Your face is red...
Yes I know my face is red... I have Rosacea.
Now, why is that so hard to say? It's not but for some reason when someone makes this comment I don't know how to respond. I don't mind telling people that I have Rosacea, it's not a secret. I guess it's just weird for me because I feel like I'm telling people that I have this debilitating disease but really my face is just...red.
I started noticing that my cheeks were really red and bumpy during my Freshmen year of college. The bumps were not like acne bumps, they were very little red bumps.
I really didn't take very many pictures without makeup on because my face was so red and I was self conscious about it. I wish I had more to share so you could really see the change but I don't.
My skin is very sensitive, I should wear sunscreen anytime any part of my body is exposed to the sun. I have always had issues with my skin breaking out in the sun and getting these red bumpy rashes so, when my parents and I first noticed the red on my face we chalked it up to my skin just being very sensitive. I knew it was time to see a dermatologist when my Maw Maw told me one day I had on too much blush but I was wearing not one stitch of makeup.
So, we went to a dermatologist that was recommended by many people we trusted. She came in stood across the room for me, took one look and said "Well you either have Rosacea or Lupus." Um, what, those are two VERY different things and you haven't even touched my face!?!? She wanted to take a biopsy from my cheek to rule out that it was Lupus. We left and never went back there. I finally got a referral from my primary doctor to see a dermatologist that he respected and even sent his own children to.
My mama and I went to see him and were so impressed. He walked over to me he looked at my face and said, "Oh that's definitely Rosacea." He prescribed me with an antibiotic that would help the bumps, a face wash, a moisturizer, a cream to put on at night and cream to put on in the morning...whew that was a haul. I did this regimen for a while; wash my face with the $60 face was in the morning and at night, apply the $20 cream in the morning before applying the $20 moisturizer...at night wash my face, apply moisturizer and then the other $20 cream...oh and don't forget the $80 horse pill I had to take. I had to restock on this every month, plus the hour drive it took to get to the dermatologist.
I would go for a while and my face would look really good, then I would wake up one morning and it was as red and bumpy as it had ever been. I rode this roller coaster ride for two years. After learning that the oral medication my dermatologist prescribed me was the cause of some gastrointestinal problems I had I stopped taking the medicine and have not been back to him since.
As soon as I stopped taking the medicine the redness and bumps went away. I used the last of all my creams and face wash and purchased Cetaphil from Wal Mart. I also only use BareMinerals foundation, nothing else works for me. Every other foundation I have used has irritated my skin. I should have been using this stuff all along. I try really hard to wash my face every night, sometimes it's hard because I get really tired and fall asleep before I get a chance. I am also really trying to wear sunscreen every time I go outside but I HATE sunscreen, I love lotion but there is something about sunscreen that just grosses me out.. I know that I should because it will protect my skin and keep me safe against cancer causing UV rays.
Sometimes when I have been out in the sun or if I forget to wash my face or, sometimes I may eat foods that irritate it, people will tell me my face is red and ask if I've been out in the sun. For the most part my face looks as good as it ever has. I have no bumps on my cheeks and the redness is minimal.
Rosacea is not contagious, it's not a disease, it doesn't hurt, but it is chronic. I will live with it for the rest of my life, which is okay. It doesn't bother me honestly, I'm okay with not wearing makeup and having my face being red because it's who I am. I'm doing everything I can to keep the redness down and stay away from things that irritate my skin. I know now how to take care of my skin, sometimes when I get redness and bumps I feel discouraged but I have learned to accept it because it's who I am!
I used to wear a ton of makeup to try and hide the redness. Now I hate wearing makeup... I don't want to hide who I am. I don't want to look like a completely different person when I take my makeup off. I want to look like me, I don't want people to see me without makeup and say "You look sick" or "There's something different about you, are you okay?". I want to be me, I want people to see my flaws, I want to see my freckles. I wear a lot less makeup now for this reason and to try and keep my skin fresh and young looking as long as possible.
Your skin is an organ just like your heart, liver, or kidneys. Your skin is very important to your body, it helps to protect you and keep your internal organs safe. Your skin is precious take care of it.
