Rosacea, rosacea, bother this rosacea.: itchy

Friday, 5 December 2014

Itchy but not bumpy!

So itchy! Aaaagh!

I'm feeling like I'm being eaten alive. Mostly it's my body and scalp - in small patches on my face or throat. I wonder if the TTO routine and pryrethrin is doing little more than just annoy the mites. I'll take an anti-histermine and consider another course of action.

Regardless of the lack of calmness in my complexion today, my face hasn't developed any new bumps or pimples so I am going to view this as another positive advancement. ...You can cover up redness with makeup but you can't disguise lumpy skin.

I was reading today about Ivermecton and also found some information regarding sulphur cream. It might be time to have a chat with my GP to see if she has any thought regarding mite eradication. Failing that, I'll go and see a vet!

Another route I have considered as a "value add" is traditional Chinese medicine. If the imbalances I am having are due to a lowered immune system, and my current diet (which isn't all that bad) can't rectify the situation, then perhaps some acupuncture can assist.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Greeting the day calmly.

November 30, 2014

I woke this morning to relatively calm skin. No new bumps had appeared overnight.

I washed my face over the basin using the Tea Tree Oil cleanser (leaving it on for approximately 2 minutes before rinsing off under the tap) and blotting gently with paper towel to avoid cross-contamination. Following this, I applied the TTO ointment and dabbed on the pure TTO on old bumps.

The calmness in my complexion remained until the heat of the day caused me to flush however, it was not as bad a reaction to the heat as I have previously experienced.

Periodically, I observed that while my face was no longer feeling itchy, my hairline was itching. Am I imagining this?

The images below were taken that evening.

About Kate

Firstly, I am in no way affiliated with any of the products I mention in my posts.

I'm a long term rosacea sufferer but wasn't diagnosed until around 4 years ago (aged 46).

Having had reactions to Minocycline 50mg and Erythromycin 400mg, my dermatologist then recommended that I try a course of low dose Roaccutane. I wanted to explore other options before I made that commitment.

This is a photographic journal which I shared with my dermatologist.

My advice to anyone who has found my page:

Ignore my earlier posts and go straight to using a dedicated scabies treatment - either Lyclear or Quellada. Use it every evening and eventually the demodex mites will be eradicated.

If you can afford to, use SooLantra. I would imagine the preparation is very gentle on the skin although I have not had the opportunity to try a sample.

Only once the mites have been eradicated will it be worth assessing the damage to your skin and determining a course of repair as in IPL (Intense Pulsed Light).

The science is here to support it and dermatologists the world over now agree that the pimple and pustule rosacea is caused by demodex mite infestation (or over-colonization) so don't be afraid to broach this subject with a dermatologist. It is interesting to note that ophthalmologists came to this conclusion a lot earlier linking blepharitis and occular rosacea to demodex mites.

Don't fall prey to companies (or individuals) with outlandish claims of a magic cure. There are a lot of people making a lot of money because of rosacea. If it sounds too good to be true, avoid it! When I was experimenting in my earlier posts, I was enticed to try a bit of pseudo-science (apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, undiluted tea tree oil etc) and I am the first to admit that the feeling of desperation can override usually good common sense.

Finally, be kind to yourself and be gentle on your skin. Don't be sad about the damage, the skin has a remarkable ability to repair if you gently (and patiently) help it along.