roseacea - is it all doom and gloom?

[notactuallyme]

Have suspeected roseacea. Hot flushes over last few months, itchy mildly flaky eyes over last two weeks, and pink sore skin on forehead and nose. Gp given me some gel, using eyedrops and teatree oil on eye margins. But, the internet has terrified me. Images of thickened skin, red faces, huge nosees and talk of depression and disfigurement. Really? Or will it be ok?

That's what I thought because my one horrible spot (which calms down with argan oil but refuses to go) was caused by burnt food i swear it. I don't know if it's roseacea though it doesn't itch so not psoriasis; but since getting it I'm a bit uptight about burnt food!!

Ref. choc. you can get good sugar free now I LOVE my 70% dark choc. too I have been known to make it with rice milk and honey.

what is really interesting about having read through this thread is that, without consciously realising, I was 'doing' a lot of the triggers that have come up without realising;
i had started about a month before to use a face exfoliator every day (the l'oreal one with the plastic pad thing); i was drinking a glass of wine in the evening (not unusual, but combined now with the exfoliating,another 'risk') lots of stress for work and travel - hopefully i can use the holiday to work out the way forward.
The demodex thing is really interesting but a little bit disconcerting.

btw thumbwitch totally agree re: carcinogenics and burnt food.

I hate all those multi billion make up producers "we're worth it'' worth what? making them even more money by using their shxx products (SLS is a product that was invented for cleaning the grease of garage floors; and Johnsons even put in baby stuff ) Sorry for the rant but you've probably pinpointed the cause notactually There's lovely book about essential oils by Liz. Earle. I use essential oils for cleansing and moisturising they're not oily strangely!

I've also had the hayfever connection with my rosacea, as well. I've suffered from hayfever for most of my life but it was only when I started showing symptoms of rosacea that I noticed I would get exceptionally "hive-y"/rashy on my face. It would itch like mad whenever I had hayfever congestion or a scratchy throat. It was the first time in 30-something years that this has happened.

The biggest thing to help remedy the situation so far is to switch to a low-carb diet. I noticed that when my diet was exceptionally crap-like indulging in too many sweets or crispsmy skin would flare up. Now I'm sticking to protein and veg and my flare ups are reduced. Hopefully once this %@#$#% pollen clears up for the season, things will improve even more.

As soon as I eat dairy I get terrible hay fever symptoms; bizarrely no dairy no hay fever it as simple as that for me!

ppit - yes, I have binned the l'oreal garnier scrubby thing!
hal - so weird that loads of us have made a hayfever/roseacea connection. Think mine is grass too.

Definitely the hayfever/rosacea connection makes sense. Mine's grass/graminae too?

My dermatologist coroborats the wine trogger and said everyone is either a "white" or "red" (wine) persons. Some react to histamins in whites, others in tanins in the red.am much better with reds.

Ppfruit you use pure essential oils? Not too harsh?
I do love using oils but could not continue the ocm as hot loths are a no, as is rubbing.
I still use argan oil as a deep cleanser, followed by a toner once in a while. It works well as a deep moisture mask mixed a a bit of manuka honey.

Ahhhh! Crazy autocorrect and typing too fast.

well, I have also ditched wine, and am going to drink lager tomorrow (my birthday party!) but generally have given up alcohol totally. Not a bad thing really. also ditched loads of makeup, and am now, after reading and taking this advice on board:
using body shop aloe vera stuff
using rosex
taking flax supplement and antihistamine
using boots intensive eyedrops
doing lid wipes every night
also dropped all treat food (crisps/ icecream) except for one thing a day
Can't tell you how much this thread has helped me feel positive

Interesting about ppeatfruit's spot. I got a sudden red pustule (ugh so not a nice word) high on my cheek about 4 weeks ago where I usually don't have much trouble, and while the swelling has gone down the spot is still definitely there. It looks like a permanent fixture, as if it were a scar or something.

