Many rosacea sufferers are looking for help to reduce the redness of their face. This is one of the first rosacea symptoms that people might notice. It is also one of the symptoms of rosacea that is sadly hardest to treat. What treatments have fellow rosacea sufferers used to hide the ruddiness and angry face that sometimes accompanies rosacea ? Read on where I’ll go through what I see as your current best options.
Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom with your top tips too.
eucerin redness relief
Eucerin Redness Relief is a new range of products from Beiersdorf that contains an extract from Licorice called Licochalcone. The reviews from members of the Rosacea Support Group are generally pretty good. There is also some published evidence that it might help with reducing the appearance of a red face.
acne cover lotion
This particular product is really an acne product, but my personal experience is really positive. It contains sulphur and has a strong ability to cover lesions. I’d see this product as best suited to outbreaks of papules and pustules and possibly also for general larger areas of redness. For more information see Linda Sy’s Acne Cover Lotion. This product might not be suitable for the more sensitive skin types.
[update:] sadly Linda Sy has gone out of business and ACL is no longer available. If you find something suitable as a replacement please let everyone know in the comments below.
tinted sunscreens
It seems to me that tinted sunscreens are still underrated as a rosacea treatment. My favourite, that I continue to use every day is Linda Sy’s (now made by RosaceaCare) Tinted ZincO Cream. As well as offering protection from the sun and elements it can cover redness quite well. Even a small amount of flesh coloring in a sunscreen can really lift your self esteem. All red faced rosacea rosacea sufferers would love to feel that their face blends in with the crowd !
More reading on sunscreens here: Rosacea & Sunscreen articles.
short course steroid creams
In short stints, low dose steroids can help calm a red rosacea flareup. This should be viewed as a last resort, though.
However, I believe that when circumstance requires it, a short-term course of low potency non-fluorinated topical cortisone, on the face of non-rosacean, is not out of the question. There are times when it is important to control an acute condition as soon as possible, to prevent progression or complication and to give relief to the patient. Once this is achieved, a responsible physician will: 1) attempt to find the cause of the condition and treat it accordingly and 2) convey the message that cortisone cream should be discontinued and not be used long-term due to its many side effects such as peri-oral dermatitis, steroid addiction, steroid induced rosacea, skin atrophy etc.
As for rosacean skin, it is definitely a good idea to use all other
alternative topicals or oral medications available, rather than use
cortisone. This is, as you know, due to the highly excitable reactive skin and vasomotor instability of rosaceans.Dr. Linda Sy, RSG Message 22628
You’ll get different answers from different doctors AND group members! My own experience with patients has been that if you use a low potency non-fluorinated topical steroid, short term to alleviate symptoms, it is ok.
Steroids should be used with care as over the counter steroids can cause steroid induced rosacea.
If you think you are suffering from steroid induced rosacea you might find this post from Dr. Linda Sy MD helpful: treating steroid induced rosacea.
IPL
IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light is perhaps the best known treatment for a red face. Recently there have been a couple of studies published that were able to prove that IPL is effective in reducing rosacea associated erythema (redness). A couple of great papers are Measuring Erythema (red face) after IPL and IPL is excellent for rosacea (and inded a 2007 followup also IPL excellent for treating red face and broken blood vessels).
I’ve collected a set of 16 items (at the time of writing this article) that are a great place to start if you are interested in IPL. See the IPL Articles category.
KTP Laser
There is some good published articles suggesting that the KTP Laser (KTP stands for Potassium Titanyl Phosphate) is also a good choice for a facial redness. This laser is not talked about much in the online rosacea groups, but the published articles look promising. Have you had experience with this laser ? Please leave a comment below.
- ktp laser good for red face and facial vessels
- treating rosacea with the KTP Laser
- KTP Laser and facial telangiectasias
eredicane
How about if your redness is related to flushing ?
Eredicane is an OTC non-FDA approved treatment containing Magnesium, Passion Flower, Valerian, Vit B6, Glycine, Glutamine, Primula Officinalis and Taurine. According to their web site, eredicane works thusly ;
Fight Blushing With the Body’s Own Building Blocks
Eredicane’s main ingredient, GABA, is one of the nine essential amino acids found in the brain. GABA inhibits neurons in the cells from firing, thus diminishing the excitatory messages reaching the frontal cortex of the brain.
In essence, GABA lowers the excitatory level of the cell that is about to receive the incoming information, therefore helping to prevent the onset of the sensation that causes blushing.
But does it work ? A long thread over at ESFB, `Has anyone tried “Eredicane??”‘ is inconclusive, showing mixed results.
cutanix drl
Unfortunately Cutanix is not currently available. Some members of rosacea-support have found DRL to help their facial redness. It is believed that the FDA has objected to the claims made by the packaging. No information is yet available on if or when DRL will return to the market. I love this product so personally I’m looking forward to it becoming available again. As some background you might like to read the Cutanix Articles on Rosacea News.
sansrosa
This option is speculative, but is worth mentioning here in this list. Galderma is in one of the final stages of developing a product that is showing promise as a treatment for the flushing redness of rosacea. The product is informally known as Sansrosa and is also called COL-118 by Galderma. The information currently available suggests that this topical can be used safely for long periods and can reduce the appearance of a red flushed face. I have covered this product extensively, so feel free to look through the sanrosa articles. There is no guarantee that Sansrosa will be approved for general use, but if and when it does get approved, it will offer a treatment option that is not currently available from any other topical.
When it isn’t Rosacea
Finally, before launching into some treatment for rosacea, it might also be worth exploring the possibility that your red face isn’t actually rosacea. One good place to explore this further is red face: when flushing isn?t rosacea.
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How have you tackled your red face ? Leave a comment a below and let everyone know your top tips.
125 comments ↓
Elidel has worked great for me, too.
Permethrin cream is working wonders for me. Takes a while, but i’m getting there.
The combination of Singulair with Zantac and Reactine taken daily works wonders for my facial redness. Red Light Therapy has made a tremendous difference as well.
I doubt eredicane would work. GABA does not cross the blood-brain barrier unless modified (i.e. with niacin, as in picamilon).
Clonazepam increases GABA, and does decrease redness.
However, I doubt that eredicane would be able to elevate GABA levels in the brain, like clonazepam does.
If you’re interested in GABA, look into its derivatives such as picamilon and phenibut.
I am 35 and first developed rosacea symptoms at 12.
Perhaps because of the times, I was told by a doctor that I had “problem skin” and that the problem would go away after adolescence had wreaked its chemical havoc. It didn’t.
Then, in my early 20′s, I went to a suite of dermatologists, who mis-diagnosed the redness as excema–and I was given cortisones that made my skin feel less itchy, but no less red. When I complained, one Sydney specialist told me that I was a “back office girl” (I am a writer) and I didn’t need to worry about my face, because I wasn’t
actively dealing with the public. This level of insensitivity sounds positively Victorian, but it was common enough then.
But by this time, my skin was only getting worse, and I could notice little bumps and lesions in addition to the usual
redness. It was some time before I went to see another dermatologist. I had since moved to the States, and I was incredibly relieved to be told that I had Rosacea, because for the first time, “the redness” (that everyone loves to point out, as if you were unaware of it) was not some alien condition that I alone suffered.
I’ve been using Finacea for two months, and have
seen a large improvement on the small bumps. As for the redness, it has calmed down in tone from a crimson rosella
red to a fainter blush. I’m not sure if other sufferers do this, but one begins to distinguish between various shades of red as a painter might, constantly monitoring the face for slight differences or improvements. As a result of Rosacea, red was always my least favourite colour–when I look at a red painting or sit in a red chair, I begin to feel an increase in temperature, and my face feels as if it is burning up.
I know I sound mad.
Anyway, I will continue to use the finacea–even though it feels as if I have reached a plateau, and that no more red can be got from my face, which probably means that I will be using tinted moisturisers and cover-ups for an extremely long time. But as Ned Kelly said: Such is Life. I mean,
it could be worse.
Shiralee
i hate rosacea! i hate it
i secretly think it has something to do with the fact that I am also extreem hyperthyroid……
it has taken over my life and made me crazy
Shiralee:
Your comments about montoring your skin color and temp., and the remarkable ignorance of friends and others in stating the obvious, are quite familiar to me. You do not sound mad at all. I find that the self-consciousness of rosacea is enhanced by the guilty realization that the condition is not as medically serious as others.
I have tried various mediations, with no real results. I have found some improvement with IPL treatments using a low to medium setting. Not cheap; about $500 per session.
Best to you.
Jay
why god why. why cant they find a cure
The sad thing is, I am a nurse and I can’t even afford to go to a dermatologist for help for this chronic condition. Even people who work in health care can’t get the help they need. I have tried every OTC and makeup trick in the book. I hate it and I get so tired of people saying things to me about my red face. Legitimate treatments should be available over the counter. Granted, it could always be worse, but rosacea is socially crippling.
I have had my rosacea under semi-control for about a year now. Unless I do something extreme this keeps my face nearly rosacea free. I drink only some wines (I have noticed Merlot makes my face feel hot, so I don’t drink that anymore), exercise and live in extreme weather temperatures. If I feel my face flushing (warming up or reddening I do something immediately for cool it down…roll a glass of ice water or a bottle of cold beverage over my face, put a cool, wet cloth over my face, go outside if it’s too warm inside or inside if it’s too hot outside.
My routine:
wash face 2x daily (day and night, using a clean cloth) and cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
apply a thin layer of metrogel 1 (once a day unless my face feels warmer than usual)
apply bare escentuals skin rever-upper (a vitamin cream)
apply a facial sunblock (I use B Kamins Bio-maple)
My make up is bare escentuals mineral wear
I try not use hair spray or anything that might spray alcohol on my face…when I do this I am back to square one and have to clear my face up again…
This might sound like a lot, but it only take a few minutes a day and it gives me much less anxiety about my skin. The key is if you feel your face flushing, cool it down right away.
Good luck!
Hi
I want to know about ultra vpl treatments
Pete
I’ve had good luck taking Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) extract (Venastat is one brand). It does take several weeks to see a difference, and you have to keep taking it, but I no longer have a bright red face after exercise, and feel a bit more normal. Here’s an article on the venous support claims…
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/horse-chestnut/NS_patient-Horsechestnut
I am considering Levulan PDT treatment to remove keratoses on my face. I have had two surgeries to remove pre-cancerous lesions. I also have Rosacea and wonder if this treatment will aggrevate the Rosacea condition on my cheeks. Can anyone out there help with their comments?
Hi Ann,
Here are 2 news items that relate to rosacea and PDT. I hope they are interesting for you.
http://rosacea-support.org/pdt-shows-promise-for-rosacea.html
and
http://rosacea-support.org/be-careful-with-levulan-aminolevulinic.html
I think PDT can be good for rosacea, but maybe not for everyone.
davidp.
Thank god i’m not on my own!
