Rosacea help - newly diagnosed

[StarlightEspresso]

Hello

I've recently been diagnosed with rosacea. My nose is very red and sore and the rest of my face is patchy with it.

My GP started with metronidazole gel but after four weeks it has made no difference (if anything has made it worse) so she has now given me Lymecycline. I've only just started this.

Can anyone share any success stories of this treatment or suggest what else I can try. I'm 41 and until last year have always had very good skin, never suffered acne and have always taken good care of it. I'm not sure what could have triggered it and it is really getting me down and knocking my confidence. Even good concealer isn't able to cover it up unless I reapply every hour.

You need antibiotics......doxycycline........I was on them long term. Have been off them 3 months and need to start again.
Use the most basic of skincare...dermolex or similar. Check the specialist aisle in boots.
And my skin is best when I use makeup as it protects it from the elements but doesn't always protect it from showing through.
Don't use shrubs or toner

Hi, I also got rosacea in adulthood after a lifetime of good skin, it came as quite a shock! It's gone now, and I've posted why I think it's gone many times on mumsnet but my disclaimer is, it may have cleared up naturally, and been a coincidence, but you could try what I did, as it's inexpensive so not much to lose.
I was on holiday and it was AWFUL, the heat had aggravated it and I was desperate, I wasn't actively treating it at that time. I popped into a little shop selling lotions and potions to see if I could get something to sooth it. The man in the shop said he couldn't sell me anything to help, but adviced me to wash my face with warm water and lemon juice, and then apply black seed oil (easily available on the internet). I did this for a few weeks and my rosacea was completely gone.
It's now about 6 years and it never came back, I now just wash my face with water and use black seed oil as a moisturiser (the best moisturser I've ever used!).
I hope this helps you too - as an aside, I really beleive that applying harsh chemicals to you face can only provide temporary relief, at best.

The metronadyzal cream us better then the gel according to my specialist

Hi OP. I've had rosacea since my 20s and what finally got rid of it in my 40s is a cream called Soolantra. This is gross but what it does is kill off the mite that lives on everyone's skin, called the demodex mite. Do not google if you are squeamish! People with rosacea have been found to have significantly more of these mites on their face. It has completely cleared the papules and pustules and my skin is only a bit red now.
My GP hadn't even heard of this treatment so it is worth doing a bit of research.
The first two pics are my face at its worst and the last one is how it looks now.

I was given Rosex about a year ago OP and it's worked beautifully. I was told to gradually cut down when I thought it was under control. My skin is now great but I'm afraid to go down to less than once every other day in case it comes back, has anyone else used this? and did you manage to stop. Not sure if this is another name for the one you've been given.

I got rosacea when I was late 20s. Rosex got it under control as pp said. I still only use Avene products (from boots- these are the only products that don’t seem to cause my skin to flare up) and I use almond oil on my skin to keep it hydrated. I drink lots of water and am aware of my triggers; red wine, air conditioning and heating in the car (annoyingly!!) and try to avoid these. Touchwood my skin is pretty good these days. You will get there- you just need to work out what’s best for you. Mine was really bad but I got it under wraps. Good luck. Get to the gp for your first stop.

Sorry to the PP that used rosex. Yes I used it and stopped years ago. I go back to it for a couple of days each year if I’ve been sat in front of the fire or in a warm house and my skins irritated again. I always have a tube in the house as a comfort blanket- just in case.

Thank you zippyswife that's good to know, would be terribly disappointed if it came back.

Lymicycline is a good anti biotic for your condition. .less harsh than doxicyclin.
I find no messing with lotions & potions better.. warm flannel with basic soap to wash and savolon to moisturise the redness

A warm flannel or anything warm on my face eg hot cloth cleansing and even water makes my rosacea flare up. It’s trying to work out what your triggers your rosacea then avoiding it. For me Avene extremely gentle cleanser was a massive turning point as water irritates my skin and this cleanser is wipe off without water. As I say- we’re all different so I’d say get to the gp and then watch and see what is irritating it. Good luck.

As said above, soolantra is fantastic stuff. It’s made specifically for Rosacea (it’s never really been researched). I did have to have isotretinoin as well because mine was really bad. But the soolantra has kept it at bay completely, some slight redness that I cover with makeup. Therefore ask the Gp for it, it’s not cheap but in the long term it’s better.