Now, why is that so hard to say? It's not but for some reason when someone makes this comment I don't know how to respond. I don't mind telling people that I have Rosacea, it's not a secret. I guess it's just weird for me because I feel like I'm telling people that I have this debilitating disease but really my face is just...red.
I started noticing that my cheeks were really red and bumpy during my Freshmen year of college. The bumps were not like acne bumps, they were very little red bumps.
 |
| very little makeup in this picture, definitely no blush |
I really didn't take very many pictures without makeup on because my face was so red and I was self conscious about it. I wish I had more to share so you could really see the change but I don't.
My skin is very sensitive, I should wear sunscreen anytime any part of my body is exposed to the sun. I have always had issues with my skin breaking out in the sun and getting these red bumpy rashes so, when my parents and I first noticed the red on my face we chalked it up to my skin just being very sensitive. I knew it was time to see a dermatologist when my Maw Maw told me one day I had on too much blush but I was wearing not one stitch of makeup.
So, we went to a dermatologist that was recommended by many people we trusted. She came in stood across the room for me, took one look and said "Well you either have Rosacea or Lupus." Um, what, those are two VERY different things and you haven't even touched my face!?!? She wanted to take a biopsy from my cheek to rule out that it was Lupus. We left and never went back there. I finally got a referral from my primary doctor to see a dermatologist that he respected and even sent his own children to.
My mama and I went to see him and were so impressed. He walked over to me he looked at my face and said, "Oh that's definitely Rosacea." He prescribed me with an antibiotic that would help the bumps, a face wash, a moisturizer, a cream to put on at night and cream to put on in the morning...whew that was a haul. I did this regimen for a while; wash my face with the $60 face was in the morning and at night, apply the $20 cream in the morning before applying the $20 moisturizer...at night wash my face, apply moisturizer and then the other $20 cream...oh and don't forget the $80 horse pill I had to take. I had to restock on this every month, plus the hour drive it took to get to the dermatologist.
I would go for a while and my face would look really good, then I would wake up one morning and it was as red and bumpy as it had ever been. I rode this roller coaster ride for two years. After learning that the oral medication my dermatologist prescribed me was the cause of some gastrointestinal problems I had I stopped taking the medicine and have not been back to him since.
As soon as I stopped taking the medicine the redness and bumps went away. I used the last of all my creams and face wash and purchased Cetaphil from Wal Mart. I also only use BareMinerals foundation, nothing else works for me. Every other foundation I have used has irritated my skin. I should have been using this stuff all along. I try really hard to wash my face every night, sometimes it's hard because I get really tired and fall asleep before I get a chance. I am also really trying to wear sunscreen every time I go outside but I HATE sunscreen, I love lotion but there is something about sunscreen that just grosses me out.. I know that I should because it will protect my skin and keep me safe against cancer causing UV rays.
Sometimes when I have been out in the sun or if I forget to wash my face or, sometimes I may eat foods that irritate it, people will tell me my face is red and ask if I've been out in the sun. For the most part my face looks as good as it ever has. I have no bumps on my cheeks and the redness is minimal.
Rosacea is not contagious, it's not a disease, it doesn't hurt, but it is chronic. I will live with it for the rest of my life, which is okay. It doesn't bother me honestly, I'm okay with not wearing makeup and having my face being red because it's who I am. I'm doing everything I can to keep the redness down and stay away from things that irritate my skin. I know now how to take care of my skin, sometimes when I get redness and bumps I feel discouraged but I have learned to accept it because it's who I am!
I used to wear a ton of makeup to try and hide the redness. Now I hate wearing makeup... I don't want to hide who I am. I don't want to look like a completely different person when I take my makeup off. I want to look like me, I don't want people to see me without makeup and say "You look sick" or "There's something different about you, are you okay?". I want to be me, I want people to see my flaws, I want to see my freckles. I wear a lot less makeup now for this reason and to try and keep my skin fresh and young looking as long as possible.
 |
| So happy with my skin! |
 |
| This picture was taken in January...absolutely NO makeup!! :) |
Your skin is an organ just like your heart, liver, or kidneys. Your skin is very important to your body, it helps to protect you and keep your internal organs safe. Your skin is precious take care of it.
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