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Facial Redness Help

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(@bravoboy)

Posted : 07/25/2013 4:17 pm

Hi everyone...first time here. I want to know if anyone happens to know why my face is so red. Both pictures are in natural lighting (outside with a bit of sun). Looks quite a bit like a sunburn, but it's lasted for the past... as long as I can remember? Yes I wear sunscreen outside. Some symptoms seem incredibly similar to rosacea, my mother will not take me to a dermatologist so I'm relying completely on you guys. It's all over my face, become harder to see at around 5 ft distance. I wash my face 3 times a day, I have to or else I'll break out like crazy. 2 times with a Cetaphil gentle cleanser and 1 time with Aveeno skin brightening scrub or whatever the official name is. I'm 15, had acne for 4 years, I can deal with some of it myself, but this redness I currently have no solution for. Could someone please tell me what I have, or what I can do to fix it? My normal skin colour is a slightly darker off white, no redness. I moisturize after every time I wash my face. Thankyou very much everyone. **Posted this in another section too, because it belongs in here too and I'd like help as soon as possible..**

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(@doddy46)

Posted : 07/25/2013 5:38 pm

Go see a dermatologist they can properly diagnose whatever that is. My guess would be very mild rosecea. Is there any dryness? Peeling or flaking? That could indicate seb derm. Either way , unless someone runs into your post with the exact same thing I dint think anyone can diagnose you. Do you have any digestive disturbances? Could also be ( very possible but also very very unlikely) a yeast or fungal infection.

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(@bravoboy)

Posted : 07/25/2013 6:46 pm

@Doddy46

Thankyou very much for your reply. I will try to see one :(. Normally there is quite a bit of dryness yes, but the moisturizer complete covers any of it, so it must be quite mild? No digestive problems. Thankyou!!:)

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(@doddy46)

Posted : 07/27/2013 7:58 am

no problem. smile.png I'd also advise, untill you get a Dermatologist's opinion to avoid any sun exposure (get 20-30 minutes UNprotected sun everyday, spaced out in intervals of 5 minutes, then 2-3 hours no sun, than 5 minutes again) make sure you do NOT get a sunburn. If you have to be in the sun for any length of time, get a "zinc oxide" sunscreen, apply LIGHTLY, and take a very good antioxidant supplement (Antioxidant Exteme by healthforce is great, and a good Astaxanthin supplement) these will prevent sun damage from the inside, without having to apply a MOUND of shit on your face. Also wash once or less a day, with a VERY mild cleanser, I use Spectro Jel, because its comparable to cethaphil with less ingredients (no SLS for example), but as far as im aware, its only available in Canada. So do some good hard research, and find a good gentle cleanser or face wash that you feel confidant wont cause dryness.(the one you are using should be fine, good choice on that).*!!THROW AWAY THE FACE SCRUB!! If you dont have a water softener, get one, or buy distilled water, boil some, pour into big "GLASS" bowl, and add room temp distilled water till warm. Use this to wash face. (the idea is to keep chlorine/flouride/harsh minerals) off your face. This wont get rid of your problem. but it will help your skin maintain it's integrity, which is good either way. Dont use moisturizer unless neccessary or untill adivsed by a derm. (the less you put on your face, the better... at least till you know what it is)

Hope this helps.

P.S. if by any chance you derm recommends any laser or peel treatment, id consider it wise to simply pick up your shit and walk out. find another derm for another opinion(skin isnt meant to be lasered or peeled or scrub harshly). Only do laser/peel if you get 2 or even better 3 derms to say the same thing. (some derms just got there machines and need to make there money back, so will recommend for everything, which is dangerous imo)

Drink alot of clean water (tap water is terrible) if you can offord it, get a water cooler and find a water distributor that does multi staged filtering. Or get a 5-7 stage reverse osmosis water filter installed.

Avoid caffiene and dairy (these may not actually do anything to your condition, but they dont help either, so no harm in eliminating them)

How old are you? Do you live in Canada or the States?

If you live in Canada, and have a family doctor and are over 14, you can make your own appoinment and ask for a recommendation to a derm, no parents involved as this is all covered by government. If you live in the states, you need to get on your mom's ass for a derm. This is YOUR face, and you WILL NOT be satisfied untill you get a profesionals opinion.

If it turns out to be rosecea, antibiotics should be a LAST resort, alot of research coming out lately about the negative long term effects of antibiotics. If thats the last option start at as LOW of a dose as humanly possible for a couple months, and S-L-O-W-L-Y increase untill effective.

The last thing you want is to make it worse thru aggressive treatment, or to trade that for another health problem, damage control first.

Be Well.

I just re-read your post, lol. your 15, acne is natural, AND it IS NOT bad at all, please believe this. I had mild acne as a teen and though it was SOO bad, but alot of girls still attracted to me. your acne is VERY mild and if I were you wouldnt worry about it at all. YOU ARE OVER WASHING YOUR FACE!! for real! that NEEDS to stop, right now. of course when you stop you break out, this is GOING to happen, but you are damaging your skin intergrity by over washing. It may seem like it works, but you CANNOT wash away acne lol, your making matters worse in the long run. Once a day before bed, unless you get REALLY dirty or REALLY sweaty. Glide cleanser across your skin gently, dont rub it in, and for no more than 10 seconds. rinse off with warm water (No extremes, hot or cold, if its rosacea hot and or cold will aggrivate it, just warm)

Everyone in my family has had acne. Im the only one who tried to wash it away, or use stuff to get rid of it. Guess whose acne didnt clear up on its own for 12 years? yea, 3 years after i stopped trying to get rid of it. Everyone else did nothing for it, didnt even care about it, and it went away by the time they were 19-20.

