2 replies to this topic

[pog20511]

I had acne since i was a teenager, always very mild to moderate, nothing serious except for what I guess would be a few flare ups.

Now big question. I have redness in my cheek area, and middle forehead area. These areas have not had what I would think is any acne pimples in years. Does that mean its rosacea? Multiple dermintologist have never mentioned it and just said take the antibiotic and apply the retinoid.

Sad truth, until recently I have treated it like a game, I would use the stuff for like 2 weeks and quit. I know, I know.

Thing is though they say if you have rosacea not to use retinoids, but I've been using retina a micro here for a week or so. The improvement is at least 50 percent.

I used it about 3 months ago as well, i applied way to much, really learned my lesson there, but when the redness went away induced by the retina a micro, it looked *beautiful*, the redness then came back just a little I guess, nowhere like what it was before.

so is this really just persistent inflamatory acne that is living below the skin there? Or is it a mild case of rosacea? Can acne cause redness even after pimples are gone and linger like this? The retinoids truly do make a huge difference, not sure about the antibiotic. I don't have anything on my nose, just lightly on the cheeks and forehead. The forehead is really not that bad though at all. I have really dry skin as well, so I wonder how much of the redness is / could be do to that.

Again I have been a horrible person, not even washing my face properly or doing *anything* really to take care of it.

I'm just curious if its true rosacea or if it something that if i keep up with it, something that is curable here. Can acne vulgaris do this? I have extremely fair skin, so even the slightest redness is really apparent. I don't think I will have really any more acne problems in general. Haven't really had any flareups in a while.

I have lost a ton of weight, I was 170 then got up to 220, now at 185 almost back down. The weight gain always had me flaring up with new outbreaks and that was probably all diet induced. Looking at pictures of myself from pre acne stages aka 15, the skin in that area was not affected at all. Which had me thinking that this acne vulgaris in a way just never went away and has been lingering in its inflamatory form, if thats even possible that is. The rosacea is more of light pinkness than anything, its not a deep red like some pictures I have saw.

But a camera flash .....EEK, that can make it worse, which is why i it looked beautiful about 2 months ago when with a camera you couldn't see it at all. It slightly came back a little, but I'm not sure if thats the acne bacteria doing that or the veins (rosacea)

What do you guys think here? I will keep on this treatment for a month or so then go back to the dermintologist. I did take clindamycin when I was younger, not taking it now, but i wanted it but he said they don't make the clindamycin dabber anymore. I think people even use this for rosacea as well don't they?

Anyways, I'm not in any bad place really just want to get this cleared up and the skin in those parts looking fantastic and I think its achievable with some pretty good success if I get the correct cause down.

Thank you

[PowderedPeach]

Not all facial redness is rosacea. That is a myth. Rosacea is a term that's thrown around a lot to refer to erythema (redness), but redness can be caused by any number of things. High blood pressure and lupus can mimic rosacea, which is why it must be diagnosed by a doctor. Many skin care professionals throw around this term as a category for skin typing, but that's a completely separate issue.

"Acne rosacea" is a term that's going out of fashion these days as we learn more and more about the skin. While both acne and rosacea are inflammatory skin disorders and often look the same and respond to similar treatment, they are definitely separate skin disorders. "Adult acne" is a term still used interchangably with rosacea by some, but they are rarely overlapping the way we once thought--especially in women. Men tend to have oily skin though, so it's not uncommon to see relapses later on either.

Rosacea is a progressive skin disorder, and there are four subtypes. One is redness that flares up in response to any number of triggers like alcohol or weather, and telangiectasias (spider veins, broken capillaries) are present. Note that not all telangiectasias are rosacea though, and they can be caused by overexfoliation, genetic predisposition, sun damage, etc. The second subtype involves papules and pustules. This is where people start thinking adult acne, but it physically looks different. The skin has a dehydrated, porous appearance, and there are no blackheads or whiteheads upon inspection. The third subtype involves physical disfiguring of the nose, and the fourth is ocular rosacea, which is in the eye.

It's not uncommon to have some pinkness to the skin when going on and off acne medications, and it's extremely common during retinoid use. The question is how much does it linger. Lots of people get red in the face during exercise, but rosacea sufferers continue to experience it long after a "cool down" period. You will probably need to monitor your skin when you're not exposing it to stressful conditions and when using gentle skin care to determine if this redness is anything to be concerned about. If you flushed easily as a kid, you may want to ask your doctor a bit sooner.

