Problem with itchyness and redness

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E-Man
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:17 pm

Problem with itchyness and redness

Post by E-Man »

I only apply ZZ cream at night time now.. I also apply cocoa butter to the sides of my noise because it helps with the redness and dryness.. both I apply at night time before I sleep.

The problem is when I wake up in the morning and go to school, my temple (that area above the top of my nose in between my eyebrows) gets really itchy and aswell as the sides of my nose... I try my hardest not to touch it but instead tap it with a tissue to help ease the itch

When it's time to go home I notice that my temples get really dry and the sides of my nose get red (maybe because of being exposed to the sun or the wind, because it's winter right now, I don't know) but it gets really itchy and red to the point that I just have to wash my face with warm water when I get home. I'm clear and only get a few pimples occasionally, just need to stop this itch and redness problem.. I'm not sure what causes or triggers the itchyness and redness, I've been on ZZ for almost 10 months now and I've definitely had massive improvement since 10 months ago, not sure if I'm still infected by the demodex mites, I only change my pillow case around every 2-3 days.. each night I turn the pillow over so I can sleep on a new side..

I'm not sure if it's the cocoa butter causing this, but it's pretty much the same without the cocoa butter. If I don't use cocoa butter, it gets even more dry to the point that simply washing my face won't get rid of the dryness, and the redness is pretty much the same but not as bad. I really don't know what's causing the itch and redness and don't know what to apply.

It feels as if the sides of my nose and my temples (and eyebrows) are irritated or something..
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E-Man
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Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:17 pm

I'd also like to add...

Post by E-Man »

Hello everyone,

I've been researching lately and I've come to realize that along with mild acne I may also have Rosacea, Psoriasis, or Seborrhoeic dermatitis. Now let me explain myself:

Classification of Psoriasis:

[QUOTE=Skincosmos.com]
Psoriasis is a disorder characterized by abnormal growth and development of skin cells.

* Skin appears;
o red and raised
o scaly-like with white debris on skin
o sites: usualy at site of previous trauma
[/QUOTE]

Why I think I have Psoriasis:

The areas around and on the sides of my nose are usually red and sometimes raised. I don't have "scaly-like" white debris around or on the sides of my nose, it just gets a bit dry from time to time and the main problem is the redness. However, in the area on the top of my nose, in between my eyebrows, it's usually dry, and I do think it's "scaly-like", but it usually goes away after washing that part of my face with warm water for a while. However, I very rarely get pimples covered by scaly-like white debris.

However, from extensive research, I don't really think I have Psoriasis because from the pictures I've seen, it seems like a really, really bad condition and I don't think my condition is as bas as the images I've found through websites and Google Images (Psoriasis images) but I do think it's a possible diagnosis for my condition.

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Classification of Rosacea:

[QUOTE=WebMD]
Some people may notice that their skin has become very sensitive or that they blush easily before they notice other symptoms of rosacea. Facial products, for example, may burn their skin.

As rosacea develops, redness on the cheeks lingers, like a slight sunburn. This redness and other symptoms of rosacea come and go. The main symptoms include:

* Facial redness/flushing Click here to see an illustration. . Triggers, such as sun exposure or alcohol, stimulate increased blood flow, which causes blood vessels to expand and facial redness to appear. In women, the redness usually appears on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. The redness may appear in a "butterfly" pattern across the cheeks and nose. Facial redness in men typically appears on the nose, although symptoms can appear on other areas of the face. In some cases, redness may also occur on the neck and upper chest.
* Pimples on the face. Small pimples may occur on the red areas of skin or on the edges. These pimples—red, round bumps in the skin—are different than acne pimples, which have blackheads or whiteheads.
* Red lines on the face (telangiectasia). These small, thin, red lines, which are tiny blood vessels that look like spiderwebs, usually appear on the cheeks.
* Swollen bumps on the nose. In severe cases, mostly in men, the nose appears enlarged, bulbous, and red, a condition called rhinophymaClick here to see an illustration..
* Eye irritation. Symptoms include redness, dryness, burning, crusted mucus, tearing, a gritty sensation like that of sand in the eye, pinkeye (conjunctivitis), and swelling in the eyelid. The eyes may not tolerate contact lenses, and styes may develop. In some cases, vision may be blurry, but only in severe cases is vision damaged. About half of the people who have rosacea may have some eye irritation or symptoms.1
[/QUOTE]

Why I think I have Rosacea:

Now, my cheeks aren't red, it's mainly the areas close to and around my nose and in the area in between my eyebrows.

Rosacea can be exacerbated (made worse) by:

* environmental factors: wind, sun, humidity;
* exercise;
* stress and emotions (such as embarrassment);
* pollutants;
* some foods;
* a variety of irritants, both synthetic and naturally-occurring.