I am sixteen and have had ‘a red nose’ and slightly red cheeks since i was about 12/13 now and it is so embarassing because it seems no one else has it. it goes especially red when i blow my nose. after this researching i’ll go the doctors and hopefully get it sorted!
thanks for the site.
I believe that my permanent facial redness is the result of my sensitive “fight or flight” response and my having grown up with a sense of powerlessness. Significant others who delight in calling attention to my facial distress only worsens the condition. Finding my spiritual base has helped me stay calm and has lessened my flareups; losing control only worsens my rosacea.
Carol: Have you asked your doctor about beta blockers, like Atenolol, to greatly curb the “fight or flight” response? It works perfectly for me.
Hi, my name is Michelle…Im going on 18 next week and ive had Red cheeks literally my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE! Since i was a little baby my cheeks have been Red…my doctor told my mom that it would clear up by the time i was 3, and nothing…then she said i had eczema and gave me medication for that…and still nothing, that medication actually made my face really hot, and irritated…since then i have yet to see another dermatologist…they all tell me the same thing…”Just use this medication and you’ll get better…” I dont go to them anymore, i decided that even if the Top Dermatologist in the WHOLE WORLD said there is’nt a cure for “Rosacea”…I know there’s someone bigger then him that can heal me…Nothing is impossible for God, even if u feel like your the only person in the world with Red Cheeks or whatever, your not and just know u were created in God’s image…I dont care what any Dr’s say i KNOW my Redness WILL clear up…its just in Gods timing…and when it does i will post pictures for everyone to see! Your not an alien, your not the only one in this world with red cheeks or a red nose or whatever it is…your not alone in this…There is a cure.
I wonder if we all took some of the money we throw at facial products, dermatologists, laser treatments, medications and herbal solutions and donated it to rosacea research if we’d finally have the financial power to push through and find a cure.
Just a thought.
I have had very rosey cheeks (not rosacea) since before I can remember, I am a 20 year-old male and through out my teens I tried everything and anything to clear it up, but nothing would work. I tried prescription topicals and had 5 expensive IPL laser treatments, all which had no effect what so ever on me. I have been using the ‘Eucerin redness relief daily perfecting cream with green tint’ for about a year and nothing has worked better. I also found that oxymetazoline HCL .05% works well…you can find it in the average nasil spray at CVS. Never forget, confidence and self esteem are sure ways to calm your skin. Stress was absolutely a factor for my flair up’s in day to day life. In the mean time, try the Eucerin and oxymetazoline products.
Have you ever heard of ZenMed?
Is it really work?
whoever is suffering from rosacea,needs to undergo ipl treatmentsi.e photo facial to reduce the damn redness.
WHY GOD WHY ??U HAVE TO DO THIS TO US
??
i am 37 years old and have suffered from rosacea since i was 22 i have tried almost every cream and antibiotic you can think of, some seem to work for a short term and then the redness appears with a vengence and i’m back to sq 1. has anyone tried the creams from rosacea care if so have they had any good effects?
I’m glad I found this site, it has helped me finally go to the dr to find out if I have rosacea or not. I used to think it’s just dry/sensitive skin but I’ve been dealing with this since my early 20′s and I am now in my middle 30′s. I’ve tried Good Skin’s All Calm and it only takes a little redness away. So I’m hoping my dr can come up with a good regimin for me.
Im using accutane low dose. And my face got very red and i have a tendancy to flush now. Hurts too. My god why???
I am 19 n have suffered from redness since i was 12. it drives me mad i like going to the sauna but it puts me off going because when i come out i look such a bright color. i am delighted that i saw this because i hope to find a cure. i used to get that green cream you wear but did not find it that much help. what would people recommend?
I’m mid 30′s male in aust. and only now just coming to terms with the fact I too have this thing, this red horrid thing. Playing footy was fine, people just thought I’d been kicked in the head a bit . . funny I guess, but now I have to just waist away, no gym for me or I’ll look like I’ve been kicked around the head. Still I should count myself lucky, mine isnt so bad, flares up bad but mostly remains hidden . . for now. Thanks to you all for your story.
An acne sufferer from 17, I used ro accutane (isotretinoin) on and off for 20 years – low dosage for the last 15. It worked wonders and kept the acne under control but now I’ve stopped i have patches of facial rosacea – sore red thin flaky skin and acne came back too. I stopped the roaccutane as allegedly it is connected with thinning bones and i had developed osteoporosis.
Hi, i have had facial flushing for several years and it seems to be increasing. Last summer, i went to a beauty therapist who said they treat rosacea. I had 6 to 8 glycolic acid peels which seemed to improve my skin condition and any pimples, acne etc. but still the flushing continued. Besides the fortnightly to monthly peels, i had to purchase expensive skin care products (cleanser, renewal cream, moisturizer and Spf. It was all getting too expensive and NOT working wonders either!
I am now on the hunt for new skin care products. I have sent off for Zenmed Rosacea Support System which i have not yet received. In the meantime i am trying Clinque’s Anti-redness cleanser …so far so good!! It can seem like an endless search for the right skin products. It’s important to only use products, foundation, etc, that are oil-free, fragrance-free, preservative free and rubbish-free, etc etc.
Good luck to all of us…we’re gonna need all the help we can get!
xx
THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE THAT REALLY WORKS! I HATE TO SAY IT!…BUT its’ TRUE!. I HAVE TRIED CREAMS< LOTIONS< IPL, PHOTODERM, LUMINS, LASERS…EVERYTHING! NOTHING WORKS!.
I HOPE THE SANSROSA WILL WORK. I HATE THIS! IT”S AFFECTS EVERYTHING..MY WORK< MY RELATIONSHIPS.EVERYTHING!
ANYONE WITH GOOD AD-VICE???
im 16, male, have been suffering with this “red cheek” thing from the day i was born into this world. (everyone said when i was born i had little red cheeks which i guess was fine at the time)
its tough. i belive what made it worse was that it became always on my conscience, becuase people started constantly asking me about it. and now if i ever see or meet someone new, i already know the first thing theyre going to ask me.
as i grew older it never really bothered me, because no one asked me about it becuase it wasnt really red and only appeared when i was cold, hot, ect. but as soon as i hit middle school, its like my condition went on steriods and just exploded. i then always had a solid RED color on my cheeks, and i mean always. i did notice somedays when i was waking up for school ,i looked in the mirror, and my cheeks were normal! regular white skin color! but as high school came around the corner my redness stayed on 24/7 and i mean literally!!!
i went and am still going through hell in school, and any other public place. the thing about my condition is that my cheeks are ALWAYS ALWAYS red, if not dark red, then a pinkish red. and then it just gets worse if someone states “why are you red?” i mean well why are you white? the answer is obvious for you and me “I DONT KNOW!” staring even triggers flares that last what seems like forever.
i have tried eredicane, and it did help, made one side of my cheeks less red than the other, thats better than nothing so its something you should try.
this condition could truly become worse but im praying that it wont.
HERES SOMETHING I WANT EVERYONE TO READ:
even though we have this minor condition that seems really bad, there are worse things in this world. like people who have no legs, arms, and just millions of things that i dont really want to get into right now. what we have is just a “color” difference in our skin. we are still capable of everything in this world.
so you should be thankful to god for the fact that you are healthy and strong, and alive. go look at yourself in the mirror from head to toe, and say, “Thank you GOD for everything you’ve given me!”
and be thankful for the blessings youve recieved, becuase there are millions of people out there who would rather live a normal life with red cheeks than be immobile, or sick with a disease.
i believe this is more of a mental issue, than a physical one, imagine what youre capable of if you just put your mind to it…
so just start thinking of this positivliy, and you’ll feel alot better. if you cant stop the redness, then stop the pain you feel inside from it. your life will be much better.
and one thing about dermatologists, theyre out to make money to live, not to care for someone who just cant accept thier red cheeks or face.
and just forget about it, we will all die one day so dont do what i did so far ,(kept thinking about my red cheeks) becuase once youre old, thats all you will have to show and remember for yourself and your life.
besides we will be with God one day and he will tell you why you were made like this. UNTIL THEN DONT WORRY ABOUT IT! worry about going to heaven not about your soon to be corpse.
the best CURE is ACCEPTANCE!
goodbye and goodluck! godbless!
I agree with max–I was wandering about on a hot day in los angeles with my red face, and turned around and saw a young man at Starbucks having a coffee. The entire lower half of his face had obviously been blown off and he had healed over but had a huge cavity below his nose, no real mouth.
But there he was, sitting outside, having a coffee. What an inspiration–he was brave enough to just sit there and who cares? Wow–i was impressed.
Whenever I feel sorry for myself, I think of him and I am inspired. Don’t let other people’s judgements put you in jail. You have a face!! That’s actually pretty impressive.
That is an interesting story about the starbucks guy. That could be the guy who tried to shoot himself after being indicted for a horrible crime, but he messed up his attempt. On the other hand, if there is something to do besides avoid every single thing that people experience everyday, like the sun, heat, cold, spices, beer, excercise, what else? cabbage?
Well, I want to find out what that is. My aahhah moment came when I read about the demodex mite that normally/always live in our facial hair follicles, including the eyelashes and brows, whiskers, etc. And, I read about the permethrin cream treatment for scabies (just a super mite) and bought the only permethrin solution I could afford, which is a dog shampoo containing…… PERMETHRIN. I diluted it, left it on my entire body and face over night and then continued to use to clease my face several times a week. You know what, that fiery itchiness you can get after overheating, stopped. I think because those nasty little demodex mites had died and were no longer thrashing and screaming when my sweat glands went into overdrive. I mean, think of it. Families of these little mites, living, eating and excreting INSIDE your facial hair folicles, 24/7!!! Pretty graphic, huh? AND, my pore size actually decreased too! Must have been extended families living in there. YUCK!!! So, now, when I forget the permethrin cleansing and cream, I get reminded and I say, OH Yeah. those guys…..
One more comment from the crazy person who uses dog shampoo. I am NOT saying that my treatment is a cure, because there isn’t one, and any permanent redness, the capillaries and pustules, will not melt away. But I am saying that the mites can definently
take advantage of the situation and exacerbate things.
My face flushes. I get what I thought was middle age acne, I’m 49, supposedly not to peri-menopause yet. I break-out and my doctor finally gave my an antibiotic Doxyciclene to try. It cleared it up after about 2 weeks, but when I stopped taking it, it came back. It starts with an itchiness under my chin area and goes up my face. Any thoughts?
Also, I find if I keep it moist, the outbreaks come less often. I use Udder Cream. You can buy it at WalMart. It’s in a tube with the other creams. My doctor said keep it moist but NOT with a lotion. Only a cream.
Hi There
I’m 32 and have tried this recently and it has worked wonders:
5 X courses over 3 months of IPL laser (you will need to take the day off work as the laser really blasts the skin)
Eucerin Day lotion – 2 pumps applied to the face in the morning and it is perfect cover for the day
NO Branded Shower Gels or any other potential irritants
Results:
The condition is liveable with and I am much happier
Good luck!