Overall, you have some redness, and a few MILD acne spots, which at your age is perfectly expected, your not being judged on that small/normal amount of acne, stop over reacting BUT your skin overall, LOOKS healthy. keep washing 3 times a day and that will change. You have healthy looking skin. Derm for redness, NOTHING for acne. Dont start trying to treat your zits unless your 21-22 and still getting them. I know this is hard, but in your specific condition (very very mild and looks like it heals well anyway) i strongly feel youd be best off letting it deal with it self. (does your mom / dad still have acne? uncles cousins? how bad is it? did they treat it in anyway?) Im guessing most if not all of them (judging by looking only at YOUR skin) that they dont really have an acne problem, and probably didnt do any treatments to get rid of it when they did) if this is true your in the same boat, dont mess with it.

Sorry for making this so long, I really just want to help you prevent damaging your skin long term.

STOP WASHING 3 TIMES A DAY!!! >.<!!!!! (exceptions, very dirty, very sweaty FROM excersiing) and if its sweat from excersize, just splash warm water on face, no cleanser. Pat dry) Use cleanser an hour before bed. get 4 silk pillow sheets, use one side one night, flip, other side one night, change pillow case, repeat. Wash pillow cases WITH towels, DOUBLE rinse (once washing machine stops, set back to rinse, make sure all the soap is out) do NOT add a fabric softener to the drier for these items.

Your Parents might be (i dont know the details, nor am i interested) hard up for cash, which is why they really cant take you to a derm. If this is the case, YOU need to get a part time job so you can afford this yourself, it will also put your mind somewhere else, which is benefitial, give yourself a sense of independance / confidance. Also, girls love guys with jobs tongue.png (sexist sure, but very true)

And one last time, YOUR SKIN LOOKS HEALTHY AND YOUR ACNE IS VERY MILD / INSIGNIFIGANT. As in that little bit you have WILL NOT IN ANY WAY affect the way 90% of girls look at you. what you will be judged on is how it affects your attitude, if your sad/depressed/angry about it all the time, THIS, is what is VERY unattractive for girls, and will cock block you more than the "acne" will, Guaranteed.

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(@bravoboy)

Posted : 07/29/2013 6:43 pm

@Doddy46, I really can't thank you enough. Thank you very much for the first paragraph that was very informative! As well as thankyou for the P.S. I will keep that in mind! Yes I live in Canada so a lot of your information helped! I'm currently down to two washes a day and I've stopped with the scrub. Thanks! No, nobody in my family *currently* has acne except for a young sister. She is as clean as me for acne but her skin is a lighter/whiter colour. How would I go about making my own appointment for recommendation and stuff? Is silk the best for pillowcases? I find most of my acne comes during the night, so I need a lot of help in that, not during the day, almost ever. And no, my family is not hard for cash in the slightest, my mother just doesn't want me to go, she won't explain it either, she just says I'll apparently be waiting months for an appointment and it's not worth it. But thankyou for putting that so nicely smile.png. Thankyou very much for all of this, I'm great for girls and all, this redness thing has just been bothering me for a long time. I respect you very much for writing all that!

**EDIT** One more question, if I was to grow a thin close shaven beard, would it become considerably harder to keep my face the right oilyness with just one wash??

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(@doddy46)

Posted : 07/31/2013 9:47 am

Really won't affect it much in terms of oilyness, the skin along your jaw where your beard grows produces less oil then everywhere else on your face. So no, it wouldn't be harder at all. Be sure to use a good electric razor "Braun or remmington" are good. Make sure it doesn't require you to oil the blades.

 

Do you have the number to the doctors office?

 

Just call and tell them you'd like to schedule an appointment with your doctor. When they ask you what for, simply tell them you have some persistent facial redness // flushing and would like your doctor to have a look at it. Then you can ask your doctor for a referral to a derm after he looks at it. Assuming he doesn't diagnose you himself, which he may do, but try and insist for a referral anyway.

 

I am very relieved to hear you stopped the scrub. Your skin will thank you in 10 years also.

 

Silk is by far the best. Hypo allergenic, and it's very smooth...very smooth. No irritation to your face whatso ever.

 

Make sure to change them every 2 days. Double rinse to make sure no detergent left in them, and don't put a fabric softener in the dryer with them.

 

For this reason I like to wash my pillow cases with the towels. Get a full load, and both these items are benefitial to wash thus way.

 

If you run out of clean pillow case surface, you can use a soft towel over your pillow, then fold it up, with the side you put your face on, folded to the inside. Put in dresser till bedtime. Use same side.

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(@bravoboy)

Posted : 08/02/2013 4:42 pm

@Doddy46

Thankyou very much.

I shall do that doctor situation you described thankyou!

Silk it is, buying some tonight.

Thankyou very much, you saved me.

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