How it started…very insidiously

About two years ago I began to get this peeling on my ear lobes.
There was redness and irritation. Then the fold between my earlobes
and face became cracked and sore. It then progressed to my face
(along the hairline, jaw line, under my nostrils and sometimes my
eyebrows and nose bridge). I would get these patches of dry skin
that would flak off and leave raw areas underneath. When I first
consulted my primary care physician during the "earlobe" stage two
years ago, she said I had seborrheic dermatitis. Now she thinks it
is exzema and can’t even remember first saying it was seborrheic
dermatitis.

Anyway…my skin is going downhill this week. I have been off the
Diane 35 (anti acne/anti seborrhea) birth control pill for 2 1/2
weeks. My skin is getting very oily and breaking out in small
pimples everywhere and the sebderm is flaring (in the same old

places).

I have also discontinued using Retin-A micro due to the fact my pcp
thought I had rosacea. While I said it was the Retin-A. I am less
red than before, but got pimples instead.

I am letting my face go in order to let my pcp (Thursday appt) and
new dermatologist (Friday appt) see my face unaffected or controled
(au naturale) by meds or creams. But this is torture!!!!!!!!

Arghhh!

13 Responses to “How it started…very insidiously”

  1. Dona Barrera Says:

    Thank you Mads.

    It is my intention to ask for accutane. However, I am certain that
    being a new patient, the dermatologist will want to run me through a
    few hoops before even considering accutane. Even then, I think the
    derm will not consider it because the criteria for being put on
    accutane is that you have to be literally disfigured with acne and my
    skin is not horrific (yet).

    I have been on accutane before, precribed by a derm in Boston long
    time ago, and it got my skin to a managable state.

    We’ll see what happens.

    Tina

    — In sebderm@y…, "mads holvik" <madsholvik@h…> wrote:
    >

  2. Freddy Schwartz Says:

    Hi Tina,
    I dont think your acne has to be disfifguring at all. Many derm
    prescribe it for persistent acne nonresponsive to other treatments,
    but they also take into consideration how the acne affects the person
    as a whole, and also the age.
    My derm said in Mai that accutane would be ok, but he was going on
    vacation and also in the summer accutane is not so wise, perhaps.
    Therefor, Ill go back next week and see him, and ask him to give me
    accutane. Ill also discuss the seb derm-accutane question.
    In any event, accutane will hopefully remove all my acne, which by
    the way isnt so much, but it will hopefully do something with sebum
    and my seb derm.

    As always, Id like responses from those who have used accutane, and
    tell how it affected seb derm and what the long term results were.

    Best wishes,
    Mads

  3. Adolph Trudie Says:

    I was on accutane, when i was 18-19 yrs old for problems due to acne. this
    was way before i was diagnosed with sebderm. I started getting flaky and
    red when i was 24. While on accutane, before having sebderm, the pills
    really dry out your whole body. My true experiences were waking up in the
    mornings with my face all dry and crusted over, nose bleeds. Now at 26, i
    think back but question was it the accutane that started the sebderm in my
    body. Did i dry out my body so much that my body started producing more
    sebum to compensate. Accutane made me dry, extremely dry

    tony

  4. Armand Riley Says:

    Tony,

    Did your acne come back as well? I have no acne, just fairly oily skin
    and sebderm. It would really be something to go on accutane and make it
    worse! Did you use a lot of moisturizer when on the accutane. My brother
    actually had moderate acne, very oily skin, and was starting to show signs
    of the sebderm redness. After a course of accutane (about 6 yrs ago) his
    face is flawless.

    -Jill

    On Fri, 9 Aug 2002, Tony Carezo wrote:

  5. Adolph Trudie Says:

    no jill my acne did not come back…But again when i was on accutane i was
    on it for the reason of acne alone, not sebderm. I was on accutane when i
    was 18 yrs old. many years later, when i was 24 did i start showing signs
    of redness and flaking.. If yur brothers skin was flawless, then give it a
    try..P.s what about sebderm in the scalp, does anyone know any good products
    to use

    tony

  6. Adolph Trudie Says:

    Hey Mads,
    how significant of a change does cutting out sugars and carbs make?

    tony

  7. Elvira Meghann Says:

    I haven’t really had problems with seb derm on the scalp, allthough I
    had severe "regular" dandruff a while back, but after using a
    combination of whole range of different shampoos, like regular H&S,
    H&S Intensive Treatment (probably the very best) and Polytar, I can
    now say that I’m 100% free from dandruff on the scalp, and have been
    so for a couple of years.

    >P.s what about sebderm in the scalp, does anyone know any good
    products
    > to use

  8. Adolph Trudie Says:

    you mean to tell me that you used these shampoos for a while and now you
    dont have to use them anymore. Which one would u recommend the most.

    tony

  9. Elvira Meghann Says:

    No, I still use them, of course, to keep it all under control. I
    especially like H&S Intensive Treatment, but Ketaconazole also does a
    good job.

  10. Jami Anika Says:

    — In sebderm@y…, "mads holvik" <madsholvik@h…> wrote:
    > Mads,

    We are having real trouble with our e-mail so if you’d like a sample
    of the new sensitive skin formulation let me know.

    Brian

  11. Blair Blair Says:

    Hi Brian,
    I am wondering if you received my message last Friday stating that I would
    be happy to try the new formula–please let me know and thanks for all of
    your help.
    RJ

  12. Freddy Schwartz Says:

    Hi,
    Just thought I`d check if the Cutanix e-mail works, after Brain (I
    did mean Brian (; ) mentioned some problems.

    I wasnt sure if I got through.

    Anyways, have a nice day

    Mads

  13. Jami Anika Says:

    Hi guys,

    We have gotten a wonderful response from many of you requesting more
    information and samples. I am busily trying to answer all of your
    requests, but our e-mail here is doing unbelievably weird things. I
    can receive your messages, but cannot send replies back to you. I
    have heard that with the Worldcomm bankruptcy the internet is
    experiencing some problems. Our current routing happens to be
    through a worldcomm service so I am sure this is the problem. Maybe
    you have had similar troubles?

    At any rate, I have gotten all of your requests and will be sending
    out your samples ASAP. We are making a new batch of the sensitive
    skin formula and it should be ready to ship by the end of the week.
    Thanks again for all of your help and support and please have

    patience with this e-mail trouble we’re having.

    Best Regards,

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