I feel your pain. My rosacea flares up when I have a glass of wine, a bottle of beerm, too much food or when I get hot. My face goes so red, it almost has a purple colour. Sometimes it seems to flare up for no reason at all. About 4 years ago I tried the laser treatment & it made it worse. It got to the point where I felt like I had 3rd degree burns all over my face. I could hardly touch it. I tried every cream imaginable, mostly prescriptions and finally asked my Dr. if I could try tetracycline. It cleared up all of my outbreaks & now I just take one tablet a day. I still flush really badly, but it is not constant – only with my original triggers. I also found that when I started using Cetaphyll cream the sensitivity improved 100%. I’ve been following this regime for a couple of years now & it is almost tolerable. Not a cure & I still hate it when I have a glass of wine and everyone stares at me like I have some terrible comunicable disease. I sure wish they would do some research to find the cause.
Good Luck everyone!
Hi everyone… I usually never post on sites, but I feel compelled to share here. I have mild flushing episodes fairly regularly .. triggered by .. heat, exercise, sun, wine, LIVING.. you know.. pretty much anything, (and, yes, probably cabbage too!).
Here is what has worked for me, in the hopes that it may help some of you (and I welcome feedback if it does / doesn’t):
1.) “Eucerin Daily Perfecting Lotion SPF 15 with green concealing pigments”. (works great… moisturizes very efficiently – which is my MAIN objective – AND – if you apply it with care, blend in, and then wipe off excess with a kleenex.. it looks nice, and absolutely does help conceal the redness. You must blend it in well though, or you may look like a Martian under an Earthling disguise.
2.) Another little secret trick. When I feel my face getting hot / red… I quickly apply some of this: “Korres Face & Body Yogurt Cooling Gel”. (It is hard to find.. you will have to Google carefully.. I believe it is from Greece.. but I ordered it online.. so just search!) It honestly works within minutes, to cool your face down. Not sure if it reduces redness, but it does help cool. (Great for sunburns too!! – which I believe is what it was originally produced for)
3.) Lastly, I use PurMinerals “Pressed Mineral Makeup” foundation powder. This is probably the most important product in my regime. (Remember to re-apply it throughout the day / evening, and especially when you feel your face getting warm or flushed.. it does wear off.)
Good luck to all of you. (Fair-skin, be fair indeed!)
Take care and all the best.
ps… HSN (Home Shopping Network) carries the Yogurt Cooling Gel! Easy enough. (at least in the U.S.) Like I said, it may not address the redness, but it does address the heat flush. Worth a try, and it certainly feels good. Moisturizes too.
Reading all of this has left me extremely depressed instead of feeling like I have something to work with. Everything I read is contradicted. I can’t find one treatment where the majority of people have said something helps
Don’t be depressed
It is a pain in the ass having this condition – I know –
but the bottom line is there is no miracle cure but technology can help
Go for the IPL – it DOES WORK -
Go to a top of the range place not some back alley doctor a proper demotologist
It will cost at least 100 a go but it is well worth it
You will look terrible after each session for about an hour and then you will feel your skin healing so stay in the car and go for a long drive before going home
Get Eucerin day green tinted cream – a couple of drops in the morning after a coldish shower and it will last all day
Avoid red wine but I drink lots of beer with a few glasses of water in between and its no problem
Don’t get too stressed – its just a condition that is somewhat treatable – better than a lot of other people
Take care in the sun, drink lots of water and no need for all these magic lotions and potions as they simply don’t work
I’ve 15 years experience so I know what I’m talking about
take it easy
I have had intermittent facial flushing throughout my life; it did not seem to be rosacea. Now it appears the cause is food intolerance – Salicylate Sensitivity. There are many, many things you can’t eat/apply – do internet search for details.
Rosacea could b very well treated by using doxycycline tablets.Use it daily . It works well. Apply moistuirisers daily
I’ve got it, too. I’m 42 and have had seemingly every stage of Rosacea and tried many treatments (antibiotics, cortisone shots in my acne cysts, Metro gel)
What seems to work best for me is diet. I avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup completely, sugar, and caffeine.
I take fish oil (antiinflammatory)
I wash with natural products, seems Burt’s Bees work well for me, but just avoiding sodium Laurel Sulfates helped alot.
I just started using Emani mineral make-up and WOW what a difference the minerals made. I was already using natural products, but this has had a huge impact. They cover up a lot of the red without looking like I have on any make-up. I love it! Also seem to reduce inflammation & have reduced my gigantic pores to simple large.
Hope for you young ones my huge horrible cysts did stop and the acne part cleared up over time…there is hope.
The other thing, just a thought. I’ve been looking into the whole digestive system iidea that if your digestive system can;t work effectively to excrete, process, disolve the3 toxins they’ve got to get out somehow so your skin is the path. I’ll let you know if I figure something out.
Me too. Got the red face, just like my Dad. He has never done anything about it but I have finally seen a dermatologist and am now on doxycline and metroget. It seems to be working already, after just two weeks. I also find two French companies make amazingly gentle cleansers and lotions and they are recommended by dermatologists here in Canada. The first company is Avene (NOT Aveeno, totally different company). The other is La Roche-Posay which has a whole line of products for people with red skin. Also, you might want to try Cover FX, non-comedogenic makeup. It was developed by dermatologists at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Medical Centre and is highly recommended for rosacea sufferers. Anyway, I’m doing better now than I was a month ago when I didn’t even want to leave the house. My face was covered with papules/pustules, so bad I couldn’t even cover it without looking like I was wearing Hallowe’en makeup. Now, as I said, it’s better. Still red but the acne-like pimples are starting to disappear and the Avene and La Roche-Posay are also helping.
P.S.
Make that metrogeL, not metroget. Little typo there.
Also, I get really depressed when my rosacea is bad because I’m a postsecondary lecturer and I spend my days in front of large groups of people -hard when I just want to hide my face.
And make that doxycycline. Not sure what’s with all my typos today.
What a great site!
I started getting symptoms on my face about a year ago.
All my life I flushed easily in the heat, and just thought t was fair skin and genetics. Then about 10 years ago, my scalp started breaking out. I went to a dermatologist whose head was totally up her A**, and she gave me this oily stuff to put on my scalp. However, I work a job where having “bed head” is not an option; and it was so difficult to use, I just dealt with the scalp breakouts on my own.
When the roscea started rearing it’s ugly head on my face, I started using doxycycline & Metrogel, and they help. I also use Clinique Total Turnaround at night, and it takes away the redness and breakouts. Not cheap, but cheaper than Metrogel.
A friend who is a herbologist recommended making chamomile tea, refrigerating it, and dipping a washcloth in it to put on my face when I start to flush. This is helpful too, as the cool liquid provides immediate relief and the chamomile does appear to give some skin benefits. She also recommended melatonin, but I really didn’t see any benefit after starting it. Perhaps in the long run, it may be beneficial.
After reading Cecelia’s posts, I am definitely going to try some permethrin doggy shampoo for my scalp!
I am also going to try the diet changes, and eliminate HFCS, sugar & caffeine.
What great ideas – I am so glad that I found this website!
Hi
I have suffered with rosecea and seborrheic dermatitis and realise there is no cure just ways of controlling it. i find at work in an office sitting at a computer in a call centre all day i go bright red when under pressure and the air heating system is very erratic. cardigan off /cardigan on . i use products from Aalgo which is a seaweed soap to wash my face and cetraben emollient cream which is the only thing thta does not make my face sting. i use powdered aalgo which is powdered seaweed as a face mask and in the bath to remove flakey skin and it makes my skin really soft. i have been on a course of lymecycline for the past 3 mths and have to stop taking them slowly as the effect wears off. my skin is smooth and less red but the flushing is daily at work. colleagues don’t mention it but i am self conscious and just drink lots of cold water and slow down my breathing to calm down as stress is a trigger. wine and any heat on my face i know wil effect me but i have accepted this and am considering bare minerals make up as had my face made up but it was very heavy looking. thanks for your comments as it makes me a 51 yr old feel not alone with this. all of you take care !
Im from an island called “Guam”.
For some of you that dont know where it is,its in the pacific.
Down here its really sunny all the time,so it makes the skin on my face much worse,theres no escaping this weather.
I didnt quite know what rosacea was until now.
I’ve been looking up facts about this skin condition.
Cause all along i thought i just had severe acne,
but to my understanding I also have Redness all over my cheek,chin,and forehead.
My skin gets really itchy,then its starts to scab,or dry up causing very dry patches.
It kinda looks like im wearing a red mask.
I’ve tried every face wash,mosturizer from various of skin companies and they all have failed to even help out a little.Neutrogena,Biore’,Clean & Clear,Loreal,etc.
They made everything worse on me!!!!
I hate this because I have no dermatoligists here on this island.
And just to fly out of here would cost over 1,000 bucks.
So sad for me,but im hurting here,
wishing that someone can give me a direct answer on what really works.
Cause they all have the different lines on what triggers a flare up,and what makes you swell like a theres no tomorrow.
So please im asking if anyone knows a simply thing i could do to control this until i atleast get out of this small island way out here.
Hi,
to the person from Guam. I really feel for you. I have been diagnosed with Rosacea for the last six months but suffered from it for about three years now. It was a relief to know what what my condition is! I really find that Clinique Daily Relief Cream from their Redness Solutions really works for my dry skin. Its really soothing without being greasy and has a lovely texture on the skin. It also seems to reduce the redness due to the green tint. Obviously heat on the face is a trigger so I would try to avoid direct sun wherever you can. If you can try to get Boots protect and perfect beauty serum as this really helps the damaged skin to recover from the scabs.
My routine is.. wash with clinique redness solutions facial wash, dry face then apply boots beauty serum followed by clinique redness solutions daily relief cream followed by clinique tinted moisturiser to cover the redness.
My doctor has put me on a course of Tetralysal which is supposed to help reduce the bumps on the skin.
I hope you find this post a little helpful as I know what you are going through.
i feel for all of you. this condition sucks, bigtime. ive been to about 6 dermatologists and of course, most are clueless, at least in terms of their treatment. i was told i had sebhorric dermatitis and i was also told differently that i had rosacea.
either way, i had it since i was 17 y old, and am now 36. i have tried everything under the sun, from elocon, to several cat 5 topical steroids, to plastic surgurical removal of excess capillaries (supposedly, excess).
nothing has worked in terms of persistent control.
i have this in my scalp, both ears, forehead, nose, and around my nose area.
the Z-Bar on amazon.com has solved my issue with my forehead, and the T-Gel has solved my scalp problem (for the most part).
i cannot solve the nose nor surrounding areas–nor the ears. i dont like putting greasy stuff in my ears, thus, that problem will not go away soon.
i have moderate to severe rosacea, where its super red if left untreated.
obviously this is a genetic flaw, inherited from my ancestral tree. my sister does not have it. lucky her.
the funny thing is, the phd’s that research this cannot even agree on what causes it. no wonder why there is no cure. not enough of the population suffers from it, thus less $$ into the studies.
thus for now, its steroids and women’s foundation and makeup. which of course makes it look very dry. i tried green ointment from lord and taylor, but it didnt do squat. tried it for 2 weeks b4 i gave up.
this is a serious condition, for which there is little management. i even tried the z-bar on my face, to no avail. i tried taht t-gel on my face to no avail.
actually there is 1 thing that will work, guaranteed, at least for me. move to a tropical climate. if i go into the steam room for like 1 hr, and come out, its gone. when i went to florida for like 1 mth, no problem at all. took like 3 weeks to clear up.
yet, i cannot solve it…still working on it. ill let you guys now if i find a solution, cause this sucks bigtime.
now my 2 year old daughter is saying, daddy has a red face, its here and here and here. i gotta say its a sunburn, or a windburn, or this or that.
im tired of making excuses. 20 years.