SOURCE: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rosacea/ ... estyle.htm

In continuation, why I think I have Rosacea:

- The wind, sun, and humidity do make my face worse at times. The redness usually gets worse while exposed to heat and sometimes also the wind and the humid weather. The dryness/flaking usually gets worse in the windy and hot weather.

- Exercise, running, and even dancing makes my condition worse. It makes the area in between my eyebrows flakey/dry and itchy, and a little bit red, it also mainly affects the areas around my nose and makes them really red and itchy.

- I find that stress and emotions make my skin worse. Whenever I am embarassed, the areas around my nose and in between my eyebrows become really itchy and the sides of my nose become red aswell as being itchy.

- Pollutants, not sure..

- Foods, yes. I find that tomato sauce and anything spicy makes my face feel like its burning and it makes the itch really bad and the areas around my nose really red.

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Classification of Seborrhoeic Dermatitis:

[QUOTE=WikiPedia]
Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a skin disorder affecting the scalp, face and trunk causing scaly, flaky, itchy, red skin. It particularly affects the sebum-gland rich areas of skin. It is thought to be caused by a fungal infection caused by the yeast Malassezia furfur (formerly known as Pityrosporum ovale) in individuals with decreased immunity and increased sebum production. In a normally-functioning individual, the fungus thrives without incident, but in those afflicted with seborrhoeic dermatitis, the body's epidermis responds unfavorably to the infection, becoming inflamed and shedding large scales of skin in a failed attempt to rid itself of the fungus.
[/QUOTE]

Why I think I have Sebborhoeic Dermatitis?

- I have flaky, itchy, and red skin in the sebum-gland rich areas of my skin, the areas around and on the sides of my nose and in between my eyebrows above the nose. Sometimes those areas are also dry and oily at the same time, which is kind of weird..

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In conclusion:

I'm not too sure of my condition, but I'm leaning towards the possibility that it could either be Rosacea or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis. Any advice, suggestions, and help would be highly appreciated.
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SteveInAustin
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Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:24 am
Location: Austin, Texas USA

Post by SteveInAustin »

I was going to say stop using the cocoa butter, but you already mentioned that you have the condition with or without it. Did you have it before using any cocoa butter ever? If you didn't, then it probably is the cocoa butter, and it just takes time for the body to stop its allergic response. In some cases, an allergic reaction can only be reduced by the application of certain topical steroids and antibiotics, by the way. That's long after you've removed the thing you were allergic to. So you should see a dermatologist.

Yeah, it's almost certainly not psoriasis.

Rosacea would be my call.

But see your dermatologist to find out.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA
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E-Man
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Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:17 pm

Post by E-Man »

I went to the GP and he diagnosed me with Seborrhoeic Dermatitis after looking at my face and examining it. He prescribed me an antibiotic called Vibramycin and a topical treatment called Clindamycin (solution form), it has been 3 days since I've been using these and the flaking has reduced significantly, so has the red marks, but its very slowly improving.

I don't really understand how ZZ cream cleared my face, but now I'm not sure if it's the mites or some other condition that's causing this redness and dryness, but I've been using ZZ cream for almost a year now so I guess the itching shouldn't be that bad, unless it could be something else that's causing it.

hmmm....
Demodex Solutions changed my life!
SteveInAustin
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:24 am
Location: Austin, Texas USA

Post by SteveInAustin »

Ah, good thing you went to your doctor, then. Dermatitis is curable I believe. So your prognosis is much better than if you have rosacea. Clindamycin is also used to treat acne.

I hate antibiotics, though. I hope you're not going to be on them for a long time. They tend to really mess my intestines up. Start stocking up on anti-gas tablets and yogurt with live cultures. That helps a bit. Helps also to drink lots of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration if you're getting diarhea.

Post a follow-up after a couple months if you could.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA
sandy
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 12:16 pm

Post by sandy »

So your prognosis is much better than if you have rosacea
I thought that rosacea was caused by demodex?
SteveInAustin
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:24 am
Location: Austin, Texas USA

Post by SteveInAustin »

sandy wrote: I thought that rosacea was caused by demodex?
Not always. There are other causes for rosacea from what I gather. Like the idea that one form of rosacea might be due to a problem with capillaries near the skin or something. There are also multiple causes for acne-like appearances which may or may not have anything to do with demodex mites (folliculitis for example).

Steve
Austin, Texas USA
SteveInAustin
Posts: 206
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:24 am
Location: Austin, Texas USA

Post by SteveInAustin »

Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention the real reason why I said dermatitis is more curable than rosacea. If rosacea is indeed caused by demodex mites, you have to realize that those mites come back. It's not a case where you can just kill them all and you're done. So it's better to have something like dermatitis which can be killed permanently than to have rosacea which can only be killed temporarily.

Steve
Austin, Texas USA
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