Seb Derm or Rosacea?
Hi - I’m new to the group and have a question. How do you know if
you have seb derm or if it’s rosacea? I have seen my doctor and was
diagnosed with rosacea. I can’t use metrogel due to my hands and
feet going numb while using it, Finacea was like putting pure acid on
my face - before I try more costly rosacea treatments, I want to make
sure what I have isn’t seb derm, because the treatments can be very
different and what can be good for seb derm, can really be torture
for rosacea. To further complicate matters, I understand a person
can have both at the same time.
My face has lasting redness on the sides of my face where one would
lay on a pillow. I don’t have episodes where I flush more due to hot
liquids, heat, sun, cold, etc. - the redness is constant. My skin is
oily and I have enlarged pores. The redness is not in a classic
butterfly pattern, but I do have it on my cheeks, and the sides of my
face. My cheeks have a few visible vessels - very small, and very
few, but I can see one or two. My face gets redder if I over-
moisturize, but it’s very flaky if I don’t and even if I do
moisturize, there are still flakes. Certain skin care products do
tend to flare up my skin and make it red and rashy and very
uncomfortable. I have ultra-sensitive skin. But it doesn’t flare up
to traditional rosacea triggers. I don’t have papules or rosacea
acne. Just the redness. It’s bumpy, but not like pimply bumpy.
Based on this description, does anyone know what this sounds like?
Could go either way - I just don’t know!
Thanks-
Beth
April 4th, 2005 at 9:01 am
From: "bethshadder"
A few of your comments apply to me. I have been told rosacea , nothing wrong
with your skin, sensitive, sebderm, oily, very very dry. and any combo.
"My face gets redder if I over- moisturize"
Mine gets terribly uncomfortable and instead of looking plump and moist, it
almost looks taunt and drawn.
"but it’s very flaky if I don’t and even if I do moisturize, there are
still flakes"
My skin always seems to be flaky. even if I use a very very mild cleanser
( all of which have been highly recommended by some of the members here and
Dr. Nase) Immediately after I am feeling tight and dry even though seconds
before washing, my skin was an oily slick. In the AM when I get up,
regardless of what I used the night before in terms of cleansers and
moisturizers or even if I have used no moisturizer, my skin is very very
oily. As the day goes on, my skin will get oilier yet I can still see the
blasted flakes.
I do hope that someone can advice us. I have posted about this ever since I
became a member here which was years ago. I have mentioned it to derms as
well, but no answers.
I don’t have pimples either. I don’t get flares in terms of a hot burning
face followed by an outbreak of bumps and such.
What products have you used. Would love to comapre notes and maybe even some
of the members can help us to figure this out.
Thanks for posting. Sorry that I do not have the solution.
Linda
April 4th, 2005 at 1:17 pm
with that much oil production it is clearly seb derm–don’t use any
cleansers and don’t use cream or lotion moisturizers
If you wnat to get rid of the flakes, buy a bottle of pure glycerin–you
will find it in the first aid asile of any drugstore. Cost about $4. You
will need to manually deflake your skin first–I usually use a soft
tootbrush followed by tweezers to scrape of any flakes that are "stuck" to
the skin.
Once you ahve all the flakes or dry patches off, splash a lot of water on
your face and then immediatley slather on a generous amount of the
glycerin–you will feel a warming sensation for about 5-10 minutes ubt your
skin should get any redder.
I do this at night time about 2-3 times aweek and I no longer have any more
flakes on my forehead or sides of my nose.
If you are having a bad infallmation flare from seb derm, meaning your skin
is broken, oozing, or extremely itchy, do not use this method. Instead,
apply a healthy amount of Protopic ointment to the inflamed area, wait about
10 minutes and then apply a generous amount of Ovace Gel (not the cleanser,
it will dry you out big time).
This has been wroking incedibly for me for the past month or so and I am
only get flares about once a week and with this method it is gone overnight
April 5th, 2005 at 9:54 am
Thanks for the replies - yes, I am thinking it’s seb derm too. It
just doesn’t act like rosacea.
What actually does work for me is using bar soap - yes, bar soap - on
my face - specifically, Olay bar soap for normal skin. I know
everywhere and everyone says not to use bar soap on your face, but I
can’t use liquid cleansers, even so-called gentle ones like Purpose
or Cetaphil. If I use liquid cleansers, it irritates my skin and the
redness gets worse. My mom, my husband and my aunt all have eczema
and none of them can use liquid cleansers either, on their hands, or
anywhere on the body. It’s so strange that all the derms recommend
liquid non-soap cleansers, because they are the worst thing for me
and for several people in my family too who suffer from skin
conditions.
Linda wanted to know what I’m using in the way of skin care products -
I use Olay bar soap for normal skin, Olay Complete moisturizer for
sensitive skin because it contains SPF 15 and it’s really light and
doesn’t make me greasy. At night I alternate between Avon
Botanisourse moisturizer and Dove sensitive skin day cream - just
because that’s what I have at the moment, not because they are
anything special. If I don’t use a moisturizer at night my skin gets
so oily by morning, it’s uncomfortable. My face seems to have the
same amount of oil, whether it’s from sebum or moisturizer. So if I
use moisturizer, my face is less greasy and more comfortable,
strangely enough. But I have to be careful not to over-do it with
the moisturizer - only use a tiny amount only where it feels dry or
else I end up red and irritated. I really need to get a new night
moisturizer that’s lighter weight because I think the creams are what
are irritating my skin. I can’t wear anything heavy, but I need to
wear something or else I’m a grease-pit. I never believed the re-
bound effect theory - until now. Now I’m living it.
I only use powder foundation - liquid is a nightmare on my skin
because it sinks into pores and seperates. Powder doesn’t do this,
but it does highlight flakes, so I have to compromise - nothing is
perfect. I’d rather have a few flakes for a few hours than to have
polka-dot face. I also don’t like obvious coverage.
Anyway, this is what I use. I just hate having bad skin. I long for
beautiful, poreless, non-oily, non-red skin. Oh well.
Beth
April 6th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
Hi Beth, and all "sebderm" members,
There have been cases, where many of the symptoms you speak of have
been cured by topically applied (DMSO + fluconazole), even though
some of the minor sebderm problems have not been cured.
Everyone with sebderm should DEFINITELY try this treatment/cure for
rosacea, because it is a well established fact, that a fungal, (i.e.
yeast) vector is involved in sebderm symptoms, and fluconazole is an
anti-fungal.
Using it with DMSO topically to cure skin diseases is REVOLUTIONARY,
and is indeed a NEW MEDICAL PRINCIPLE.
It is easy to know, whether you NEED this med or not.
It causes virtually no changes to healthy skin. If it is needed,
some stinging, with subsequent TEMPORARY HEALING REDNESS, and
TEMPORARY SKIN PEELING occurs.
Subsequently, many of the symptoms that go with sebderm have now been
proven to be ERADICATED by this treatment/cure for rosacea.