Now the odd part: this happened when I was helping my parents clear out my nan's house which sadly had got into rather a state and we were hefting around truly boakworthy bits of 40-year-old sofa and 60 year-old carpet (not joking). Anyone with elderly relatives won't need a picture drawing, I'm sure . And the weird thing was that my dad got an identical spot in exactly the same place! He is also very pale and has the same mild rosacea symptoms I've always had, plus the odd bit of hayfever which I also have. He also has late onset asthma, which I've had since I was three, and I first developed asthma... staying at my nan's house. At the time my parents thought it was the damp air (the house is by the sea) but we're wondering now. Apparently as soon as I got into hospital (ie before they'd put the nebuliser on me) I was a lot better.

Basically, I wonder if my problem might be dust, or at least horrible old dust.

That is interesting. Would be good to keep a diary.

I have a question!
Re: flaky eyes. Last night I used rosex for the first time, can't remember where exactly I smeared it. This am I noticed sort of peely flaky skin on my brows and under my eyes. (Not dry flakes or patches). Is this old rosex or blepharitis? There is zero chance of me google immaging blapharitis after my last attempt at learning anytthing via web search!
Cheers.

Has yr spot got teeny thread like veins through it? If not it'll probably go. Weird about the dust though I know some people get asthmatic reactions with house dust etc. but specific OLD dust I don't know. Have you tried cutting out dairy? DH has just about cured his asthma by cutting out ALL his beloved cheese etc. and the Buteyko method (which is essentially breathing through yr nose not yr mouth!)

BTW I knew as soon as I posted that about essential oils that i'd be picked up on it! I always put a few drops in with a carrier like almond oil.

I might have to give that a go actually. I already have soya milk in tea and don't eat cereal so it's just a matter of adapting on the coffee and ditching the cheese.

Spot doesn't have any veins on it, it's just odd-looking (I don't think it's in the right place for thread veins IYSWIM, I do have some of those at the bottom of my nose). Dad's spot has gone apparently. Hm, may be time to head for doc's on the whole thing. I don't have as many problems as some here have but I'm a bit fed up with having crap skin the whole time.

Notactually - do you think there is any chance that you got the rosex on the thin sensitive skin of your eyelids? if you did, it may have caused the skin to flare up.

I used the Buteyko method to stop me hyperventilating - tis very good for that.

I also tend to find that my pustules go in "tracks", if that makes sense - like they're following a trail on my face. Does anyone else have that?

thumbwitch yes, when I think back mine did. Its all sort of linking up - back in april I had a series of spots that trailed down my chin and then again on my nose. As one cleared another started iyswim.
I
My skin wasn't pink or sore, just with a kind of peely film on my eyebrows and round my lids. Like sunburn but no redness. Thought it might be the rosex peeling off. Really hope its not blepharitis.
With the baby shampoo I damped some cotton wool, added baby shampoo and washed it over my eyes. Theen rinsed in the shower. Is that right?

I use Buteyko to stop snoring as well (it works and it couldn't be simpler!) I'm just in the habit of closing my mouth now so much so I notice when it's open apparently it's the 'correct' way of breathing . Do you think the spots follow the meridian lines indicating a blockage of some sort?

Well, not too surprisingly, the 3 meridians that concentrate around the cheeks are the stomach, the large intestine and the small intestine. But I can't say my pustules follow any one of them specifically. If anything they seem to follow the muscle lines instead.

I use acupressure from a book by Stephen Chang (I think) It is great for helping blockages.

That's really interesting - I ust read something that the recession (nd asssociated stress) has seen a massive increase in skin issues.
UPDATE! Thanks to all the good advice on here, I am down to rosex (not the gel, thankyou all) aloe vera stuff and baby shampoo every so often. Daktacort daily, for a small patch, supplements and an antihistamine. And my skin is calmed down.

Hurrah! Very glad for you, notactually. :)

Thanks - the power of mumsnet and all that.