hi

i have had this condition for a few years and i tried practically everything
to
improve it.  i haven't found a medicine that works, but i have found a make up
routine that absolutely helps.  i start with 'banana boat faces plus
sunblock'.
it's hypoallergenic & oil free.  i try to get the spf 23, but spf 14 works
well, too.
i apply a generous amount, especially on my cheeks and forehead. 

then the make up i use is 'revlons new complexion one-step make up'.  i have
very fair skin, so i get 'ivory beige'.  and it has an spf 15.  it is a
compact with a cream/powder combination, and it works great.  sometimes i
have to re-apply
when it is very humid.

then i apply the rest of my normal blush, etc., on top of that.

i hope this will work for others too.

and, i firmly believe that rosacea is a result of some sort of stress
disorder that
affects the autoimmune system.

good luck with this make up tip.

ana. 

My name is John and i wrote a while ago. I am 22 now,since i last wrote
my life has been a rollercoaster. I took accutane at a high dose and
realised what it felt like to be suicidally depressed. I had no reason
to be. The thought of blowing myself up, jumping off a high building etc
were daily thoughts. My idol was Tim McVeigh. The drug is absolutely
lethal. I became a different person. Oh, and the drug works too which
doesnt make things easier. After my inital course the acne gradually
came back and i restarted on a dose an eigth of the original strength.
The acne cleared but i was again ready to top myself.

in probably the most embarrassing hour of my life I sat down with my
parents and confessed everything. They were aghast. Now they had some
answers to questions like
-why dont you ever bring girls home.
-why are you always so miserable
-how did you manage to spend 1500 quid in six months
They needed it spelling out. And even if they have no real compassion
for my feelings they do care that i continue to exist. If a problem is
not a persons directly they are less concerned by it. They have made me
stop. When i step outside i can smell the air and sense a world that was
veiled in depression before.

accutane i dont think is the answer. antibiotics work for a time.  j




Hello,

Would just like to say what a great web-site this is, the emails and readers tips are always worth reading.

I would like to give recommend a product which has been a lifesaver to me recently (although my rosacea is fairly mild) and has improved the way my skin feels dramatically.  It is Safeways Nutritherapy Sensitive Skin Cream...not the baby one, there are 2....but its great.  Its non-greasy, so applied a few minutes before your normal moisturiser (I spray with Evian in between too) it really helps skin to feel comfortable throughout the day.  I find Rimmel the best foundation to use, and it isnt too expensive.  

Hope the information is useful to someone!

Regards

Mrs Collins


Hello, William,

I've had rosacea just about all my life. I flushed and blushed early on
(age 8, let's say) and papules were visible from around age 10.  After that
I also got regular acne. Wonderful, right? I don't think I need to
elaborate on the horror of living with this stuff through school and on
into real life. It was always there, I always felt like less of a person
than everyone else. This is something many of your web site's participants
can relate to.

Anyway, I had the usual acne treatments: the scrubs, the antibiotics,
cortisone shots, facials at beauty shops and doctor's offices, some sulpher
compound, microdermabrasion... you name it. Not one doctor ever mentioned
the word rosacea.

At the tail end of last year I got my first EpiFacial (EF for purposes of
typing from here on). And I could see immediate results. It cut right
through a lot of the red, and as the weeks went by, this red didn't come
back. I had another EF three weeks later. This time I seemed so pale at the
end of the treatment that the red bumps I had seemed much more pronounced.
A very weird upside down feeling.

That was two treatments.

(If you want to know how I found out about EF, it was via a magazine ad.
Said the EF treats rosacea, said "who says you can't be perfect?" For once
an ad told the truth!)

Subsequently, I had 8 more treatments. Two of these were actually for
treating the pitting scarring left by my various acnes (not deep pits, but
annoying pinched-skin-texture small and shallow pits) on my chin and
cheeks. The machine needs to be on a different setting to address scarring.
It reduces the red a bit, too, but that's more a side effect.

My other 8 treatments (of 10) addressed the red and its accompanying papules.

I'd say that with these 10 treatments (over 10 months) I am joining the
human race. My face looks normal. When I go to a shop, for example, and try
on clothes I look at the CLOTHES in the dressing room mirror, not the
dreadfulness of my face.

I'd say about 70% of the redness has been cleared up. And that's a big
thing. I am going to go for more treatments because more improvement is
possible.

I recommend trying EF ( also known as photoderm or photofacial -- different
machines, same point) for rosacea. It worked on my case. But it's very
individual. You have to try it to know. Also, you need to find a good
operator. Find someone who does a lot of them per week: 20. And has been
doing them for a couple of years.

BTW, there is no downtime. And it doesn't hurt. By the time you feel a zap
it's over and that much of the work is done. Each session should take at
least an hour (I think any less and the operator is not being thorough) and
costs upwards of $450.
Sincerely,  C



Hello WM,

I haven't been in touch for a while so I thought I'd drop you a line to give
you some feedback about Rosacea treatments that I have been looking into
over the last few months, info. which may prove useful to other sufferers.