I’m about a week behind you starlight. I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and was given rosex/ metronidazole cream. It’s helping but it’s not fixed it yet.
I’ve also switched to avene products - all the anti rougers range I think. Which is also better than what I was using.

I’m going back to GP in April to see what she says.

The cold wind today has really hurt my cheeks and I can feel the pustules/ red patches almost throbbing.

I'm another convert to soolantra. It worked as well for me as oral ABs (which I took for a couple of years). No other topical treatment did much good.

Agree that it's good to know your triggers.

Before and after pics. God, I'd forgotten how bad it was at its worst ouch ouch ouch.

It’s really positive to see the before and after pics to show that your skin be great again once you’ve got it under control.

Thanks everyone especially for the photos as it is so encouraging to know that people have got this under control. Going to Google all the products that have been mentioned thanks.

You need a prescription for SOOLANTRA! Rosacea is most likely caused by an overgrowth of eyelash mites (ew). A 12 week course of soolantra cream has pretty much fixed mine - after nearly ten years of increasing redness and pustules (And no success with topical and/or oral antibiotics). (Now getting broken capillaries zapped away with laser)

Ah yes. My GP wouldn't prescribe, so I get it from pharmacy2u.

How are the laser treatments going, justilou1? I keep meaning to look into that.

I mainly suffer with flushing. And sensitive cheeks. Things that helped my cheeks were diprobase cream, black seed oil (thanks to a PP who mentioned that one) but don’t let the oil go near your eyes as they’ll sting! I also got Soolantra on pharmacy 2 u and for azelaic acid. The azelaic acid works to reduce my redness but I don’t have the spots, just an annoying red nose and some redness on my cheeks. Also, I think at prescription strength, you can’t use azelaic acid long term. One area I struggle with is sunscreen as mineral ones telly make my cheeks feel tight.

Stress alcohol and getting too hot are definitely triggers for me.
I can only wash with warm water now and it works for me.
Doxycycline worked too
Have never heard of the Mite cream but remember reading about the notes and being so sure that was my problem but my dermatologist had never heard of them?!
Why are they not well known?!

I've had rosacea since I was 11 and for most of that time it's looked awful. Over the last 8 years or so it's got a bit better on its own but it's still quite red and easily irritated. The best thing that's worked for me is being prescribed Oxytetracycline. I've taken it twice now for 6 months at a time and it's great. It doesn't make my skin perfect but it gets rid of the spots and bumps and leaves my skin only slightly pinkish rather than the very obvious redness I usually have.

@strongandlong poor you, your skin looks so sore in that pic Its so strange to think that its caused by mites. My skin would literally feel as if it were crawling at times, I guess that's because it was
As to why Soolantra is not well known, I do believe that skin conditions are often just not well researched or known about. I have been dismissed by GPs over many years and only got help when I researched myself and stumbled on Soolantra. It has been a god send.

Soolantra has also helped what I thought was an episode of perioral dermatitis recently. The small but persistent red spots went away. I found pharmacy 2 u easy to use. You can upload photos and select the option that you want to try Soolantra for rosacea. Really hope it makes a difference to the OP and PPs.

I use a thin layer of Sudocrem at night and it seems to work. Cheap and gets rid of the redness and pustules.

I also suffer from rosacea, and it's the most frustrating condition!

I have really cleared my skin by using the 2% retinoid and niacinamide from the ordinary. Also, azaleic acid as a last step, is brilliant for overnight calming of pustules and whiteheads.

I also use a hyaluronic acid serum, and oils, such as grapeseed, jojoba or squalene - as moisturisers seem to cause breakouts.

I also love rosex gel, and have done for years, but after paying over forty pounds to try soolantra, was so disappointed with the results. None at all.

My redness has practically gone now, but I'm left with hyperpigmentation from the papules and cystic acne.
This is always worse before my period, which leads me to wonder if it is rosacea or hormonal acne (jawline).

It's a fine line between red and irritated, or clogged and spotty.

I'm fascinated by the PP success with black seed oil.
I use this on my hair at night, and can feel the benefits, but have not tried it on my face.

How often do you use it? How much?
What else do you use it with?