I was diagnosed over 30 years ago and I don’t think there’s been a big improvement in products designed to eliminate/decrease redness. I wash daily with Cetaphil, use Finacea and Metrogel, and moisturize with Cetaphil moisturizer. I’m just recovering from a breakout where the pimples were the deep, cystic kind and it’s left my face bruised, inflamed, and red. This breakout lasted 3 months.
I had 3-4 laser treatments last fall for the broken blood vessels and redness. I already have more broken vessels on my nose and because of the outbreak I’m red again. I’m wondering if my last outbreak was triggered by the laser treatments as it started within a week of getting them. My daughter is getting married in May, and I’d love to have more laser treatments, but I’m afraid it will trigger another outbreak. Has anyone else experienced this?
I, too, hate this disease. Just once, I’d like to go without makeup in public.
I too suffer from this dreaded condition. I wash daily with Cetaphil and use Metrolotion and it doesn’t seem to be doing any good. I have oily skin and constant breakouts of postules that are sore and ugly. I have tried ZenMed products which seemed to bring only temporary relief. I recently bought an expensive DermaDoctor product but after 3 weeks made my condiiton even worse. I have another visit to the Dermatologist this week to try to get a better treatment plan. Any suggestions are welcome. Is anyone having success with Aveeno Ultra Calming or Lancome products?
Kim, if your skin is really oily you might want to switch to Metrogel as it’s not as greasy/oily as the lotion. Also, ask your doctor about an oral antibiotic for the pimples/postules. There’s a new one out called Oracea that is pretty effective or you can use one generally used for people with acne. And of course the breakouts will make your face even redder so you might want to try something for that, like Finacea. Do you use Cetaphil for oily skin? I’ve never tried the Lancome products, but I did the Alveeno. I really couldn’t tell a lot of difference but it works for others, so you might want to try it. It’s inexpensive, so if it doesn’t work you haven’t made a huge investment. Also, how knowledgeable is your doctor about rosacea? I’ve learned that your doctor can make a huge difference in your treatment and that lots of dermatologists are not that good at treating rosacea. I’m not sure if this website has a list of doctors or not but you might want to check out the National Rosacea’s Organization website. Good luck.
Hi, I’v been to a homeopath. I know not everyone believe in them. I recieved Belladonna 6c and is currently using Aloe cleansing gel 2x day & moisturise with Dermalogica Smoothing cream. My skin feels much more hydrated and less sensitive. I will continue using. Good luck to all…
Hi.. I have just starting looking for homeopathic treatement for rosacea. My face has been red for years and recently the red bumps have appeared. After much reading I decided on the following, and will not go to the doctor for tetracycline, steroids, laser, etc. until absoultely the last option.
After cleansing my face (I use Mary Kay products and have been for over 15 years) I saturate a cotton pad with apple cider vinegar and smooth over my face, avoiding eye area. I know it smells horrible but it is worth it. It kills the germs on my face.
I was consuming a lot of Aspertame (Equal, Nutrasweet) and stopped 2 weeks ago.
My face in just 2 weeks is 50% better and I am looking forward to more improvement in the weeks to come.
I joined this group today, after discovering the definition of rosacea yesterday.
I’m now age 46, but I realised that I’ve been a rosacea sufferer all my life. I’ve been reading many of the comments, and I share most of your experiences. I too hate it when people say things like “wow, your face is really red” as if I didn’t know it already. I resigned from a board of director two years ago because of the feeling of shame I got from having to sit in the meetings with my face bright red from the heat I felt wearing a suit and tie, imaging everyone else thinking “I wonder what Mike is embarrased about?”. All I could think of in those meetings was “when are we going to finish, so I can go home and hide away from everyone”.
I’d like to ask if anyone else has tried this technique for reducing the redness of a flare up. It sounds silly, but sometimes (not always) it works. I just make myself yawn strongly, several times over (breathing in deeply through the nose can help to force a yawn). It feels like the yawn stretches some muscles in the jaw, and somehow it might reduce the blood flow to the face. Looking in the mirror, it does reduce the red tone to a lighter pink, and gives me enough courage to go out and face people again.
Hi everyone,
just thought I’d leave another update… I have been on tetracyline for nearly two months now and have noticed some difference but not much. About 3 weeks ago I started looking for foods that are good for the skin and help repair damaged skin and promote healthy youthful looking skin. I started making for breakfast, plain yoghurt with berries (strawberries and blueberries) doesn’t have to be a massive bowl. I follow this up with a granola bar which contains , coconut, peacans, walnuts, almonds, raisins, dates and pure honey. I usually do this mon-fri leaving sat and sun to eat whatever I want.
I also have everyday 1 x 15mg Zinc tablet (good for skin, metabolism, immune system and cell growth) 1 x 1000mg tablet Flaxseed oil and 1 x 1000mg tablet of combined evening primrose oil and starflower oil. All of these are good for the skin.
I have noticed a huge difference in doing this and my skin is much clearer. I will be off the antibiotics soon and will continue with the good probiotics and essential fatty acids to see if my skin stays calm. There will always be a little redness (thats rosacea for you!) but its so much better now that I don’t get gread big dark red patches and blotches.
If you decide to try this let me know how you get on! just remember to fill your diet with nuts and seeds and good oils…flaxseed and starflower …also zinc and yoghurt… or probiotic drinks if you are dairy free. Everything that helps in healing the skin.
And remember give it a good two to three weeks to start seeing a difference.
Good luck!!
xx
Hello,
I have read all of your posts and feel bad for everyone.I have a real mild case and it seems like a daily battle. The only thing that helps me is the warm weather. I live in chicago, and my face is clear from June through October. When the weather starts to get cold my face gets bad. I am hoping to move to a warmer climate sooner than later. Has anyone noticed the same thing?
I live in a warm climate, in Spain, and I try to spend as much time as possible indoors, away from the sun. As soon as I go out in the warm weather, it gets worse. Then again, driving rain makes it really bad too. The best months for me are November to February.
I don’t know if this will help others but I apply a small quanity of Vitamin E oil directly to the reddened and flaky area once or twice a week, allowing at least one half hour for it to be absorbed. It works for me, significantly reducing the redness with first treatment after several hours, and eliminating same after application of several weeks. I have continued one application weekly as a preventative. I am now considering reducing the frequency slowly to see how long relief continues. By the way, I also use Metrogel to rosacea pimples but find that they are occurring much less frequently in the several months since beginning the E.
We’re all unique. Having a red face is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. If anybody does comment on it in a negative way then they are pretty narrowminded and you do not have to ‘wear’ someone’s opinion if it does not fit with how you view yourself. Accept yourself for who YOU are.
Of course I have not experienced any pain or discomfort from having a red complexion and obviously would get treatment if that was the case. However if it is only a vanity issue then surely anybody should not worry.
I never thought I would quote Madonna but ‘if everyone looked the same, we’d get tired of looking at each other’!
Hi all, im a 23yr old male, and like the rest of you my cheeks are red as. The rest of my face is normal, but there is a distinct outline of the redness in my cheeks.
it has only just got real bad in the last 2 yrs, and now to the point that its messing my life up because of the phobia it has created. I am scared of facing people, and constantly thinking to myself what my face looks like.. how red it is. If i walk into a room with people in it, i instantly start to feel INTENSE heat rushing into my face. But it is not only Social situations, simple things like washing my car, kicking a ball around, light excersise.. my cheeks will explode into intense redness.
Exposure to sunlight seems to just stain my cheeks red for the whole day and night.. wich makes me just lock myself away…
Alcohol makes it even worse, so i cant go out and drink with friends, only at home by myself
People sometimes comment on it, and that is as bad as getting shot in the heart.. and then my face just feels like its on fire. Often i have to leave social situations because i feel my face is just so red i cant bare to face anybody. But its not just the looks of it.. its also the feeling.. i mean my cheeks get so hot its unreal, my head feels like its burning up…
Now, i look at people with perfect faces.. and get so jealous, and think to myself… What the hell did I do to deserve this?
It has taken over my life, there isnt 5 minutes in the day when i dont think about how red my face is…
And I just dont know how to overcome it..
Wow Chris I know exactly how you feel mate.
Hi All.
Firstly i want to say to everyone who ventures onto this website i really feel for you, but you are most definately not alone.
Ive had Rosaccea since i was about 14 and im 32 now, so its been a long old battle. School life was hell, and i left school with zero self confidence as a result. Like many people on here i was left to figure it out for myself, and when i did eventually find the courage to see the Doc i was put on tetracycline which helped but never took the redness away completley.
Since then i have found out a few things.
Alchohol is a big no no. Even a sniff of red wine or beer and i can almost feel my face getting hot, so i have banned alchohol from my life completley.
Drinking tons and tons of water really helps. I drink about three or four pints of tap water a day, and its really flushed some of the redness out of my face.
Chocolate and anything with Caffenine makes it worse.
I have found its very important to stay out of too much sun, although just a little sun actually seems beneficial. I will let the sun fall on my face early in the morning before it gets too intense and i can cope fine. From about 11am though i mostly keep out of the sun… unless i have a good sun block on.
Most sun blocks really really hurt my eyes and make them sore and water constantly. I have to put it on my cheeks, but i have to leave a ring about two inches wide untreated around my eyes otherwise i wish i hadn’t put it on.
Moisturising is also very important, although most moisturizers make it worse so i have to be really carefull what i use. Aqueous cream seems to be pretty good and safe, and you can get it without prescription here in the uk.
I had IPL once which cost tons of money and didn’t seem to help much. From what i’ve read its results are pretty hit and miss, and ive decided its way to expensive when there is no guarantee to work.
The best solution i have found is the products from Rossacea care. I got one of their £15 sample packs and i have to say i had some fairly amazing results. The serum was especially great, and you can really feel it cooling your face down and taking the redness with it. Using this stuff took my rossacea away to such an extent that it almost dissapeared completley, but then i ran out of product and its started to creep back. Unfortunatley its so damn expensive that i can’t get any more now until pay day, so i have to endure three more weeks of feeling like a freak. I definately recommend it though, and they have a calming spray thats quite neat and small that you can carry about all over the place and use whenever you feel a bit of a flareup starting.