I've been on a course of Clonidine for a month or two now and has proved
very succesful.  My GP was keen for me to start on 25ug 25 micro-gram) pills
twice a day, which is half the recommended starting dose.  I have actually
worked my way up gradually (due to the initial drowsiness) to 4 a day and
I've seen a great improvement with no drowsiness at all.

Having researched a great deal about ETS, I have concluded that the risk of
side affects is too great.  Also, ETS can only combat FB, not FF, so I
decided to discard this option (although it might suit other individuals of
course).

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a treatment that sends pulses of light tuned
at a particular frequency into the facial skin.  The frequency is set so
that the light energy is absorbed by blood vessels.  This heats and dries
the dilated blood vessels.  Although blood vessels are required to feed the
skin of course, apparently even a non-Rosacea person has far more vessels
than is required in the facial area.  However, as the body repairs itself,
new blood vessels will grow back anyway, but will have stronger, healthier
walls which are less suseptible to dilation.  Earlier IPL technology allowed
only the smaller superficial vessels just below the epidermis (that cause
general redness & telangectasia) to be targeted.  However, I have read and
been told (and checked the scientific stuff) that more recent treatments
penetrate deeper into the skin to target the larger (trunk) blood vessels
that are responsible for flushing.

I have seen two 'specialists' in London recently regarding IPL treatment but
unfortunately have left feeling dismayed on both occassions.  The first
consultation was very unprofessionsal and I didn't feel confident enough to
let the man loose on my face.  This consultation cost £70 and the treatment
cost was estimated at around £2,500.  The second consultation showed that
the specialist had a lack of knowledge about the service being offerred (I
knew far more than she did), and this was in Harley St. where they pride
themselves on being amongst the most successful medical practicioners in the
UK.  This consultation was free of charge however, and the treatment cost
estimated to be £1,200.  I plan visit another Harley St. clinic soon so I
may have some more positive news at a later date.  The general conclusion
(which I'm sure you reached long ago) is that GP's and specialist here in
the UK lag far behind their counterparts in the USA (which is where most of
the research data that I have acquired comes from).  IPL is often used as a
hair removal treament, and the blood vessel heating effect is another
application for this technology.  With this in mind you've probably guessed
that IPL treatment will rid you of your facial hair (which for some,
especially females, will be another benefit, but might be an undesirable
side-effect for some men).

The Aloe Vera gel that you supply is by far the best gel/cream I have come
across and works wonders for the skin.  I have also found Tesco's natural
soaps to be very soothing without drying the skin.

Another point worth mentioning.  Although I've never been much of a drinker,
I like to join in when in the pub.  Unfortunately I used to drink lager
(Budweiser, Stella) which sets my cheeks on fire after just a pint/bottle.
However, although this is an acquired taste, I have found that Guiness Extra
Cold has a minimal affect on my skin (1. it has much different ingredients
to lager, 2. it is served very cool).  This may prove interesting to some of
the male sufferers out there that already feel like enough of a social
outcast without having to stick to soft drinks when everyone else is having
fun (having a life!).

Anyway, just a few snippets of information that I thought you (and the
visitors to your website) may appreciate.

You're doing an excelent job in bringing hope to people that have suffered a
great deal.  I'm not at all religious, but if I was I'd shout out 'God Bless
You!'

Take care,
Gareth



On your web site,
http://www.acne-rosacea.co.uk/Readers%20Forum%20week1.htm,
you state, "Redness caused by broken blood vessels can be treated relatively
simply through laser treatment.  You may need repeat treatments and it can be
expensive.  I have no experience of it, can anyone comment please? "

I have just undergone this laser treatment for the first time. 

While I wore metal goggles, my more prominent vessels were treated
individually with successive short bursts of the laser beam.  My
dermatologist was very knowledgeable about the differing sensitivity levels
of the various parts of the face, and adjusted the bursts and pauses
accordingly.  There was some discomfort--like warm, pin point, buzzes just
under the surface of the skin.  The treatment session lasted perhaps ten or
fifteen minutes.  Treated areas were bright pinkish-red initially; I took
acetaminaphen when I got home.  The pinkish-red color faded over about 24-48
hours.  The vessels treated are permanently gone.  For my situation, doctor
indicates a total of about 3 laser sessions may be needed to treat existing
vessels, estimated at about $200.00 US each.  I must also work to control the
rosacea flushing, to limit formation of new vessels.   In the US, most
medical insurance plans don't cover "cosmetic" procedures such as this one,
making it an out-of-pocket expense.  Despite the mild discomfort of the
procedure and its expense, I do plan to return for additional laser treatment
as I am able to save money and afford it.

While each patient is unique, my treatment took place on the west coast of
the US, and others' experiences may differ, I hope this account will shed
more light on this modern treatment option.
 
Barbara
Oregon, USA

On your website,
http://www.acne-rosacea.co.uk/Readers%20Forum%20week1.htm,
you ask, "Perhaps suggestions for (rosacea-concealing) make up anybody
please?"

Perhaps what I use might work for "S in Texas."