Lastly...about the retinoids... Not all doctors agree that retinoids are bad for rosacea, and some even prescribe it to TREAT the redness. It's highly contoversial, but your success with these topicals shouldn't impact whether or not what you're dealing with is actually rosacea. Acne and rosacea both respond to some similar treatments like topical antibiotics, azelaic acid, and sulfur. Most people with rosacea complain that OTC acne treatments don't work for them, and they learn from the doctor that they were using products containing ingredients that trigger flare ups--eucalyptus, menthol, alcohol, witch hazel. Clinical studies have also found that these are irritating for most skin types over a longterm period, and they are mentioned in the prescription info as something to avoid while on retinoids. You could potentially get a "rosacea-ish" response from using harsh skin care alongside this med. Furthermore, many people don't recognize sunburns they get during the initial days of retinoid use, which will definitely make you a little red. Give your pharmacist a call if you can't get in to see the doctor. They can tell you if you're using it correctly, which may answer some of your questions.

[Wishful_Thinking3131]

PowderedPeach, on 23 November 2011 - 02:30 PM, said:

Not all facial redness is rosacea. That is a myth. Rosacea is a term that's thrown around a lot to refer to erythema (redness), but redness can be caused by any number of things. High blood pressure and lupus can mimic rosacea, which is why it must be diagnosed by a doctor. Many skin care professionals throw around this term as a category for skin typing, but that's a completely separate issue.

"Acne rosacea" is a term that's going out of fashion these days as we learn more and more about the skin. While both acne and rosacea are inflammatory skin disorders and often look the same and respond to similar treatment, they are definitely separate skin disorders. "Adult acne" is a term still used interchangably with rosacea by some, but they are rarely overlapping the way we once thought--especially in women. Men tend to have oily skin though, so it's not uncommon to see relapses later on either.

Rosacea is a progressive skin disorder, and there are four subtypes. One is redness that flares up in response to any number of triggers like alcohol or weather, and telangiectasias (spider veins, broken capillaries) are present. Note that not all telangiectasias are rosacea though, and they can be caused by overexfoliation, genetic predisposition, sun damage, etc. The second subtype involves papules and pustules. This is where people start thinking adult acne, but it physically looks different. The skin has a dehydrated, porous appearance, and there are no blackheads or whiteheads upon inspection. The third subtype involves physical disfiguring of the nose, and the fourth is ocular rosacea, which is in the eye.

It's not uncommon to have some pinkness to the skin when going on and off acne medications, and it's extremely common during retinoid use. The question is how much does it linger. Lots of people get red in the face during exercise, but rosacea sufferers continue to experience it long after a "cool down" period. You will probably need to monitor your skin when you're not exposing it to stressful conditions and when using gentle skin care to determine if this redness is anything to be concerned about. If you flushed easily as a kid, you may want to ask your doctor a bit sooner.

Lastly...about the retinoids... Not all doctors agree that retinoids are bad for rosacea, and some even prescribe it to TREAT the redness. It's highly contoversial, but your success with these topicals shouldn't impact whether or not what you're dealing with is actually rosacea. Acne and rosacea both respond to some similar treatments like topical antibiotics, azelaic acid, and sulfur. Most people with rosacea complain that OTC acne treatments don't work for them, and they learn from the doctor that they were using products containing ingredients that trigger flare ups--eucalyptus, menthol, alcohol, witch hazel. Clinical studies have also found that these are irritating for most skin types over a longterm period, and they are mentioned in the prescription info as something to avoid while on retinoids. You could potentially get a "rosacea-ish" response from using harsh skin care alongside this med. Furthermore, many people don't recognize sunburns they get during the initial days of retinoid use, which will definitely make you a little red. Give your pharmacist a call if you can't get in to see the doctor. They can tell you if you're using it correctly, which may answer some of your questions.

Wow this is defintely helpful. I have a very red complexion after using retin-a then differin. I stopped using differin, really only get small breakouts here and there. I use essential oils, bio oil, elta md (really good sunscreen), and moisturizers to try and get my complexion back. Hard to say if I'm getting any progress, some days I look pink, others beat red. I definetly think retnoids are to blame, never had a problem with a red complexion before them. I'm 20 btw, started using retinoids a few months before I was 19, so roughly was on them about a year.
Just read a thread on oatmeal masks, I'm give it a shot.

My hope is that by using essential oils and bio oil I'll be able to repair my complexion.