One more thing is stress. I have noticed that stress plays a really big role with this thing. If im really stressed about something it can flare up, and even when the stress is removed the damaged caused remains behind… i have to beat it back down with facial cream, drink even more water, and general tlc. Therefore i recommend avoiding stress if at all possible. Stay organised to prevent stressful situations, and if you can’t avoid something stressful deal with it quickly and don’t put it off, otherwise it gets worse.
Also i think some things work for some people and not others. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern to it. IPL works for some people. Some creams and lotions seem to work for others… so i guess all we can do is keep searching for our own solutions. Im also thinking of trying the cream thats supposed to kill the dermodex mite… you never know it could be that for me!
Good luck to all out there trying to deal with this confidence sapping problem.
I am sure glad I found this site. I too have been diagnosed with rosacea, I also have ocular rosacea. I have been able to keep most of it under control with finacea and oracea(doxycycline). Yet I still get the flare ups. I am just starting to research most of this and heard that some types of amino acids can cure this. I got excited but could not find info on it. Aveeno ultra calming lotion has also worked for me. I do have to stay out of the sun and do not drink alcohol. This is a nasty disease and it does wear me down. The worst part is also the ocular rosacea, it is bad on the eyes. I feel like sand has been poured in my eyes and they constantly feel gritty. My Dr. prescribed Acular, this helps a bit but is very expensive so I can only use it during bad flare ups. Has anybody used Rosacea-ltd III? I found the site and it seemed encouraging. I have not ordered the product but have been tempted to.
hi there every one,i know how everyone feels..i feel exactly the same this condition is the worse thing u could wish apond anybody.my condition is pretty bad.it affects me at work,gym,well anywhere but home.i have a red face and acne dots that just will not go.ive tryed everything nothing works..its so upsetting that some days u wake up u seriously wish u didnt….my face is sore 70%of the time.ive had maybe one good weak in a year,where i feel so happy and could do anything for anyone and i just enjoy life..but reality is that a couple days later my face is f..uked!its so stressful i dont know what to do.i feel for everybody that has this.:( well i keep trying everthing and keep spending 10000 of dollars on products.i could just cry now and im a bloody grown man it sucks.the only 1 that dnt look at me funny is my dog and my girlfriend.fingers crossed i can get this cleared up and live a normal life but at the moment iam not enjoying life.:( well i can tell u truthfully of a couple of products that will help people honestly here we go..:( lysine(will help cheap 2)minocycline,water heaps,vitamins,zinc,deoxcycle,minomycium,vitamin e 4 moistorizer.if i help one person thats great.ok goodbye everyone iam going to hide AGAIN!!!!:(
Hi everyone, it is so refreshing to hear everyone giving feedback on their exepriences with their Rosacea. I am 34 years old and I was wrongly diagnosed 7 years ago. I have gradually seen since then my skin get progressively worse, it is now in its advanced stages. I have the redness, then the painful bumps, the burning is the worse feeling and tight and sore. I have tried Metro Gel, Eurythromycin anti biotics, which worked at first but then just decided to stop working? I was then at my wits end so payed £58 for Zenmed which did absolutely nothing. I am now on Tetrasyl antibiotics which also started to completely clear all my horrific symptoms and have now began to stop working also. I am today experiencing my worse ever flare up. My entire face is red and swollen my eyes are sticky, it is all burning beyond belief to the point where I have now cancelled all plans for my weekend off work. I am utterly miserable and cant cope with this any more :O(. I dont know who to turn to next, my partner doesn’t understand how bad it feels and when I have my makeup on he says “Dont worry you look fine”. If anyone can let me know ant coping mechanisms I would be eternally grateful. Thanks for listening all!
Just wanted to say, I feel for all of you. I’ve had problems with my skin all of my life but when I was younger it was acne. At least I knew how to fight that, I just kept the oil off of my face as best as I could with soap and warm water. As I’ve gotten older it has morphed into someting out of a twighlight zone episode. I will go 5 days at a time without washing my face and it will actually look better? The problem is, then you have to try to avoid getting dirty or the acne will come back. My cheecks are always red, but along with that I get these itchy splotches here and there, they seem to be more prevelant in certain spots. Those spots will heal at times but it always comes back to the same spots, like my skin is very thin in those specific places. Sometimes I’ll just be sitting there and my skin will start to itch in a certain spot, I’ll go from having nothing there, to a red spot the size of a quarter in like 5 minutes time. I’ve been so bumbed about this I started seeing a shrink. He says excersise is the best thing for depression, but all I do is run around trying to avoid sweating, so I can go as long as I can without washing my face. I’m really caught between a rock and a hard place. I’m about to just jump out the window, this condition is nuts, I wish there was a cure, I am only 37 and on many levels I have stopped living my life.
I wrote about ten paragraghs on things that had and hadn’t worked for me and I accidentally messed up something in my e-mail address and couldn’t get it back, but I was just thinking about how much time and $ I have thrown at this. The best thing I can really say to make you all feel better is IT”S NOT YOUR FAULT, and from my experience, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT. The true answer lies in ACCEPTANCE! Wev’e all got it, we can’t get rid of it, but hey, it beats the hell out of cancer or MS or losing an arm. I’m personally done hiding and fighting. You only live once and you may someday regret all of that time you spent focusing so hard on it and missing out on all the great things life has to offer. I,m not going to give up on trying to make it better, but I”m DONE with having it rule my world! I wish the best for you all, but please don’t let it ruin your life. Your friend, Bobby T.
I suffered from severe acne as a teenager and into my 20′s. At 27 I took Accutane. It cleared up my acne (yippee!) but left eczyma in it’s wake. My face is always red (some variation of pink to bright red – ALWAYS). Like you all, people make comments like “did you go to a tanning bed? Were you running? Did you just come in from outside? Are you upset about something?” “Did I embarass you?” Yeah, I have heard them all.
I have been to several dermatologists over the years, they all have told me that nothing really works and not to waste my money. Despite that, I have used every over the counter product to fix it and when they didn’t work I tried everything to cover it up; yes, I even did the laser treatments. NO, nothing worked…. most things just made it worse.
I finally tried the homeopathic route and it has helped more than antyhing over the counter, so far! In a 4 oz glass bottle put 10 drops of organic tea tree oil, 10 drops of organic lavendar oil, 1 teaspoon of organic all vegetable glycerin and fill with purified water (not tap water!). This is the only thing now that I will put on my face. I wipe it on with a cosmetic puff (cotton balls work too) once every other day or so. My face has improved 80%.
I was willing to settle for this…. However, when on vacation last month one of my friends also said she suffers from the same thing and loaned me her perscription metaderm cream (alphatrex is the US brand). I used it for 2 days and my skin completely cleared up!!! I have never before seen my skins natural color! I felt amazed…. and beautiful! I am going to a new dermatologist today to see if I can get a perscription. Wish me luck. If they don’t want to perscribe it to me, I will keep going to different ones till I find someone local who will!
Good luck to you all!!
Hello guys and gals. How come so few of you mention IPL? It’s supposed to be “THE” solution to our condition.
I had acne from age 14-24, period during which I took at least 4 rounds of Accutane. It finally did its job, and no more acne for me, except the occasional pimple. However, at around age 17 (while I still had some acne) I began to see how my face was also developing a redness, which started taking parts of my face… first it was the cheeks, then the cheekbones, nose and forehead. It is mild rosacea, but it’s there and apparently it’s there to stay. I tried Accutane once again around age 25-26, but mainly to get rid of my clogged pores (I’ve oily skin)… basically all my pores are clogged, but you get to see the “gunk” only while showering.. otherwise the pore is closed and looks normal (no bumps or anything), except the ones around the nose, which are a little bigger (but nonetheless, they’re not noticeable). So great, Accutane did its job, the gunk disappeared and my skin was really smooth… but eventually my sebaceous glands would take over, and once again I’d start to see small drops of oil forming in each pore… and then the skin would go back to how it was before. Taking accutane in higher doses (I was doing 10mg 3 days a week) and for the rest of my life isn’t an option.
So I left it alone for a few years, and recently began to wonder if there had been any developments to treat acne and related diseases. To my surprise I found this IPL thing, and so many other similar treatments (vbeam, LED, RF, resurfacing, etc.). Though expensive, these seem to be the “light at the end of the tunnel”. I booked an appointment with a dr. here in Buenos Aires who does IPL (apparently with a Lumenis Quantum), he saw me and said my rosacea was really mild, and it’d take about 3 IPL sessions to see great change and almost make the redness go away. I’m 3 weeks away from my first session, and I’m looking for other ppls experiences… which treatment is better, which machine, etc.
Cheers!
P.S.: before posting, always copy to the clipboard the text you’ve just typed, in case something bad happens and all your text is suddenly gone (as someone stated a few comments before).
I am a 46 yo woman who was diagnosed with Rosacea, 5 yrs ago. For the past year I have been developing a hard nodule or lump from the tip of my nose and back on one side of the left nostril, it has now grown enough so that it has disfigured my nose and has caused it to take a turn to the left. Now just recently I have noticed another lump beginningon the right side. I saw a ENT to ruled out anything like polyps and such. He said he thinks it’s rhynophyma a skin thickening that sometimes caomes with rosacea sufferers. What can I do? I don’t know who to turn to. He said there was nothing he could do and the dermatologist just shrugged his shoulders and said as long as it wasn’t cancerous, which was ruled out by the ENT, he wouldn’t worry. Well I am worrying, I’m not an overly vain person but come on, the nose isn’t one of those things you can hide. Now, not only do I have a predominately red nose, it is also sporting growing lumps and looks like it’s been broken due to the shift.
I do not drink, I take vitamins and eat healthy meals. I’ve triied metrogel which does nothing for me and have been on tetracycline for a long time, supposesdly to prevent flare ups of rosacea.
Can anyone help me please?? I don’t know who to turn to.
m 22,i hav been suffring frm rosacea since 3yrs….its really embarsnng 4 me bcz my cheeks are very red and i m dark comlxnd…pls suggst me sumthng 2 reduce redness..pls god pls help me out pls
I wanted to toss to you all another possible help for the bad pustule type of flare ups.It’s called Isomers redness relief( Isomers website or shopnbc website,30 bucks).It’s a serum I apply (slather,lol) day and night on my cheeks and nose or random lump/pustule stupid thingys.I swear its my saving grace! it really keeps them toned down and soothes my skin! I really really recomend it.Doesnt take all the redness away for me but it might do that for others! I just know it keeps my flare ups down.Finecea didnt do jack for me. Doxycycline helps for a time…100mg am/pm for 10 days but dont like taking it monthly!I swear around my monthly cycle it flares up too.Lucrece’ makes a wonderful zinc/emu oil sunblock that actually seems to sooth my lumpy bumps too.Maybe the zinc? Well I hope i have helped someone….i want to try Oracea next….good luck to everyone!! We are still wonderful people,redness and all!!