Along side the under-eye-circle concealers in the store, one can find a
mint-green tinted concealer.  (Nutragena sells one; so does Mary Kay.) 
Applied lightly on the red areas of the face, the slight green tint
counteracts and conceals the redness.  Over the top apply foundation as
usual, and voila! 

For customized, personal, assistance in choosing and applying makeup, perhaps
there's a Mary Kay representative or a Nordstrom or Merle Norman store in S's
area.   I hope S "knocks them out" at her reunion. 

(My reunion is almost two years away and I need to lose 40+ pounds.  Anyone
have reducing diet/exercise insights to help me avoid aggravating my rosacea
in the process?)

Barbara
Oregon, USA


I am conscious of the fact that the skin products which I had previously been advised to use (Clarins' Sensitive Skin range) are of no help and in fact appear to make my skin worse at times.  Trish.

Use a small amount of Lancome Maqui-Libre all over face which is really flattering but you can still see a bit reddness so using a  good quality brush use a loose powder I use Laura Mercia translucent all over and lots of it which gives a good finish and u cant see any red!  I can even use blusher over the top.  My skin is very pale so I cant use this in  the day in winter so use Yincent Longo Liquid canvas instead of Lancome 
which you can build up but the powder makes all the difference. I hope this  helps some people who are embarassed like me.  Sarah an acne sufferer.


...I've recently read that topical Zinc Oxide used regularly may help thicken the outer layer of skin the epidermis that may thin as a result of blood vessel inflammation.   I've also read that Photoderm, by stimulating collagen production after a number of treatments, will probably be the best means of
thickening the skin..... Tracy

 When my acne was first diagnosed by my doctor, when I was a young teenager, he prescribed Dalicin T Topical Solution for me.  I had acne all over my face, but it was particularly bad on my cheeks, which were all lumpy and inflamed.  The Dalicin T helped a lot, keeping my breakouts under control
  although it didn't clear it up completely.  As I got older it improved with mainly my cheeks being affected, with my t-zone remaining clear.  When I was 19 I went on the pill to help control my acne and again this helped.  But I still got spots, especially bad ones when I was stressed -  I was put on a 16 week course of Roaccutane when I was 21.  This did help to clear up my acne, although I had horrendous mood swings when I was on it and regularly felt suicidal.  My breakouts became less frequent and my spots weren't as big or sore.  However my acne didn't completely clear up and I went back to my dermatologist who put me on a second course of Roaccutane when I was 23. Again this helped but I still got spots but they were much less severe.  I remained on Dianette and Minocin but have recently stopped taking them
 I still suffer from frequent outbreaks. 
  I have tried various cosmetic products including Elizabeth Arden,Clinique, Lancome but I have found what really works for me are products by the cosmetic company Clarins - I think they are fabulous.  Although I have acne I actually have dry and irritable skin and I find that traditional washes etc. for acne are too harsh for my skin, in fact making it worse.  The
  Clarins products however don't do this and they have been a saviour for me.
  If I follow a strict skincare regime ie.  washing morning and evening and applying their mosturisers, gels and oils my skin looks pretty good (considering).  Here are some of the products that I highly recommend - Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser for Dry or Sensitive Skin - this works best on my skin as it is quite dry and sensitive but     they also have
cleansers for oily and combination skin.
 
  Clarins Purifying Toning Lotion for Oily or Combination Skin - this contains powders which help keep your skin matte and is very refreshing to use after you wash (it contains no alcohol)
 
  Clarins Face Treatment Oil (Lotus) for Combination Skin prone to Oiliness - this is my favourite - it is an oil made from 100% pure plant extracts and is amazing.  I was very reluctant to use it because it is an oil but it leaves your skin looking and feeling great.
 
  Clarins Face Treatment Plant Cream (Lotus) for Combination Skin Prone to Oiliness - this is a brilliant moisturiser, it is creamy without being greasy and is a great base with or without makeup.
 
  Clarins Normalizing Night Gel for Oily or Combination Skin - this helps to regulate sebaceous secretions and leaves your skin matte but not dry.
 
  Clarins Blemish Control Stick - This is a lotion which is applied topically to individual spots or areas where breakouts occur.  It calms them down and does appear to help get rid to them.
 
  Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser - this is another good moisturiser designed for all skin types which I use on and off.  You can apply as little or as much as is needed and it leaves your skin feeling good.
 
  Clarins also have lots of other products made specifically for oily and combination skin, these are just the ones that I use.
Sarah



As a rosacea sufferer for many years, the only foundation which I have found to moisturize, cover the redness, and not cause additional breakouts is Princess Borghese.  The cost is $30-32, but one tube lasts 8-12 months.  Currently their website does not have mail order capability, but it does have a location finder for retailers who carry their products.  Hopefully
this will be the answer for some other women.  Best of luck Lou.



Thankyou for your speedy delivery -I was impressed.I have been using the soap free cleanser & Aloe Vera gel for 1 month now & my skin has never responded so well to any other product as it has to these 2. The
moisturising cream is too heavy for me but the other 2 are marvellous.