5 replies to this topic

[Avenged7x]

Hey everyone,

Well, let me, sort of, introduce myself first. I'm a 20 year old male form The Netherlands, and never really suffered form acne or any other skin issues. On my face, that is. I did have eczema when I was younger. My facial skin actually looked quite good until I got seborrheic dermatitis around 2 years ago. It quickly faded with ketoconazole, and it has never returned in full strength either. I've been mostly free from it ever since.

But I do have some long-lasting effects, which still persist, even after 2 years. When I got seb derm, I got obsessed with my skin. I overcleansed, rubbed, exfoliated, and put thick layers of (gentle) cream on it. Later on, I didn't even wash it at all, and all the cream formed a layer on my face.

Ever since, the skin on my cheeks and nose is kind of red. My cheekbones, however, are the worst. There, my skin is dry but still oily, red, and covered in thick-ish flakes/crusts which stick to my skin.
I also have some really tiny, rice-like flakes sticking out of my skin. Sometimes, I get some crawly sensations on it too.

When I remove the crusting, there's mildly sore, red and shiny skin underneath. It never seems to heal properly. Unfortunately, I can't provide any pictures.

I don't have a thorough skin care 'plan', because I don't think my skin can handle all these products. When I did use cleansers and creams, my skin was even worse.
My epic regime:
1. I take a shower once daily, in the evening. I wash my face with plain water.
2. I gently dry my skin without rubbing, and put on a thin layer of vaseline.

I guess the vaseline would help if it was plain dry skin, but all it does now is soften the flakes and combine with them. It becomes a nasty, thick plaque of yuck.

My doctor isn't of any help, and when I went to a derm for a mole she said my skin was just dry. She didn't really look at it closely, though.
I'm not convinced it is just simple dry skin, because I've had it for over 2 years and I have been really gentle with my skin for a long, long time.
I also don't think it's seb derm, because the flakes aren't loose and it's not really red or sore enough. I know how seb derm looks and feels. On top of that, the worst skin is on my cheekbones, where I never had seb derm.

I hope I've been clear enough for you to sort of get an idea of how it looks.

What do you think it could be? Just dry skin? Seb derm? Maybe even rosacea? Do you have any tips for me?

I'd really appreciate your help!

[mammasay]

I'm not an expert by any means, but to me this sounds like some kind of infection (bacterial or fungal). Have you tried using the ketoconazole on it again? My boyfriend has a recurring rash that sounds similar to yours on his shoulder that he was prescribed ketoconazole for, and it works (when he remembers to use it). You could go to the doctor and ask them to swab it to test for a bacterial infection, like staph. I would also \avoid Vaseline, personally. If you really want to use some kind of healing cream maybe try something like Neosporin? (Not sure if it would be called the same thing in the Netherlands...)

Edited by mammasay, 08 October 2012 - 11:31 AM.

[Avenged7x]

Thanks for the reply! In fact, I have tried using the ketoconazole again, but it didn't work...
I've looked up on skin infections (I've searched for MANY skin conditions that can affect the face, actually) but none that I found really fit my signs and symptoms.
Shouldn't staph infections, for example, include pus? But I do agree on getting a swab test, I'm really getting sick of this >_>

Thanks again!

[mammasay]

Thanks for the reply! In fact, I have tried using the ketoconazole again, but it didn't work...
I've looked up on skin infections (I've searched for MANY skin conditions that can affect the face, actually) but none that I found really fit my signs and symptoms.
Shouldn't staph infections, for example, include pus? But I do agree on getting a swab test, I'm really getting sick of this >_>

Thanks again!

I've had staph on my face (and might again right now) and mine did include pus, but I've seen several photos of staph infections that looked more like a rash. Worth a shot! Have you looked into demodex mites? The itchiness could be a symptom of mites, and they create skin symptoms that are like rosacea.

[Avenged7x]

Yes, I have looked into demodex mites, but most of the time I read that demodex mites are actually responsible for the pimples in rosacea, which I don't have. Another strange thing is that, most of the time, my itchiness/tingling subsides when I'm in bed at night. Shouldn't that be the time when the mites are moving around alot, wreaking havoc?
But I always thought of them as a possible cause of my problems. I remember tea tree oil is possibly effective against them, but isn't that stuff really harsh on your skin?

[wicky]

very. you have to dilute it