Wow! It took a while, but I finally read all the postings. I’ve had severe rosacea for quite some time now, I’m 49. I had light treatment about 7 years ago (not sure exactly what kind), it was very expensive, and it helped a little, but didn’t last! And at $2500 for the treatment, I don’t think it was worth the aggravation (actual pain), or the $$ … Right now I’m taking doxycycline (50mgs daily) seems to ward off the pimples or postules,whatever. But of course it leaves you sun sensitive, which really sucks, cuz riding my Harley is one of my favorite pass times. Avoid the sun huh?? Yeah right!!
Anyways, I’ve used metrolotion for a long time, it helps with the dry skin, but not the redness. I wash with Cetaphil, and I’m now trying Strata-C cream. I just put some on last night & it seemed to help already, and the cream left my face feeling smooth & not oily. I was wondering if anyone else has tried Strata-C ??
I didn’t see it mentioned in any post’s. It claims to :
Reduce inflammatory response of rosiatic skin
Skin-softening emollients
Anti-dryness and anti-itch moisterizers
Free radical reduction with antioxidants
100% Money Back Guarantee
I found it at goodbye-redness.com. I need to mention, I DO NOT work for, nor have any financial interest in this product or company. I just want to know if anyone has tried it? And what the results have been. And I will keep you posted as to my results…
Believe me, I’ve had severe rosacea for soooo long now, sometimes I feel like giving up! But I won’t!!
And the next thing I want to try is getting a good homeopathic or naturopathic doctor, and detoxifying my body, and start eating much healthier. All this processed food is certainly NOT good for us!
Well keep up the fight! Maybe someday there will be a cure?!?! Or at least an economical, “REAL” treatment that actually works!
Steve B
Hello to Everyone.
I’m a 35 year old man that’s had some issues with rosacea for just over the last 5 years. For four years it was just an occasional issue to deal with, but this last year everything got much worse. Previously I didn’t have much in the way of flushing episodes, (even though I had developed a persistent light erythema that I was ignoring).
The Heat
This Spring my condition kicked into overdrive. Every day, starting in the early afternoon, I experience a flushing episode that peaks around 2:30 and starts to get a little better around 4:00. I could probably deal with the “embarrassment” issue of the cosmetic side of Rosacea, but I’ve been unlucky enough to have an intense heat that comes with the flushing. -This makes it hard to get much done at my office. I compare it to getting a slight headache every afternoon. (You can work your way through it, but you’re nowhere near as productive as you should be. )
Also if it’s “too” hot outside, I get a stinging sensation on my face and upper chest.
If I’m unfortunate enough to actually aggravate my triggers, I get a “week of punishment”. This week entails raised patches of red irritated skin covering both of my cheeks accompanied by flaking skin on top. (The flaking skin relates to seborrhea that is otherwise under pretty good control. ) I had three of these outbreaks this summer. The first was when I learned I could never eat salsa again. The next two were caused by me being outdoors.
My Treatment:
Sulfers did no good. My dermatologist then moved me to metrogel and later metrogel and oracea. He said they should help, but I think my symptoms actually became progressively worse. Finally, he gave me Elidel, and we discussed laser options. He also told me that we were reaching the boundaries of treatments. (I think that means he’s out of ideas.)
The KTP laser treatments are helping, but I’m only 2 treatments in on a 5 treatment process. The Elidel I also think helps some. -Since the laser treatment, a lot of the heat is reduced from my flushing episodes. (I am still flushing and still red). I’m still taking Oracea and Metrogel because of my dermatologists optimism that they are helping somehow. Hopefully I’ll have more postive feedback in three months as to the overall efficacy of my current treatment. (I’m also trying a Pyratine 6 lotion treatment, but I don’t think it’s doing anything for me).
I’ll be interested to hear about any successes or strategies anyone else has had.
Good Luck to everyone who visits this page and thanks for being a a great resource of information.
Emery B
Hi,
I wonder why there’s no mention at all about Diprucan on this website. Fluconazole is the generic name for Diprucan. Also I believe the product is actually DMSO + 1% fluconazole. There is this very lengthy write-up on another website. I believe it’s health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosacea. It sounds like the miracle CURE for rosacea. Apparently it’s strong, and it burns for 10 minutes and peels for a couple of weeks, but IT WORKS supposedly. Has anyone heard of it or tried it?
I am 74, and I’ve had rosacea for years, but this year it’s turned into increased redness plus scaly patches. My dermatologist says it’s not rosacea, it’s contact dermatitis. He gave me cortisone, doxycillin, protopic, and now prednisone. EVERYTHING makes it spread and get redder.
It’s misleading to say it’s contact dermatitis and not rosacea because it just makes me wrack my brain as to what is contacting my skin to cause this. I use only Cetaphyl moisturizer and cleanser and La Belle powder to hide the redness. On my last visit, the doctor said to take prednisone for 3 weeks and not to put anything on my skin but vaseline and water.
I’m worried about my cataract operation which is scheduled in a couple of months because it’s on my left eye, which is on the side of my face which is most affected. And my left eye often feels irritated. I am worried that this might cause difficulty in healing from the cataract operation.
Any ideas?
Joan M
I had roseaca for about 15 years and used Metrogel to try to keep it under control. In my forty’s, I discovered I had food intolerances to milk/gluten/egg and some other foods. All three of my children are also sensitive to certain foods such as dairy/gluten. After, eliminating these foods from my diet, the roseaca went away. I will get occasional break out if I reintroduce the intolerant foods into my diet, but it clears if I strictly follow the diet. I highly recommend food sensitivity testing such as MRT (mediator release testing) through LEAP. Search MRT LEAP.
It is inspiring to know that there are many other people out there who go through this same problem……i have quite a mild case but it is something that is always on my mind…perhaps it is just a vanity thing but it bothers me constantly and im scared i will miss out on enjoying life. i work as a bar manager and im generally a confident outgoing character – but this being on my mind so much is doing my head in. upon discovering this site i think my plan is to combine all the treatments that people have generally said work for them, it seems eucerin products are rated quite highly by most…the only effort ive made so far is taking lysine, and fish oil supplements, and avoided certain food and drinks…if anything its helped any flushing dissappear quite quickly, whereas before if my cheeks went red they would stay red for ages…so i THINK something has begun to change…i am a male and have recently considered trying some kind of concealer, so as not to appear as red to others, i dont really want to, but feel it will help my confidence come back a bit…does anyone know of any products that wouldnt look so obvious?..
Dear Friends,
The toughest part, I think most of us will agree, is that the activities that we enjoy the most seem to be either triggers or involve light settings we do not enjoy.
I used to love sitting in the sun. I would sit for hours when I was younger and never worry. Pure enjoyment, it was my connection to GOD. So when I first started piecing together the puzzle of what this condition truly meant for me, well, it truly felt like a curse. However, I have come to realize there are many lessons in this condition… lessons that we otherwise would have completely overlooked. Before moving on, first let me state something. All is vanity.
As for what works, let me break it down for you, what has worked for me…
I am currently in Thailand. The weather after 1pm I do not go into. I want to… or I would want to, if it didn’t flare me up, but, I can not… I find ways to entertain myself in my room, or I nap, until sunset. After noon, or, if the temperature is over lets say 85 degrees or so… this is not good for me. This is a major part of keeping flare ups down.
I avoid alcohol. Every now and then, a beer or two. Love coffee but don’t over do it, or when I do, I pay…
I drink lots of water.
I use sunscreen when outside. (Aveeno! the lightest SPF… Another big helper!!!)
I use Aveeno bar soap. I use Aveeno Shitake mushroom cream at night. (It’s called positively ageless cream, been working so well in combination with a little morning sun lately. Interested in one day trying the calming cream…maybe.)
Ancient Chinese text reccomends 9 stems of Scallion. Or, Green Onions, is what some call Scallions. This is healthy good eating!
Meditation and ohming help. Very much! The only thing that changes when we walk into a crowded room is our mental attitude. THIS IS IN OUR CONTROL. I Am always surprised when people don’t see the connection.
Main tip is this: Use the night time to your advantage. This is the time where you can heal your skin. Use whatever cream you use lightly. Find what works. Repair your skin. Treat it gently. The one conclusion I have seen so many of us pros come to is that regardless of that the dermatologist tell you, the natural routes are the most effective in the long run.
That’s all I got people Take Care.
TheSeeker
I have had Rosacea all my life,I think it is hereidtary and I got it from my dad.Although I know there are certain foods that trigger my rosacea it is hard to stay away from them, also heat and excersise trigger them for me.The only thing that calms my redness is lots of water and I also take zinc.When I go out in public I use Rosascalm skin serum,I bought it from my dermotologist but I found it on the web (helpforrosacea.com)for less money.It actually reduces the redness for me and i feel better about myself.Good luck to all.
there is hope That’s what I found…
Laser treatment can certainly be useful with thread veins, but their underlying cause may be the rosacea. An operation would be quite a drastic move. The surgeon operates through your armpit and locates the nerves adjacent to the vertebrae in your neck that are responsible for the opening up of the facial blood vessels. They can be cut, which significantly improves the situation while at the same time preventing any sweating on that side of the face. Think very carefully before embarking on such drastic therapy, and see a dermatologist first.
Yours sincerely
The Medical Team
maybe someone tried this method,if so, please answer.
Rosula worked for me for about 5 yrs. Now,having my first flare up in 5 yrs.Stress maybe, I hope .
Mariann
I have read from many sources at several sites that applying Milk of Magnesia to the face offers remarkable results in the elimination of the flareups, oil and redness in the skin. I haven’t try it yet, but will attempt to get to the store as fast as I can to purchase it. In reference to this information, google Milk Magnesia and Rosecea. Good luck.
I have been using Dermablend to cover up my rosecea. Its a heavier makeup but no one knows that I have redness that I am hiding. Go to http://www.dermablend.com There are different shades and different types of makeup for everyone!
Hey there! I am 47 and have had rosecea for about 17 years. Yes, it is so embarassing; the flare ups!! I am a school teacher and sometimes my kids say your face is read and I will say yes I know. It does help getting older and being less vain about yourself. I am still a good looking woman though and want to look my best. So here is what I do: I have tried the IPL lasers and have had some success. My trick is to sip ice cold water all day long. I eat a smaller lunch because when I eat a big meal I tend to have flare ups. I am using a green concealer by Makeup forever which covers up pretty well and then I put my foundation on over that. I do use sunscreen. I am done using the metrogel and meds with cortizone or steriods in them bc they can cause a rebound redness effect and they are not good to take for a long period of time. When I am out socially and want to avoid a flare up I have a drink with lots of ice and avoid juices – no wine! And then I will alternate a glass of ice water between drinks. I usually only have 2 or 3 alcoholic drinks. I appreciate the advise about the cooling gels so I am goind to find that. I also want to try a first aid redness treatment cream at Sephora?? I am also wondering about the food allergy triggers – I may look into that too. This condition is so weird it does sometimes feel like my face is on fire but my hands can be ice cold. It feels like a thermostat problem in my body?? When people say my nose is red I just tell them yes I have rosecea and that is why it is red. No big deal, I really don’t stress about it anymore; it’s just not worth it! I figure if I don’t make a big deal about it nobody else will even my kids in class. Hey we all have something we don’t like about ourselves… Thanks everybody for your comments. Keep chilling out with your ice water!!
