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Exciting developments on my face today as I finally had an appointment with a dermatologist about my rosacea. Is it rosacea though?
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My red cheeks are officially a thing.
Yes, it's rosacea. How exciting. I self-diagnosed this a few months ago when I put together the red marks on my cheeks (which I'd initially thought were pigmentation) with my age, the fact that rosacea happens to women in their 40s and 50s and the way it's now become not just the red marks but also hot and red and kind of sore. Not all the time but when it flares. Sometimes for days. And just on my cheeks.
Sometimes, it's bumpy. And it feels dry. Did I mention it hurts and I'm a baby?
The dermatologist took one look at me and confirmed my diagnosis and honestly I don't know why I'm not yet an actual doctor yet because I should be.
I learned some interesting things from him.
Like the fact that "we don't know what causes rosacea but we think it's a mite."
Seems imprecise but OK.
The main things that make it worse are: heat, sun exposure, exercise, alcohol, spicy food, skincare that's too active and stress.
Good to know that I'm f**ked then.
There are a few things to be done though. My derm says that you can remove the red blotches or very visible red broken veins with laser but that he's had good success with other options so we're trying those first.
The most interesting thing I learned from him is what skincare products make it worse: oil cleansers, any type of face oil, heavy moisturisers, vitamin C, retinol.
I'd worked some of this out through trial and error — my vitamin C serum and my retinol definitely sting so I stopped those. Anything with vitamin C in it, actually. Plus any kind of exfoliant. I was using a cleanser with lactic acid and that inflamed it too. Ditto something called Pink Drink by Sunday Riley I bought at an airport Mecca store because I thought it was moisturising but actually it also had lactic acid and my skin lost it.
By 'skin' I mean cheeks but right up to my eyes to the point where my eyes were red and stingy as well as my cheeks hurting. A vibe.
Same thing happened when I had my semi-regular skin needling appointment. It didn't help that I put the numbing cream on too early and it wore off by the time the needles were puncturing my skin. Idiot.
But what was new news to me today was the bit about oils and heavy moisturisers making rosacea worse. "This gets a lot of people," my derm confirmed. "Because when your skin feels dry and sore, your instinct is to lather it with heavy moisturisers or oils but they actually inflame it."
It turns out the mites don't like the oil and heavy products. Even heavy makeup can cause them to become incensed.
I left with a script for topic antibiotics to try and kill the mites and an amended skin routine that goes like this:
AM:
- Cleanse with something basic — not oil
- Antibiotic cream called Soolantra on cheeks and nose
- My normal active serums on my forehead, neck and chest if I want
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane ROSALIAC 'redness reducing cream' (it's green and feels lovely and soothing on my cheeks)
- Sunscreen — he didn't tell me to do this but I bought one for sensitive skin anyway to try. Avene and La Roche-Posay are both great chemist brands who do ranges for sensitive skin. I was using La Roche-Posay Cicaplast moisturiser to soothe it but my derm said that was too thick and suggested this green one instead
- The Avene moisturiser is for night-time
Image: Supplied.
PM:
- Cleanse with balm and then with a cream cleanser (I love a double cleanse at night to get rid of makeup and sunscreen and the day)
- Use antibiotic cream on cheeks and nose only
- Retinol on my forehead, chin, neck and chest (NOT cheeks or nose)
- Light moisturiser everywhere
Apparently it might take two months if it's going to work — stubborn mites — and if no improvement we do laser. Naturally, I will keep you posted because I'm sure you're riveted.
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Feature image: Mia Freedman.