your general impression as to what's going on here?

[Empathy]

Hi all!

I'm new here and for a long time I haven't really payed much attention to my skin and well, health, for various reasons but alas, here I am wanting to start taking better care of things and I was wondering if you fine folks could take a look at a few pics of my face and give me some advice as to where to go from here. Originally I wanted to post this on a dermatology forum, because there may be more than one thing going on, but I do think the main issue is Rosacea, and so I decided to start somewhere a bit more specialized. If you all don't think it's Rosacea please feel free to suggest what it may be. I am a 31 year old female and I've been diagnosed with PCOS, which I've had pretty much since puberty (very bad diet at the time; new European immigrant adjusting to the American lifestyle). Anyway, please suggest what problem areas you notice and what I may start to do about them. I am planning to start exercising and going on a low carb diet. I have more specifically been interested in an anti-inflammatory diet, but was wondering if one is recommended specifically for my skin issues. Let's see... I have reddish hair, pale skin, some dandruff too... what else might be pertinent...? My periods are regular and have been since my most major weight loss (I did lose 80 lbs. on a low carb diet about 3 years ago and kept it off, but recently I haven't been losing my last 40 or so). Anyway, I have a trip to Italy coming up in the middle of July where I'll see family I haven't seen in 20 years and would really love to make my skin look its best, but I need some pointers as to where to start. I'm interested mostly in diet/exercise/supplement recommendations and as for cosmetic products, only something inexpensive; I don't have much to spend right now.

Oh, one more thing; I had just exfoliated and washed my face, and the first picture was taken inside and the second was taken outside on my balcony. I did "auto correct" on both photos in Microsoft Picture Editor and it overcorrected a bit more harshly (redder) than I really am but I left it like this because it really accentuates what some of the problems are. Thanks for your feedback!

[SouthernMoss]

Hello Empathy, and welcome to our community! What a pretty face you have!

The red areas on your face look like it could be rosacea, but we are not doctors and so cannot make any determination or diagnosis. You really need to see a dermatologist to get a definite diagnosis and to develop a treatment plan.

If it turns out you do have rosacea, the first thing you need to do is develop a very gentle skin care routine, using only products designed for sensitive skin. Just the word "exfoliate" makes me cringe; most exfoliating products are much to harsh for sensitive rosacea skin. Gentle cleansing and moisturizing are a must. Rosacea skin has a tendency to dry out quickly and become very reactive. You need plenty of moisture to keep your skin hydrated, which will help keep it more calm.

I am not familiar with PCOS, but a quick wikipedia search tells me that it is a hormonal disorder. If hormonal swings are a part of PCOS, that could potentially have an effect on rosacea. Again, a doctor's opinion is needed to determine whether the PCOS would have any effect on rosacea.

Exercise is often helpful to rosaceans, but flushing is definitely NOT, so if you have rosacea, you may need to alter your exercise routine to keep your face from flushing. Exercising in an air conditioned room, lowering the intensity of your workouts, taking frequent breaks, using a fan to keep air circulating, drinking cool water or sucking on ice chips, dipping a towel in cold water and draping it around your neck -- these are all ways to help decrease flushing while exercising.

There are many potential "triggers" that can cause rosacea to flare up. Triggers can include food, environmental conditions, etc. You can find a list of the most common triggers here: http://www.rosacea.org/patients/materia ... sindex.php Not all the items on the list will be triggers for you; this is just a list of the most common triggers. You will have to determine, through trial and error, which items are your own personal triggers. You can go to our Foods and Diet forum (viewforum.php?f=21 ) to see discussions of various diets that members have found successful. Just keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for the next -- that's one of the reasons rosacea is such a frustrating condition.

You can check our Natural Therapies forum for discussions of supplements, and our Makeup & Coverup subforum (viewforum.php?f=30 ) under the Topical Treatments forum for discussions of makeup. Many rosaceans find mineral makeup to be helpful in toning down the redness.

The trip to Italy sounds like great fun! Many rosaceans find that their skin behaves better when they are on vacation, probably because they are more relaxed (stress can be a trigger). Try not to worry about your face while visiting, and just enjoy seeing your family!

[Lisamouries]

Welcome Empathy.
Wow, you've done brilliantly in loosing all that weight.
As Southern Moss says, it's hard for us to give you a diagnosis as we aren't Doctors but in the meantime you also need to be wary about sun exposure as this can be a trigger too. If you are going to Italy where the sun is strong make sure you get some good sunscreen. I use Clinique City Block Sheer 25 spf and I wear hats outside. There are many different type of sunscreens available but before you try anything new always do a small patch area to check skin sensitivity before applying to your whole face.

Take care.
Lisa M.

[David Pascoe]

Hello and welcome to the group.

I wish I could say for sure, just by looking at your photos whether it is rosacea or not, but sadly I don't think it is that easy. It could be rosacea, but as you mention it could be rosacea along with something else as well. The broken blood vessels on the surface of the skin are a common symptom of rosacea, that seems to be the main clue for me. The overall redness could be an irritant reaction to something as well, so hard to say from a photo.

Do you often get bumps on your lip also ? this is not common with rosacea per se, so it would definitely be worth seeking a proper diagnosis to see what else might be happening.

A gentle cleansing and moisturizing regime is really going to help. Have you been able to find some gentle products that help calm things down any ?

[CrabbyCathy]

I also agree; it does look like rosacea, but with the bumps on the lips, maybe it's something else? And exfoliate! I used to be able to exfoliate like mad before the rosacea, but now if I dare scrub my cheeks with anything other than my Clarisonic, my rosacea gets very mad and irritated.

By the way....your eyes are an absolutely beautiful color! I am jealous. Congratulations on the weight loss too; I know it's difficult.

Let us know what you're using on your face? We can suggest gentle, soothing products to help your skin a tiny bit. At the very least, they will not irritate it further. You might want to stick with a mineral-based sunscreen too, as some of the chemical sunscreens can of course irritate our sensitive skin.

And try to squeeze in a derm appointment very soon, before you go on your trip to Italy.

[RAISINGCAIN]

First off let me say your are beautiful and you go girl on the weight loss, I also need to loose 80 or more pounds and I congratulate you!!!!! If you do have Rosacea do not exfoliate I've tried this and it agrivates it be very gentle with the skin it seems you might have it your skin looks similar to mine I'm also a redhead with freckles and can not tan a lick. I seem to see maybe some spider veins just a small amount and I've heard on some sites that they think Rosacea is a vascular problem and since I have gone so long with out treatment from a doctor I've seen larger pores and more spider veins. I do believe that you need to see a dermatologist and if the first one does not suit your fancy and you do not see an improvement please see another one. And of course stay out of that sun!!!! Hope you find the solution that we all here are looking for and good luck...