I had rosecea for many years before I realized it was caused by food sensitivities. I believe I used Metrogel for about 15 years. It was quite by accident that I was cured. I had my oldest son tested for food sensitivities while he was in college because he always had skin issues, ADHD, etc. We already knew he couldn’t handle milk, but I was perceiving a gluten issue. The test came back that he was intolerant to dairy, gluten, egg white, and I believe kiwi also. When I started following the diet with him, my symptoms of rosecea, IBS, skin rashes disappeared completely. I would highly recommend the MRT LEAP testing which requires a blood test if anyone thinks they may have some food intolerances because perhaps it is contributing to the symptoms of rosecea. Just my two cents.
I am soooo sick of rosecea, it is the one battle I can’t seem to win.
Metro Gel is doing nothing for me, the stuff they had me try before that caused an allergic reaction and my face blew up like a balloon, that was the worst. Was so bad my eyes had swollen almost shut.
My Doc is going to give me something else today. Hope it works and hope my face doesn’t explode.
Oh and not to be a negative person, but they will never cure this! you know why? the money is in the treatment. like everything else. if they found a cure, we would stop spending.
the money is in the treatment
I found it so funny that people are using dog shampoo on themselves when I use T-Gel on my dogs since they take a flea preventative and I don’t like to add more insecticides. I also use T-Gel on my hair and it helps with itchy scalp.
I was having good results with relieving the redness with Aveeno Ultra-Calming products with feverfew, but they discontinued the night cream, which was the best. The foaming cleanser and daytime lotion work well, but I would like to find a good night cream.
I recently started taking 1,000 mg Vitamin D3 since I am never in the sun due to my Rosacea. After a week I had the worst rosacea flare up ever but unfortunately I never thought about the D3. I have spent three months with a terrible flare up, looking scalded, spending large amounts of money on products and time at my Dermatologists office. When my face was just starting to improve slightly I remembered the D3 and decided to test it out. I took two tablets and within an hour I was itching and red as a beet. Arggggh! The sad thing is I started this because I had heard it might be GOOD FOR ROSACEA. Ah well, f.y.i.
Hi Nancy,
Have you ever been checked for sarcoidosis?
Wikipedia: Sarcoidosis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoidosis
Sorry to hear about your response to the Vit D3, but if you definitely rule out sarcoidosis, where Vit D3 metabolism is disrupted, I do think your reaction to Vitamin D3 is not all that unusual. Many people are reporting difficulty ramping up on Vit D3, but almost all eventually do make it..
Since you have rosacea and avoid the sun, your probably correct in assuming your 25(OH)D levels are very low, and since more and more studies suggest it is so important for good health, please don’t give up on it. Just start at very low levels and work up slowly. You can find lower dose tablets (avoid the liquid gel forms to avoid possible allergic reactions to the oils in them) or even take your 1000IU tablets less frequently, say once a week for a while, then twice a week, etc…
Anyway, hope this helps.
I have been thinking I am alone in the world as the only red faced woman on the planet. I get the feeling from reading some of the comments here that I am not. I am almost 50 years old and have not had the quality of life I would like to because of the comments I have heard from family and others over the years about my skin. I can relate to alot of your comments….things like….”why god have you done this to us”. I have said similar things. I try to isolate myself from people which makes for a lonely life sometimes. I tried the laser years ago to help with broken blood vessels. It left me scars (ice-pick), styled ones and the broken capillaries are still all over my face. I always feel as though I am hiding which is probably what I am actually doing. I wished I had something positive to offer here but I do not.
I have this condition along with a condition that speards throughout all of my skin i get made fun of for having a red face whenever i talk or laugh or run or even doing nothing i also have keritasis pilaris a condition when you have small red bumps all along my upper arm.if anyone have a tips on how to prevent these conditions please comment!
Thanks Jennifer, I used the Rosacalm Skin Serum and it seeems to be working for me.
I tried milk of magensia and it didnt work, also tried the over the counter stuff but it didnt work either.
Tried Vitamin D3 and it got rid of the redness for about 3 days then it came back again.
Hope the Rosacalm keeps working, i have used it daily for 3 weeks now and it still keeps the redness at bay.
I have found to be extremely helpful for itch and redness vitamin c in Ester form 1000mg. in time (24) release….. Made by ester-c. Along with the metro gel .75 twice daily. I noticed less redness and that terrible itch that sometimes comes with rosacia. Get it at walmart it cost alot less. I stop taking it for two weeks and noticed the facial redness, and inflamation was back, including the itch. Even though I was using the metrogel daily. This vitamin is non-acidic..so stomach friendly. I have been living with Rosacia for five years. I was 38 when it started. Also, healing is fast! Plus…..I have not gotten a cold in three years since using this product. Where as, everyone else was sick.Take it with food only.
I really truly hate my red skin,hey I am vain I know it.
I have tried everything as well as most of us have.
I live in the retail world and deal with people all the time.
I am so tried of hearing …hey have you been skiing?
I suffer everyday too,but I am truly thankful also.
We need to thank God for all the other things in our life that are wonderful.
David, Try a product called Rosacalm.I have recommeded it to eveyone I know.
You can get more info at helpforrosacea.com
Good luck
Oracea is the only thing that worked for me. As long as I’m on it, the redness is gone. After being on Oracea for 6 months I was doing so well I decided to take a break to see what would happen. The redness returned with a fury within one week. I started back on the Oracea and the redness was gone again in 3 days.
By now most if not all of us know that Rosacea varies widely from person to person and what helps one doesn’t help another. Over tle last several years mine has gone form mild to medium and then worse!! Last time round my derm. (Feb 10/10) prescibed Sulfacet-r (sanofi aventis) along with Caetaphil cleanser and DORMER 211 with SPF30 daily moisturizer with Hyaluroni Acid complex . So far so good The nasty little bumps lumps pimples pustules cleared with just 2 applications. The sulfacet can be drying it’s one of the side effects but I have found increasing the use of eye drops for dryness ( yep ocular roasscea as well! ) I’m satisfied with the results. Now as the weather cahnges and we are starting to have some heat I see the redness is starting. I’m trying Laroche Posay’s Thermal Spring water spray it contains a variety of minerals includin a lot of selenium which occurs naturally in this spring water. It is very soothing and seems to quieten the redness when I feel it start.
A suggestion. As this website has subscribers from all over and from whom I have learned a lot, I for one, would find it helpful if we could include a bit of geography as some of the products I have read about and would like to try son’t seem to be available in my area. Toronto Ontario Canada
Hi,
To me, it’s always funny when pharmaceutical companies, dermatologists, etc. want to treat the symptoms of a skin condition (and even a so-called “Cure”) with TOPICALS rather than ORAL meds!
NO skin disease was ever cured with a topical cream or soap application!
If you suffer from ocular rosacea (which I thought was just bad dry eye until my doctor noticed my facial flushing and made the connection), ABSOLUTELY you should take Omega 3 supplements.
Every doctor I’ve asked about Omega 3′s tells me they’re a good idea. And adding even just one Flax Seed Oil capsule and one Fish Oil capsule (getting an Omega 3-6-9 combo is actually best) to my mornings has GREATLY IMMENSELY helped my eyes.
I still use drops but some days only once or twice. And don’t use redness-reducing drops. Get natural tears drops instead.
After reading the comments above I’m going to make the supreme sacrifice and cut coffee out of my life for the next few weeks. Who knows — it might get rid of my “rudolph nose” that always gets brighter the colder it is.
Dear fellow sufferers I too have rosacea except that mine is all over my body and it is socially crippling. I am 53 now and I have had this redness since I was 13. All I can say is thank God for makeup!
I am relieved to have found this site and can identify with the redness, the burning-up sensation, and not finding anything that works 100% of the time.
I hope that you might find some relief from this socially debilitating condition as I have by using the following 2 treatments: Every morning I use Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Rejuvenator, which is like a sandpaper disk or puff and then follow up with a small amount of Prosacea Gel (which I can use under my foundation). The combination of these 2 treatments reduce my facial redness and keep my skin clear of acne.
I am going to try some of your suggestions because it would be nice to wake up to a normal looking face.
Best of Luck to all of us!
I’V HAD ROSACEA FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS, METROGEL, ROSACEA CREAM AND PILLS, NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. I FEEL INSECURE AND PEOPLE ARE STAREING AT ME ALL THE TIME. MY NOSE IS CONSTANTLY RED AND MY CHIN. I USE A COVERUP CALLED ALMAY COVERUP, IT HAS A HEALING AGENT IN IT AND IT DOES ACTUALLY WORK. YOU WOULD NEVER SAY I HAVE ROSACEA WHEN I PUT IT ON. I AM NOW OUT AND HAVE TO GO TO A DRUG MART TO SEE IF THEY STILL CARRY IT. HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE OUT.
BEST OF LUCK. WE ALL NEED IT TO HELP US OUT
I have had rosacea for almost 10 years. It started out with bumps going up my face when I got over heated. The flushing started along with the iching. I too would get welps that started out like a bug bite and would be the size of a quarter.
I found a website https://www.noxadem.com. This has worked great for me. I used it morning and night and now only use it in the moring. The bottle is $60.00 but it last me 4 months. After 1 month of use, I no longer have the welps or the bits that grow to the size of a quarter. The itching is completely gone. I stopped using it and in three days all systems returned.
I hope that this will help someone else. I still have the redness, but not as bad.
IM A FORTY FIVE YEAR OLD LIFTIME SUFFERER.
GET FOOD ALLERGY TEST PRONTO
LIMIT AVOID WINE AND HOT CAFFIENE SEE HOW IT GOES. I GRADUALLY GOT BACK TO MY MORNING COFFEE TEPID NOT SCOLDING AND BEEN FINE.
FOR PERMANANT REDNESS ( FORTY YEARS OF FLUSHING) THE IPL OR V BEAM ARE THE WAY TO GO
SEARCH THE HIGH END MAGS IN BOSTON ECT AND YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
IT WORKS! TWO V BEAM OR A SERIES OF IPL AND AVOIDING THE TRIGGERS ESP WINE WILL HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY COMMENTING. BELEIVE ME I SUFFERED
EMOTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY AND WAS ALONE NOT RICH BUT DETERMINED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AGAIN. AT FORTY FIVE PEOPLE THINK IM YOUNGER THAN I AM. I KEEP UP ON IPL ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, NO BOOZE AT ALL, AND SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY.
Hi,
I think topicals are a waste of time.
All these idiot pharmaceutical companies do is profit off of the suffering of other people. And we are at their mercy!
If they REALLY were interested in a cure, then these greedy dermatologists and pharmaceutical companies couldn’t profit off of it.
