It has been almost one year and my skin has improved significantly.
Since getting the demodex mites under control using Quellada scabies lotion on a daily basis, my dermatologist has said to use it once a week. Sometimes I forget and use it every couple of weeks when a small pimple reminds me to apply the lotion (paying particular attention to my sebum rich areas - the creases of nose and chin).
Morning routine at this time:
Cleanse with Cetaphil.
Zinc sunscreen with a tint OR I apply a mineral foundation if I am needing a made up look.
Evening routine at this time:
Cleanse with a micellar water to remove the sunscreen or makeup.
Apply Cetaphil lotion OR Quellada (once a week - I aim for Sunday evening)
The redness which remains is veins damages from the Demodex infestation. To minimise the flare ups, I have had 4 sessions of IPL. Initially the settings were low and bearable but each session is now dreaded as the operator has increased the pulse and focuses on my problem areas - on and around the nose and a couple of really stubborn veins on my chin. I take two paracetamol before I go to the appointment but I doubt they do much to counter the shock of each zap. I describe myself as pretty tough but I cried during my last session.
On average, it takes me around 3 days to recover from a session most of which consists of tender skin, one or two little bruises and swelling beneath the eyes.
I've got a routine I follow to minimise the discomfort. As soon as I get into the car, I apply alcohol free aloe vera gel and turn the air conditioner on for an icy blast. As soon as I arrive home, I very gently wash the sunscreen off my face (applied by the IPL operator as a matter of course) and apply Advantan cream followed by a layer of aloe vera. I spend the next couple of hours sitting up on the bed, fanning my face with a hand fan and gently applying cold compress to particularly hot areas.
I stopped using the Solosite burn gel but only because as soon as you touch it, it sort of flakes off in blobs and was a bit messy. I recommend that you don't go out in public with it on. Other than that, if you have some on hand, go for it!
Within a couple of hours, I have the redness under control. The skin feels very tender and remains that way for a few days.
I almost forgot! Here's some exciting news for Australian rosacea sufferers!... My dermatologist said that SooLantra will be here within the next month or so. She said that although the Quellada has been excellent for me, she would get me a sample of SooLantra to try. It will be interesting to see how much the SooLantra will cost here but it won't be anywhere near as affordable as the $25 a bottle I pay for Quellada.
Hi, I have read most your entries and it is very interesting to see yor results. I was diagnosed with sebhorreic dermatitis and given soolantra. I tried it for over a month and things didn't seem much improved. I am sill dealing with flaking and red bumps, enlarged pores, inbetween my eyebrows and some in the inner corners of eyebrows. I'm not sure if this is sebhorreic dermatitis or rosacea. I have bumps on cheeks and chin also and red sides of nose. My cheeks aren't red though like with rosacea. Do you have any problems in your brow area. When I started researching again I found the info on the mites and that seemed to fit because I will occasionally feel this feeling like something crawling in my eyebrows and I thought this has to be what it is.
ReplyDeleteI should have said that when I tried te soolantra was earlier this year and I haven't been using it regulatory since so I am going to starry it again. I was also wondering, I wil sometimes squeeZe the bumps and enlarged pores that seem to be holding oil. I know this isn't good and I try so hard not to. Have you ever done this and if so do you notice if it makes it worse or no difference?
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