mine when its really sore is to take a 3 month course of antibiotics, that keeps it clear for about 6-8 months but it always gradually comes back I dont mind the redness as I know its a skin condition so I just manage it as best I can, I just cant stand it when it gets really bad, it gets so sore it actually makes me cry, thats why I always opt for the doxycycline.

 

[MindUtopia]

Yes, see your GP. It's usually an inflammatory condition, sometimes bordering almost on autoimmune, where your body turns on itself and creates an inflammatory response where one isn't needed. Trying to figure out those triggers can help some. For me, it's too much alcohol, stress and lack of sleep. The stress is the big one. And alcohol in moderation is fine for (I usually only drink, obviously not now that I'm pregnancy, but otherwise on the weekends, so like Friday and Saturday with dinner I'll have a few glasses of wine, or Friday night and then Sunday lunch, etc.). So I only drink maybe 2 days out of every week, rather than more regularly. I find it tends to flare up if I have alcohol more often than that. Like we were on holiday recently for two weeks and though I wasn't drinking heavily (obviously with a 4 year old who gets up at 6am!), but I certainly probably had a couple glasses of wine with lunch or with dinner most days. That definitely made it flare up.

Your GP will likely, if it's rosacea, offer you a lengthy course of antibiotics. It's not a bacterial infection, but antibiotics have strong anti-inflammatory properties and they can halt the inflammatory response that's making your body react like that. I've done that twice and it's not pleasant, but it's worth it to get on top of it so you can then work on ways to prevent it coming back. It's usually a course of 1 antibiotic for 2 weeks and then you step down to a different one for a further 6 weeks, decreasing the amount as you go until you wean yourself off after a full 8 weeks. It sounds horrible to think of taking antibiotics for 2 months, but it was really the only thing that did it for me when it was really bad. There is also a cream now on prescription that you can get. It only just came out after I finished my second course of antibiotics and I've not had a serious flare up since then (that was probably 3 years ago), so you might ask about that as well. I'm not keen on antibiotics and they do have unpleasant side effects (especially the stronger one you often start on first, that made me horribly nauseous), but it was worth it and I felt much better when it was done.

But figuring out your triggers really helps. Like I said, it's often stress, alcohol, caffeine, too much sun exposure, chemicals (like chlorine in swimming pools does it for me), spicy foods, quick changes in temperature (like being outside in the cold winter air and going into a really warm house). Also, doing things to soothe your skin when it's inflamed helps. I started doing the oil cleansing method, so I don't use any soap on my face, only an oil blend that I mix up myself and I really credit that with sorting it out for me. I started that just during my last course of antibiotics (I did 2 8 week courses in the first year after it started) and I've only had one minor flare up since then, which wasn't really a big deal symptom wise and due to being under intense stress (I'd had a miscarriage), so as soon as the stress got better, my face did too. Other people use oat masks and that helps soothe it as well.

It is possible to get on top of it. Mine started after my daughter was born and was really bad for a year. It was only on one patch on my left cheek and then my eye. You can get ocular rosacea, which is somewhat rare, but it's basically the same, but in your eye. My eye would just go completely blood shot, puff up and would weep (I literally looked like I had conjunctivis, my eye would seal shut with crusty discharge every night and I'd have to clean it in the mornings just to open my eye). It was horrible for the first year, but I got it under control, managing stress, diet, not using soap, etc. and it's been mostly okay now for the past 3 years with only that one minor flare up.

 

[teal]

I agree with what's been said above about finding out the triggers for it. Mine are also alcohol, stress, caffeine and very spicy food. I'm vegan so I don't have any dairy anyway. The antibiotics done absolutely nothing for me. I seldome wear make up and it always flares up after I do but I agree about a green primer.
On my skin I use sibu which has helped a lot. I also don't use any exfoliaters or anything harsh on my skin.
Stress is without a doubt my biggest trigger which is very frustrating. I hope you find something that works xx

 

[calm]

I also I think there is a hereditary factor, though it could be more inheriting the intolerance that then causes the rosacea. My grandmother had the rosacea that develops into a red bulky nose with veins on it, and she didn't drink alcohol which is typically related to that form of rosacea. I noticed I started to get a red vein spot on my nose, so I know that if I had just let it go it would probably end up as bad as my grandmother's, so that is why I'm trying to sort it out. Its most certainly better. I'm trying to go for anti inflammatory foods in general, and avoid those that do cause inflammation like sugar. My skin is definitely better in general.


Also I think hormones, as after having the twins I had really terrible rosacea in my eyes and I literally looked after them for a week with one eye closed and stinging so badly I used to spend the whole time moaning in misery, horrible! Though it might have been my high levels of stress those first months too.

 

[shellideaks]

I don't have it but I'd recommend investing in a green concealer. NYX do a pot one that's about £5.50. Put that on after priming, but before foundation. It cancels out the red.

It is a concealer though, not a primer? It does sound a good price though, I will have a look.

My rosacea has really improved, I wonder if its taking out the sugar or some of the other things I've been doing? It could just be the sun... I think its going to take some time to work out my triggers

Yep, it's a concealer designed to be used after primer. I'm a trained make-up artist and we had to study contra-indications (such as rosacea) and how to fix them. Green cancels out red.

 

[calm]

I don't have it but I'd recommend investing in a green concealer. NYX do a pot one that's about £5.50. Put that on after priming, but before foundation. It cancels out the red.

It is a concealer though, not a primer? It does sound a good price though, I will have a look.

My rosacea has really improved, I wonder if its taking out the sugar or some of the other things I've been doing? It could just be the sun... I think its going to take some time to work out my triggers

Yep, it's a concealer designed to be used after primer. I'm a trained make-up artist and we had to study contra-indications (such as rosacea) and how to fix them. Green cancels out red.

Ah okay, I have used quite a few green primers, but never a concealer! I just got a new green primer from amazon as my previous one was really expensive, see how it goes! To be honest my skin is looking okay lately so it doesn't feel so desperate as other times!