The skin we're in
Feb. 15th, 2017 10:47 amThe last time I visited with my parents, my mom commented that I looked constantly ruddy-cheeked, and hypothesized that I might be suffering from the same sorts of allergies she has experienced. A brief personal observation period and consult with the internet suggested to me that it would be useful to have a more formal diagnosis from a medical doctor, so I hied off to the doc's office on Monday. He took one look at me and said, "acne rosacea."
My skin has plagued me since adolescence. I wasn't any good at sticking with a tetracycline regimen, so I just washed my face and moisturized up until sometime around age 20. At that point, I wound up with a doctor who was a skincare specialist, who put me on benzaclin (benzoyl peroxide plus the antibiotic clindamycin). She also instructed me to wash my face once a day with a glycerin-based soap and to avoid using or putting other things on my skin. That regimen worked well, but once again I wasn't inclined to stick with it, especially because benzoyl peroxide starts to bleach shirt collars, towels, and pillowcases after a while.
Rosacea looks like it's going to complicate matters. I see that potential triggers include exercise, sun exposure, stress, temperature extremes, allergies, and a tendency to blush easily. Also, a lot of skincare products can worsen rosacea, including cortisone.
I think my first course of action will be trying a gentle moisturizer, probably one with a light sunscreen. To that end - any suggestions?
My skin has plagued me since adolescence. I wasn't any good at sticking with a tetracycline regimen, so I just washed my face and moisturized up until sometime around age 20. At that point, I wound up with a doctor who was a skincare specialist, who put me on benzaclin (benzoyl peroxide plus the antibiotic clindamycin). She also instructed me to wash my face once a day with a glycerin-based soap and to avoid using or putting other things on my skin. That regimen worked well, but once again I wasn't inclined to stick with it, especially because benzoyl peroxide starts to bleach shirt collars, towels, and pillowcases after a while.
Rosacea looks like it's going to complicate matters. I see that potential triggers include exercise, sun exposure, stress, temperature extremes, allergies, and a tendency to blush easily. Also, a lot of skincare products can worsen rosacea, including cortisone.
I think my first course of action will be trying a gentle moisturizer, probably one with a light sunscreen. To that end - any suggestions?