I've lurked around on this board and I while I have never really commented I have read many of your stories. I don't normally post on forums but in this case I though it was worth the time if it helps one person.
I was diagnosed with rosacea around four years ago. Runs in my family, I was thirty at the time. I am a white male, teacher living in the south of england. While I have not allowed rosacea to ruin my life it did a pretty good job. Whether that be being "told off" in a park for not wearing sun cream when I was wearing factor 50 or the kids at my school taking the piss, I always smiled (blushed horribly) and changed the subject. I have all over facial redness but two massive patches over my cheeks and by my ears which is there pretty much constantly.
It got so bad that last summer I went to my GP one last time. He had prescribed me metrogel in the past which has made skin scarlet and on this occasion told me to try mirvaso. I politely told him I'd rather take an iron to my face than use mirvaso and given the stories the result would be much the same. I asked him about IPL laser and told him how miserable I was to the point i was becoming depressed, wouldn't go out etc. He said try it but I can't refer you for it so it'll be expensive.
I found a derm who agreed to treat me. £1000 for four sessions. These made a big difference for me. They stopped me flushing as much and really helped my confidence and considering the state I was in, that is what i needed. She said possibly come back in three months. By the end of three months my face was starting to flush again and was ready to go back. Long story short, each time I have been I can go a bit longer without having to go back and my flushing has decreased. In the interim the derm has sold me about £200 worth of cream which is supposed to help but makes my face burn like the pits of hell.
Last treatment I had was the beginning of April. My girlfriend of four years and I split and I felt grim. Really bloody awful if im honest. The interesting thing i noticed was that normally within a few days my face would look good but not this time. My skin looked awful and the IPL seemingly had little affect. I always knew that normal flushes i experienced were related to diet. White bread; my face would be glowing in 3-4 hours. Dairy, little spots the next day. Anyway, as I had just become single i was eating crud. Pizza, microwave meals, enough preservatives to kill a small horse and didn't really care thinking maybe it was because I was stressed.
In an attempt to pull me out my funk my two sisters took me for dinner to cheer me up couple weeks back. Both have similar issues with their skin. I saw one of them and my reaction was "you look bloody marvellous, what've you done" she hit me and then told me about the diet she'd been on, the whole 30. No sugar, grains, dairy, google it. She looked great.
I started the next day and have been on it for two weeks and without a doubt this has had the biggest impact on my skin ever. I don't eat meat so I have strictly been on fruit, vegetables and fish. All natural, nothing processed or fake. My face always flushes around 4-5pm. I think it is possibly a natural hormone related thing but this is where I make my point of what I have found for me.
It's commonly recognised that rosacea and your diet, your gut, I directly related. I flushed right on schedule the first couple of days. The third day I didn't flush until 7pm but then it was bad. The fourth day normal time but mildly so. They have decreased in strength and frequency until the point where I didn't have one for 5 days. At this point I thought id try the last cream the derm gave me, it's supposed to help with blood vessel integrity on your face. That night beetroot face. NEVER AGAIN.
Over the last two weeks the permanent redness on my face has decreased massively and therefore this is my point. This won't work for everyone but it must work for some so if you are at the end of your wits try this diet. Cut all the processed muck out your diet completely. Give it 30 days. I've done two weeks and it has revolutionised my life. Big words i know but anything after the last four years is huge in my books. No booze. No cigarettes. Nothing. Meat (if you want), fish, fruit, vegetables, loads of water. The redness dissipating on my face has to be a reduction in inflammation. I can see clear bits of skin between the red bits, which were not visible before.
Final word. I have rosacea and that isnt going to stop. HOWEVER the food, creams, ointments I apply or consume are catalysts to make that rosacea act up. If I add something my body doesnt like I will blush and burn more so if I become embarrassed or encounter any of my natural triggers. By removing the catalyst I will still blush but it goes far quicker and doesn't stay half as long, it has been life changing for me. When my ex and I split she said one reason was because I was anti-social. It still amazes me that seem people, even the ones you love, can be absolute jerks in understanding this condition. The crippling damage to your self esteem is debilitating and I really really hope this helps at least one person out there. Please just try it.
