Case Summary  |  Lifetime of Rosacea

I spent the first half of my life trying to hide the redness over the tops of my checks and nose. I was diagnosed with Rosacea around the age of 10, but was told by the doctor then that there really wasn't much I could do about it. It didn't really become a problem until my early teen years when I was getting picked on at school. I never had any issues with acne whatsoever, so maybe the kids back then, all battling acne, had to find something to ridicule me about. Adults back then said it just looked like I was blushing, but it was too splotchy and in the winter, when my skin was without a tan, it looked very clown-like. As a teen I started wearing a mask of foundation makeup hoping to cover it up, but would have to wear it so thick that any physical activity would have my makeup just running off my face.

I have never seen an MD since I was a child regarding the Rosacea. All that was given to me back then was a big tub of cortizone cream and I was told to stay out of the sun. I faithfully used the cortizone cream, but saw no results whatsoever and staying out of the sun was just not an option for an active kid, now adult of 47, who spends much of her time outside.

I still get sun when the weather permits as much of my work is outside and probably haven't worn sunscreen as often as I should, but at least a tan does seem to somewhat camouflage the Rosacea, but with winter coming in, I dread the thought of my skin getting pale again and the Rosacea standing out like a sore thumb. The areas where I have Rosacea seem rougher than the rest of my face, but using moisturizers really just seems to make the areas stand out more. I also have very large pores in those areas and scrubbing my face to prevent blackheads also seems to make the Rosacea flare for a while.

I do not drink alcohol as I heard that drinking would cause worse flushes on my face thanks to the Rosacea and in recent years have seen ads on tv for medications for Rosacea, but the list of potential side effects for those medications makes me feel I might just be better off leaving well enough alone.

I do wonder if there are any OTC topical treatments I might try and if this condition will worsen much more with age?