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18Jan/112

Rosacea? Flushing? Red Face? blah blah..help? (VICKS VAPOR RUB?!)?

I have SEVERE facial flushing, which didn't seem to start until after I started a ZIANA(topical acne gel) + DOXYCYCLINE(oral antibiotic) combo to treat acne. It completely got rid of all the little bumps that I had and my skin was clear and woderful. I was SO confident. However, about 2-3 weeks in, I would get randomly flushed and my skin would burn, itch, and get hot. In fact, it even looked swollen at times. I was so embarassed . And ofcourse everyone pointed it out and/or teased me (I even had a grown man in one of my college classes tease me about it infront of my classmates!!!) which made it worse. I began to flush even in anticipation of flushing infront of someone!! I stopped using it and the flushing continued and got worse, it wasn't until the summer that it calmed down (I had begun using it in the spring, so it took a few months) literally EVERYTHING triggered the flush.
At this point, I would lovingly take back all of the acne if someone can get rid of the red. I go out with friends and I keep to myself, I hate meeting new people, avoid pictures, laughing (which triggers it), smiling too much triggers it, when i change my clothes, just pulling my shirt over my head triggers it, exercise, horseplay with my brother, yellling, stress, embarassment, and then all the typical triggers such as extreme heat/cold, spicy food, hot food, sun, showers, etc. My skin has a habit of getting dry and flakey in some areas & oily in others, my skin often feels tight and laughing or smiling or opening my mouth to take a bite of a big sandwhich, makes me feel like my skin is tearing, Even laying my face on my pillow is so irritating.
I just want to laugh and smile and be active and vibrant like my old self, it seems an unnatainable goal at this point. The dermatologist who prescribed the ziana & doxycycline didnt seem phased by my symptoms. She has a huge business and is very quick in/out. She barely looked at me, I had trouble getting her to stay and listen to what I had to say. Finally she said "yeah...you have rosacea, there's nothing you can do, and prescribed ORACEA + FINACEA. I cried ALL the way home. I finally tried the two medicines since they were supposed to help with the rosacea and it was like dejavu. The symptoms were at the same peak as they were last spring when I was irritated by the acne medicine. I hesitantly went back one more time(I shouldn't have let this awful woman have any more of my money!!!) and I complained about my symptoms once more along my frustration with my acne. She prescribed accutane and walked out. I did NOT fill this presctription, I AM NOT going back to her and I DON'T know what to do and i cant seem to find any good dermatologists in my area.
I have read numerous posts on this website and others, but am so afraid to experiment considering what this has done to my face. I did read somthing about using vasodilators (oxymetazoline hydrochloride), such as those found in nasal decongestants like affarin or vicks nasal spray. I am aware you can have rebound congestian after using it for too long, so what about rebound redness?! I have also read that the oils in vicks vapor rub help roasacea if it is eczema related or related to an overgrowth of demodex mites. I would like to get tested for the mites and if I have them, I am hestiant about using the premethin(sp?) or ivermcetin (ITS DEADLY FOR DOGS WHY WOULD I RUB IT ON MY FACE?!). Still, I will not jump the gun. Has anyone tried the vasodilators?? I was also looking into some IPL laser treatments, but the idea of that on my face scares me more than anything.
Thank you anyone who has taken the time to read my rant . Any insight you can give would be greatly appreciated!!
Also, it may help to know that I flush sometimes randomly and it is EVERYWHERE on my face except for my eye sockets and directly around my lips. My mother has rosacea, however, hers started much later in life and she has the classic symptoms, and is red only on her chin nose and the apples of her cheeks and a little on her forehead. She also used to get severe oozing for several days after a bad flare up, where as I have no risidual effects the next day & no oozing or sores, just acme, which includes whiteheads and bumpy skin.

31Dec/104

Stop acne caused by shaving?

I use "Clean and Clear",which is a Blackhead Clearing scrub, every night BUT I always seem to breakout only where I shave. I use a gel shaving cream (you know the stuff that foams in your hand?) and I'm going to not reuse any of my razors, but I'm still not sure what's causing this and I want it to stop! And, yes, I'm sure it's acne and not just razor bumps. Is it the cream? The razors (I have a habit of reusing them)? Thanks.

14Dec/102

What is a good natural home remedy to improve acne scars?