I was diagnosed with rosacea around four years ago. Runs in my family, I was thirty at the time. I am a white male, teacher living in the south of england. While I have not allowed rosacea to ruin my life it did a pretty good job. Whether that be being "told off" in a park for not wearing sun cream when I was wearing factor 50 or the kids at my school taking the piss, I always smiled (blushed horribly) and changed the subject. I have all over facial redness but two massive patches over my cheeks and by my ears which is there pretty much constantly.
It got so bad that last summer I went to my GP one last time. He had prescribed me metrogel in the past which has made skin scarlet and on this occasion told me to try mirvaso. I politely told him I'd rather take an iron to my face than use mirvaso and given the stories the result would be much the same. I asked him about IPL laser and told him how miserable I was to the point i was becoming depressed, wouldn't go out etc. He said try it but I can't refer you for it so it'll be expensive.
I found a derm who agreed to treat me. £1000 for four sessions. These made a big difference for me. They stopped me flushing as much and really helped my confidence and considering the state I was in, that is what i needed. She said possibly come back in three months. By the end of three months my face was starting to flush again and was ready to go back. Long story short, each time I have been I can go a bit longer without having to go back and my flushing has decreased. In the interim the derm has sold me about £200 worth of cream which is supposed to help but makes my face burn like the pits of hell.
Last treatment I had was the beginning of April. My girlfriend of four years and I split and I felt grim. Really bloody awful if im honest. The interesting thing i noticed was that normally within a few days my face would look good but not this time. My skin looked awful and the IPL seemingly had little affect. I always knew that normal flushes i experienced were related to diet. White bread; my face would be glowing in 3-4 hours. Dairy, little spots the next day. Anyway, as I had just become single i was eating crud. Pizza, microwave meals, enough preservatives to kill a small horse and didn't really care thinking maybe it was because I was stressed.
In an attempt to pull me out my funk my two sisters took me for dinner to cheer me up couple weeks back. Both have similar issues with their skin. I saw one of them and my reaction was "you look bloody marvellous, what've you done" she hit me and then told me about the diet she'd been on, the whole 30. No sugar, grains, dairy, google it. She looked great.
I started the next day and have been on it for two weeks and without a doubt this has had the biggest impact on my skin ever. I don't eat meat so I have strictly been on fruit, vegetables and fish. All natural, nothing processed or fake. My face always flushes around 4-5pm. I think it is possibly a natural hormone related thing but this is where I make my point of what I have found for me.
It's commonly recognised that rosacea and your diet, your gut, I directly related. I flushed right on schedule the first couple of days. The third day I didn't flush until 7pm but then it was bad. The fourth day normal time but mildly so. They have decreased in strength and frequency until the point where I didn't have one for 5 days. At this point I thought id try the last cream the derm gave me, it's supposed to help with blood vessel integrity on your face. That night beetroot face. NEVER AGAIN.
Over the last two weeks the permanent redness on my face has decreased massively and therefore this is my point. This won't work for everyone but it must work for some so if you are at the end of your wits try this diet. Cut all the processed muck out your diet completely. Give it 30 days. I've done two weeks and it has revolutionised my life. Big words i know but anything after the last four years is huge in my books. No booze. No cigarettes. Nothing. Meat (if you want), fish, fruit, vegetables, loads of water. The redness dissipating on my face has to be a reduction in inflammation. I can see clear bits of skin between the red bits, which were not visible before.
Final word. I have rosacea and that isnt going to stop. HOWEVER the food, creams, ointments I apply or consume are catalysts to make that rosacea act up. If I add something my body doesnt like I will blush and burn more so if I become embarrassed or encounter any of my natural triggers. By removing the catalyst I will still blush but it goes far quicker and doesn't stay half as long, it has been life changing for me. When my ex and I split she said one reason was because I was anti-social. It still amazes me that seem people, even the ones you love, can be absolute jerks in understanding this condition. The crippling damage to your self esteem is debilitating and I really really hope this helps at least one person out there. Please just try it.
