My initially rosy patches actually started around 15 years ago. They were relatively light so my doctor didn’t take it seriously but still referred me to a dermatologist. The dermatologist was immediately dismissive and said if I planned to have children soon then I should wait to take any medication until my family planning was complete. So after wasting an hour drive and a 2 hour wait, I immediately got knocked up. Nope, jk.
So 2 kids later, what was now being diagnosed as rosacea was in full bloom, like someone smooshed a ripe tomato into my cheeks and forehead. I remember we had returned from a trip to Cuba and I knew something wasn’t right. I had never been burned like that before. I stupidly wore a flimsy hat on the beach that I had to hold down on a particularly windy day while I chatted with a lovely woman from Montreal.
The sun was beating down directly on my face but we talked for a good half an hour while I roasted myself, not realizing there would be long-term consequences. I had spent a lot of my life outside and not always with sunscreen on which was probably a bad habit, so I really didn’t think it was a big deal. I don’t remember exactly when the redness set in strong but I think it was a couple days after we returned. It was shocking, especially since I didn’t know what rosacea even was.
Rosacea Treatment With Dermatologist #2
Luckily in those days it was easy to see a dermatologist without being on a waitlist for over a year where I live in Ontario, Canada. I was of course given doxycycline, told again that there is no rhyme or reason why people get rosacea and sent on my way.
I was surprised that I didn’t receive any type of topical creams, just the pills. This dermatologist told me that nothing else would work and it would likely come back after a while. Then I would just have to keep taking the antibiotics. I didn’t think much of it or even think this was just a band aid solution because I just wanted my face back. So I took my meds, cleared my skin and kept living life. After about a year of relief the rosacea returned again. Bright red patches on my cheeks and between my eyebrows returned.
I’m grateful to whoever invented make up. Whether it was cavemen, the Egyptians or Ru Paul, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I carried on a ‘normal looking face’ life for years without having to feel self-conscious about my red face. I didn’t wear makeup regularly before but now I couldn’t live without foundation to cover up my skin.
I started wearing tinted sunscreens and hiding it the best I could and spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on trying different moisturizers, serums and toners. Eventually when I tried yet another natural product to calm the redness, it caused massive inflammation instead. The real nightmare was that it got even worse with makeup. On top of that, I began a new struggle with a beast called perioral dermatitis. Large pimples covered my chin like a beard.
I eventually got to a point where everything I applied to my skin made it worse. My skin was always inflamed. I eventually had to stop wearing makeup (zero therapy!) and adopted a permanent baseball hat pulled-down-low look.
Rosacea Flare-Up Treatment With Dermatologist #3
Desperate to control the situation, I asked for a referral to another dermatologist. I took my red face in the office and again I heard, “Oh, it could be worse.” I appreciate that there were people with worse conditions, but to me, walking around with bright red patches on my face was not acceptable either. I was given my second round of docycyline and a topical cream called Rosiver which was Ivermectin cream (called Soolantra in the U.S.). I read that this can also help reduce demodex mites if that is an issue.
Since she had a laser clinic she obviously marketed her laser treatments. I took the bite and did a few rounds of laser treatment as well. The Rosiver caused even more inflammation so she gave me Finecea instead which is azelaic acid. It tamed the redness and I was able to wear tinted sunscreen again to cover up the rest of the redness that remained.
Day-to-Day Rosacea Management
The redness went away for a while, all due to the doxycyline of course but it eventually returned as promised by the previous dermatologist. The problem was, after 12 weeks on antibiotics and only a few months of relief, my healthy gut microbes started to protest. I knew I needed to quit that cycle.
So here I am, red-faced and bitter. I have logged about a billion hours of reading skin care blogs and Reddit. I took some more risks and made more missteps based on the advice I read. But I have also learned about the structure of our skin. I have taken a minimalist approach for now and still testing different products. I tried a serum that was shipped from Tokyo with no luck. I hope it wasn’t just Japanese piss water being sold to screw with desperate red-faced people.
I continue to use the azelaic acid everyday, twice a day, which has been the most effective long-term. But my skin has never cleared up, just reduced the intensity of the redness. I also dumped hundreds of dollars into laser treatments that showed no signs of relief.
I dislike being seen without makeup and I always feel uncomfortable answering the door or running into anyone unexpectedly makeup-free. But it’s a lifestyle I’ve gotten used to. I have been doing it for years already but I”m really starting to question the mindset that there is no reason or cure for rosacea.
My Rosacea Journey Continues
I didn’t want to write about my journey struggling with rosacea unless I was able to actually improve my skin. This is my first post, going back to when it all started. Going forward I will be sharing my experiences and everything I learned along the way. I hope to help others who have struggled with this stubborn skin condition like I have and continue to.