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Rosacea progresses if it isn't controlled, it is lifelong, and it can affect your eyes. You may be in a milder stage right now that doesn't include raised pustules or papules. It may just show the characteristic skin redness, some stinging or itch. Unfortunately, those types of symptoms aren't unique to rosacea, so the logical first step is to get an actual diagnosis. Why waste your time, money, and the health of your skin futzing around in the dark? You could be doing more harm than good. Don't forget that finding out what is actually going on and taking control of that portion of your life following an appropriate course of treatment does play a role in stress reduction. Your MD may be able to find you a less expensive option for a topical (mine has been Metronidazole) that will actually do something productive. Rosacea can cause permanent damage that is much harder if not impossible to reverse.
A dermatologist diagnosed mine during an appointment for an unrelated issue (mole removal). I hadn't even heard the name and had no idea, but like you didn't mind what I assumed was color from working outdoors in all weather. Now when I happen to see old photos of myself it is very obvious what was going on. I've been religious about using sunscreen and/or moisturizer year round ever since.
The point is to avoid flushing incidents that lead to capillary damage. Remember the old stereotypic descriptions of drunks including permanent redness, obvious spider veins, and lumpy bulging nose and face? That wasn't due to alcohol, it was due to neglected rosacea.
Your skin flushes when it's cold too, not just hot, so you need to protect from that. Heat, sweating, sun, cold, emotional upset all create flushing. When I'm out in very cold winter weather I wear a scarf so I can shield my face from the worst of it, again to avoid that flush response. Since using the topical antibiotic I can't even remember the last time I've had a flare. Now that it's controlled, I don't need to apply the topical as frequently as the med directs so my prescriptions last much longer. My diet really hasn't changed much over the years but there are some obvious things you can change to avoid inflammatory responses. Diet changes may not be enough to get control over it right now, but if you get an actual diagnosis and start taking control you can get to the point it may not need to be that dramatic. I'd avoid using other OTC concoctions until you get a diagnosis. They could do more harm than good or mask symptoms making a bona fide diagnosis that much harder. Rosacea is one of those incurable (but controllable), common but annoying health problems every Tom, Dick and Harry claims to have a cure for. There are lots of quack remedies out there. Be careful.
Thanks for this Par. Mine has not progressed and I have not had to do much yet. My PA actually suggested IPL. I'm thinking about it. The laser treatments can also burn off pre cancerous cells and such so I am also thinking about fraxel or CO2. In the mean time I have not done much about the Rosacea. I think I have had so much else going on I have not got that far yet. PA did not bat an eye when I asked for the Azelaic Acid (which is the primary active ingredient used for it).
Stop asking people for diagnosis or treatments on the internet.
Go to an actual licensed medical practitioner. Tell them WHAT you are eating. Don't tell them "carbs and sugars." Tell them "a can of Pepsi and a bowl of Froot Loops" (or whatever it is you're eating).
Tell them your symptoms, tell them how you feel physically, tell them what you're eating - make a week-long diary and write down everything including the time of day, how you feel an hour later, what time you go to sleep and get up...
Give them all that. Let THEM decide what tests, if any, to give you. Let THEM decide what questions to ask you. When they're all through, they'll tell you whatever they tell you. Pay attention to it, and don't check with YouTube for some internet guy's advice on the subject.
I am 31 and have noticed in the last 2 months or so a difference in my skin. I already had mild rosacea in my cheeks but didn't mind because it gave me a little glow but it is different now. It looks more red and my pores have increased.
I have been stressed due to mental health issues, insomnia and decreased income but I don't think it should look this bad. Luckily I have makeup if I want to cover it but I like feeling like I don't have to wear it.
Also, the bags/purpleish color under my eyes looks a little worse.
I am sure it's inflammation but don't know what to do about it. I recently got a face wash and overnight moisturizing mask as well as moisturizer from Clinique (where I got the makeup). I feel like the pores have become worse since starting this but not by much. I don't wear the makeup often because I am lazy and my face gets itchy/feels suffocated although I am guessing that is normal.
I want to try intuitive eating (eating when I am actually hungry and just knowing what nutrition you need). I have been told by a psychic with medical intuitive abilities that I just can't eat like most people- that I have to eat less often and not overeat at meals, and also that if I calmed down and cleared my mind I would know what nutrition I need.
Until I can calm down and clear my mind...what do I eat? I am planning on fasting/eating once a day until my appetite comes back but I don't know if that will happen and am not sure if fasting is best in my situation. But since I can't eat too much I can probably get away with eating more quality foods.