I really dont’ have much faith in the American Medical community at large. I think Europeans and Asian companies are quite a bit ahead of us.
Hi there,
I just visited a dermatologist few days ago and he confirmed I have Rosacea
(( I knew it all that time, but was hoping he will prescribe something that helps. Instead, he prescribed Doxicycline (which a lot of the people posted who’ve above have used) and told me to buy Clinique moisturizer 30 spf that is good for Rosacea. After a research online I never found 30 spf, I found only 15 spf for redness solutions. Anyway, decided to spend the bucks and just ordered the Clinique ‘Redness Solutions’ Protective Base SPF 15, Unit Price: $17.50 and Clinique ‘Redness Solutions’ Daily Relief Cream, Unit Price: $39.50 from Nordstrom.com, which by the way have a sale of Clinique right now. Used coupon code BEAUTY for $5 shipping only, and if the purchase is $25+, the customer also gets a Clinique bag with $75 value gifts inside.
Also, researching online, I found this website: http://www.rosaceacare.com/?OVRAW=rosacea%20treatment&OVKEY=rosacea%20treatment&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=1362712522&OVKWID=10595667022&OVCAMPGID=126297522&OVADGRPID=656630910&OVNDID=ND2
Has anyone already tried their anti-rosacea products?
ttyl, Annie
Shiralee and Cheryl,
You might want to try using absolutely no chemical sunscreen. My friend had the same trouble you are having and found out that she was allergic to sunscreen. Most make-up products contain sunscreen in them. The reason I am mentioning it is because she also had some itching associated with hers. They were treating her for rosacea and eczema for five years. Try using the neutragena sensitive skin sunscreen with Titanium Oxide instead of checmical sunscreens. It’s worth a shot.
Annie,
Unfortunately the Clinique products did not work for me. Their anti-redness creams have caffeine in them and I am allergic to caffeine. I don’t understand why caffeine is used in an rosacea cream considering it is on the list of things that could make rosacea worse.
luckylu,
You might want to lay off chemical sunscreens, too. You could either be allergic to sun or to sunscreen. Look it up online. The burning and the location makes me think it is not rosacea. The stupid dermatologists just throw creams at any problem that is not skin cancer. I can’t take it. Seriously, why do they make the big bucks? Every skin condition I have ever had has not been helped one bit by a dermatologist, but my own research.
Hi to all,
I am a 40yr old woman.
I just started having this problem 3 years ago. I had acne for 3 years as a teenager, but antibiotics worked.
This is my newest thinking, I wonder if other women have this thought…
I also started oral birth control pills as a teenager(same time as the antibiotics) and my skin cleared up. I was on them until 3 years AGO! I just started making the possible connection last week and after researching, this seems to be common for some women.
I am going to ask to be put on a low dose estrogen and see what happens..
My question to the women-
1. Is anyone with Rosacea on OBC or HRT hormone replacement therapy?
2. Did anyone try to start OBC or HRT as a specific treatment for Rosacea? Did it work?
Just a sufferers idea…
Here’s what just worked for me:
-I stopped taking large doses of vitamin c
-I started using Avene “Cicalfate Cream”
I noticed an immediate improvement after applying the Cicalfate cream and I wondered why. My eyes even stopped bothering me–no swelling, not itching, or burning. After researching, I discovered that the cream contains both copper and zinc, one is a natural anti-bacterial, the other is anti-fungal. A red scar I’ve had on my cheek for 4 years is almost gone now, and I’ve only been using the Cicalfate for one week.
Also, I discovered that large doses of vitamin c (above 500 mg) not only causes facial flushing, but actually reduces the body’s natural stores of copper and zinc because it’s an antagonist, exacerbating rosacea. I have been eating foods high in zinc and copper in order to restore the zinc/copper balance, but applying the cream directly to the affected areas has healed them completely. The cream is sold by a company called “Avene” and I bought it at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada and it’s marketed as a cream for healing wounds, cuts, and scrapes.
I have had the burning, swelling, papules, scars, sore eyes for years. After one week of not taking vitamin c and using the Cicalfate, it’s all gone. I almost can’t believe it myself.
Everyone who has commented above, I feel like I am your brother somehow because we all share this situation. I moved from MN to TX 16 years ago. While in MN I never had any problems. Soon after arriving in TX (30 degrees N Lat) I noticed redness starting around the cheeks. I know it was the sun, which is very intense down here. Even for people without rosacea, they will get wrinkled, even the Hispanics. When I would go back to MN the rosacea would go away. Like many have said, when it is present, anything one would do to live a normal life seems to exacerbate it: eating, exercising, being in the sun, even yawning (which stretches the skin, leading to “broken blood vessels” (telangectasia).
Well the redness increased. I was using full-strength sunscreen religiously. Then, there were little scars starting. At this point I went to a Dermatologist who said it was rosacea but the med he gave me made things worse not better.
I researched this on the ‘net and found a website in the UK which I now have forgotten, sorry I can’t give a link. The woman said that aloe vera cures rosacea. Here in Texas we have Fruit of the earth aloe vera, clear, no additives. It is inexpensive and available OTC.
I started using it and she was right. Slowly but surely the scars and raised areas began to improve. Here is my suggestion based on (now) 16 years of this stuff: 1. Stay out of the sun as much as possible; if you have to go out in the sun, use zinc oxide, not sunscreen. The sunscreen will NOT protect your skin enough. 2. Occasionally wash the face with water, and with perhaps a small amount of soap on the skin areas that are greasy (nose!). Dry. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera. You should be able to find aloe vera on the ‘net. It isn’t expensive, you should look for the kind that is clear with no additives. You will notice an immediate change, but for the healing of scars and raised areas it may take years of faithful use to reduce them. But for me it has worked. Amazing that it took only a few months of sun exposure to ruin my face, give me enlarged blood vessels, and give me raised ugly bumps and scars. Now it has taken me years of hard work and really having to watch everything I do to undo that damage. But you have to do this or you will risk the possibility that you will start to get scars, raised areas, then possibly even worse, with the big lumps and etc on your nose. My acquaintance has this. His face has the bad enlarged blood vessels and now has lumps on his nose. I know it is very discouraging to him. He does a good job of masking his anxiety but I know he must feel bad. We feel so guilty for having this problem, some of us don’t want to go out in public where it seems like everyone else looks beautiful and has beautiful skin. The aloe vera has worked for me but I have had to stay out of the sun or use zinc oxide (you can buy this at Walmart in the baby section it is used to treat diaper rash) (very cheap), and wash face/apply aloe vera several times a day. If you apply the zinc oxide, in order to go out in the sun, then when you get to work (or whatever) you can gently remove the zinc oxide with the aloe vera. This is working, there is hope – and it isn’t costing me anything in terms of $, and I don’t need a prescription. I have read through this entire long thread, amazed that not one person had mentioned the aloe vera. For me it works. I hope it will work for some of you as well. I know how you feel, so believe me when I say this it is like being not able to really live a normal life you are so inadequate. I wanted to share this about the aloe vera, I hope it will help some of you. Gino: gino_g8g@yahoo.com
Gino Thanks for your input I just happened to go to the ocal Walmart this afternoon and they had a limited time offer for Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel. i read tha label very thoroughly and asked the pharmacist of the last listed ingredient was alcohol and indeed it was. she laso mentioned that to make the gel there were the other ingredients needed so I didnt buy it. i came home and googled it seems a lot of people are not using it the way you describe and it sounds as if the problems they encounter are due to the extra ingredients of which alcohol is noted for drying the skin. Anyhow I shall go on looking. I did however, go prowling in the baby aisle( much to the amusemnt of a couple of young mums as I am a senior” senior”: and came across a preparation with 40% zinc oxide the most of any and it was the cheapest of the lot so tomorrow I shall sally forth complete with a zinc oxided face, here’s hoping! lol!
After some research, I have changed my diet to a more alkaline diet as an acidic system contributes to Rosacea.
“We are what we eat!”
More fresh fruits and veggies…restrict or eliminate the carbs (they turn to sugar which is acidic) White potatoes are one of the worst. ELIMINATE SUGAR! Stevia is the healthiest sweetener I know of…most meats (especially red) create acid….I eat mostly chicken. Stay away from processed meats. I changed to Almond milk. Cucumbers are low alkaline and a good pick-me-up food. I start my day with a fresh lemon (they turn alkaline) squeezed into a glass of room temp water. Google acidic and alkaline foods for more info. I have also been using the Zen Med products the last 5 months and they have helped but I still wish my skin was smoother. Any suggestions for a good makeup anyone? I am using Cover Girl Clean Sensitive right now.
Hi Gillian, I am holding in my hand Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera, 100% gel, with a red flag on the front that says “Contains no alcohol”. I’m not sure what the problem is for other people but for me I haven’t had any problems at all. This is the clear gel that I have, I have heard that some Aloe Vera is colored and therefore has other ingredients, so the clear is better. But the gel I have does not dry the skin, it leaves it feeling fresh and invigorated.
I will see if I can find some on the web, if so I will get back to you.
Gillian:
Here, they have it on Amazon. This has no alcohol according to the tag on the front. I know a little bit about organic molecules, I looked on the back at the ingredients and there is nothing there that is alcohol.
http://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Earth-100-Aloe-Vera/dp/B0009VNI40/ref=pd_sim_bt_2
I guarantee the zinc oxide will work to protect your skin from the sun, that’s why the lifeguards and sailors use it.
Best
Gino
Also sorry to keep posting this will be my last post for a while but the good thing about the zinc oxide is that it is really cheap and it lasts for a very long time. The sunscreens typically cost a lot more and don’t last as long, plus they don’t protect your skin from deep uv damage. I put the zinc oxide on my hands and face before I go out in the sun and lift it off with aloe vera when I get home. The zinc oxide is really white so I expected a lot of people to stare, but that hasn’t happened, usually if I start to explain about why my face looks white they tell me they hadn’t noticed. It also works as a cover if you are at work and want to cover a red spot or something.
Well I’m back. I have tried 3 new products, all for different aspects of the rosacea problem, and in addition to the aloe vera I mentioned above. The first is called Auroderm, which is designed specifically to help with the “spider veins”. I will treat the other two later. For my review on Auroderm, please see Amazon.com; my review is listed under my real name (John Goodwin). Best wishes.
I also agree with what Candy said above …
Hi everyone,
i was also born with beautiful rose cheeks.
during day i’m not bothered as i only have a slight pink touch. My problem is when it’s really cold or hot and it seems like someone has slapped me in the face. But what really bothers me is that i love running outside or in gym , and i have reached a point that i think ” i will not run today…” just because of how my red my cheeks get, it’s not only my cheeks it’s my entire face…and then there’s my neck perfectly white. i’m going to try the Korres yoghurt cooling gel…maybe it reliefs a little.
and yes i also hate those people that always say ” ohh you’re blushing…why ?! ”
I found this site very interesting, it’s good to know i’m not alone.
Silvia
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