I have had breakouts since I was about 12 and every once in a while still do. What makes it worse is I have the habit (sometimes even unconsciously) of touching/picking at my face a lot and as a result my skin, if you look closely, has a lot of tiny craters and scars from the acne. My pores also seem to be getting bigger the older I get (I'm 25).

My skin seems to fluctuate between being way too oily and way too dry. When I put on foundation it just seems to appear dry and flaky, even if I've used moisturizer first. Other times it feels like someone just poured oil on my forehead. I can't figure out how to get an even balance, but I just want to have the smoother skin I used to have even just a couple years ago.

I would love to get microdermabrasion but I can't afford it right now. I would love to hear suggestions on how to smooth out my face with cheap store-bought items or simple home remedies. I've heard lemon juice helps, as well as Vitamin E oil. Any others?

I'm not necessarily looking for acne treatment suggestions, as that's not my primary concern right now. I want to shrink the pores and craters on my face so it looks smoother. Even a little more expensive suggestions (but cheaper than microdermabrasion) would be appreciated!

19Nov/100

How do you get diagnosed with depression?

I think I have it and I know it runs in the family but idk how to get diagnosed. Should I go to my family doctor? I also am seeing a therapist right now,but I have a habit of playing things off like they aren't as bad as they actually are so I don't think my therapist really realizes that things are a little worse than I let them seem. I just don't know how to go about it.

29Aug/105

How can I get rid of acne scars, acne, and blackheads?

I would like home remedies if at all possible. I have a little acne on my chin and it won't go away, well they go away but then more follow immediately. I have a few small pink scars from me picking at them and I know that is horrible but it's a habit I am currently working on breaking and so far no picking for a couple of weeks but the scars are still there. Their small, no a big problem because they can be covered up with make-up but I don't want to do that. Is there anything I can buy in a health store or anything to take care of these?

And what about home remedies for blackheads and acne? I have very oily skin, seriously, I wash my face and 30 minutes later it's completely greasy. I watched this video on youtube before but I can't seem to find it. I believe an asian girl was showing what she uses and she had a website, it looked professional, for more information. She used, apple cyder vinegar I know that. But if you can't help me with finding the video do you know what I could get?

28Aug/102

Does using more than one acne-clearing product cause more to pop up?

My acne isn't that bad--i just have the habit of picking the few and causing open sores. My mom got me this cream from Sephora that apparently heals and prevents acne blemishes. But I also have this face cleaning stuff (two of them) and I alternate between the two occasionally. It's been a few days since I've used the Sephora thing, but now I'm starting to get more acne.

Is it one of those symptoms that show before things get better? please and thank you.

26Aug/102

Corticosteroids and Seborrheic dermatitis.?

Hi, I am currently 24 years old and suffer from seborrheic dermatitis since I was 17. At first it wasn't really severe and didn't know what it was so I didn't take any medications or precautions. After it started to get worse my father took me to a dermatologist who gave me some corticosteroids and told me to go back a month later. Since the lotion really helped my case and me not being informed about it's sever side effects on long term use, I started to buy the medication every time I had finished the tube. This happened over the course of 2 years and I didn't really develop any severe side effects, except for acne (which I had a year of severe acne) but my skin was free of flares and irritation. I linked the acne to the lotion since I had never suffered acne before but I'm not really sure since many people get acne in high school. I then became aware of the severity of long term use and was really depressed when I stopped using it and my dermatitis came back after a few weeks stronger than ever, covering large parts of the face and scalp. I then went to another dermatologist who recommended I use the topical cream Elidel, and was told I could use it regularly since it didn't have any reported side effects. I always buy this product in Mexico (I live in the border) since it is dirt cheap and it is the exact same product, brand and everything. It has become a habit ever since, and I cannot stop using it for a week or so without flaring up again. While in use it really helps me and my skin is great, it is oily and shiny sometimes but I prefer that over the redness and dryness of dermatitis. I recently found out that Elidel has been linked to skin cancer and other skin diseases and that it now has a black box stating it's warnings on the us product, which I didn't know since the mexican product doesn't contain this warning. I now have years of use and I wonder if the couple of years of corticosteroids and the other years of Elidel can sum up to a future skin disaster. I am now again very frustrated since it has been my only door to a normal life. Well I would appreciate any info on the subject, and if anybody out there with this condition has any tips I would really really appreciate it. By the way I am now considering homeopathic treatment but we'll see how that goes. Thanks and God bless.

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