Give me some ideas of foods that are healthy for the skin. I felt like my skin looked good about 5 months ago when I was eating more seafood and more fruits and vegetables. Remember, I can't eat too much (that may be part of the problem actually).
I am sure the stress is not helping either. I am working on bringing more balance into my life and decreasing stress.
If you're looking for diet recommendations to help improve skin complexion, it will be hard since this is very personal. A lot of people have their own trigger foods, and through trial and error figure them out. Some reactions to food that show up on your skin can take 2 or more days to show up, so isolating them all can be difficult.
My starting recommendation would be to drink more water, a lot more water. Cut down on histamine rich foods (look them up on the internet for a complete list), and cut down on alcohol. You can always ask your doc for a food sensitivity test, though a lot of this is not supported by medical science (doesn't mean it's not true, just not thoroughly studied).
I agree to see a dermatologist if you can. But I also believe that your diet is also causing some of your problems, based on what you wrote.
First off, if you overeat carbs and sugar, this will definitely spike insulin. If you graze all day long, your spikes remain high all day long, and never get a chance to go down. This will absolutely cause anxiety, which will cause insomnia, and all of these negative aspects can affect your skin.
If I was you, here is what I would do:
1) Cut out all processed carbs and sugar. This is very difficult to go cold turkey, so just cut down gradually as much as you can. Natural carbs are fine. I don’t believe in keto as I think it is too restrictive, but as long as you are eating clean and keeping your carbs under 100g, that is ideal in my opinion. If you are overweight though, you might want to think about doing keto until you get to a normal weight, then ease off a bit. But never go back to eating processed garbage like donuts, cake, ice cream, pizza, etc.
2) Intermittent fasting is a fabulous way to repair the damage to your body. I do 16/8 everyday, but again, this will be difficult to do from the beginning, so gradually decrease your eating windows.
3). With a poor diet, you probably also have an omega 3, omega 6 imbalance. This can negatively affect skin. Eat more fish and cut down on processed garbage. or if you don’t like fish, take a cod liver oil supplement.
4) don’t get discouraged when you first start trying to fix your body. It could take many weeks before you start seeing results. Reversing damage takes awhile, sometimes a long while.
5) usually when people have a poor diet,they also have digestive issues. Fermented foods can help your gut microbiome get back on track.
There are many other tips out there, and on You Tube, I like to watch Dr. Berg, Dr. Becky Gillespie, Dr. Idz, and a couple other doctors I can’t remember right now. There is a wealth of information out there.
Anyway, good luck to you. You have taken the first step, which is that you recognize there is a problem and you need to change your lifestyle. You’d be surprised at how many people know they have a problem, but absolutely refuse to change their diet and just suffer through it all until it becomes life threatening.
Don't just drink excessive amounts of water. That can deplete electrolytes. Instead, limit what you drink to pretty much just water and make sure you balance your electrolytes.
It is hit and miss. Some foods are inflammatory, but it varies by person. Eczema websites list those foods which might be helpful even if someone doesn't have eczema. Another thing to avoid foods which are high in natural salicylates - that appear to not be a common allergy, but these foods have a natural pesticide which might adversely affect people.
None of these foods when eliminated will get rid of a skin problem, but they may help outbreaks.
Thanks for all the responses! I agree I should go to the derm and listen to them.
I will also work on my dietary habits. I greatly decreases how much I was eating 3 days ago and had no problem falling asleep. The last couple days have been full of food because of the holidays and I did not sleep well. Today I am going to eat less. Tomorrow I am going to the Bavarian Inn with my boyfriend's family and will try my best to avoid too many carbs.
My gut health is also not the best. I am usually pretty bloated and am always a little bloated. I have a BM about once a week
I am not overweight. I am thin despite eating the way I do.
it's coming from the inside. you are on a path to serious disease. the digestive/bm issues are your early warning. shore up your gut microbiome. too, log what you are eating to see if you might have a food allergy. family member found that eggs wrecked her face skin
it's coming from the inside. you are on a path to serious disease. the digestive/bm issues are your early warning. shore up your gut microbiome. too, log what you are eating to see if you might have a food allergy. family member found that eggs wrecked her face skin
But an accurate diagnosis will go a long way to get this under control. There may or may not be dietary aspects involved with appropriate treatment.
Last edited by Parnassia; 12-29-2023 at 03:40 PM..
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