Progress with ZZ Cream

[kiva]

I have found this board very useful and decided to post my experience so far with ZZ cream as the one area the site seemed to be lacking is more testimonials and experiences. I had huge doubts as to whether I should order this cream from overseas (my friends thought I was nuts!) and whether it is trustworthy etc. so I think the more comments from users the better in order to help people decide. So, I hope this is useful for someone....

I ordered the ZZ Cream and the Fumanling Cream but have started only with the ZZ Cream at night. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks using the cream. My skin has become fairly dry but I may start increasing it to during the daytime also as the dryness hasn't been a huge issue so far. I haven't yet started the Fumanling Cream as I thought I'd see if ZZ alone would make a difference first.

So far, in 2 weeks, my skin has improved!

My problem area has only ever been my face, for the last 4 months, just the cheeks. It all started out of nowhere after a make-up trial for my wedding (involved me waking up on my wedding day with a bright red face as if I'd spent the night sand-papering my cheeks! and has just not gone away since.

I have seen 3 Dermatologists who have all diagnosed everything from perioral dermatitis to seborrheic dermatitis but nothing seemed to "fit". I had a compromised immune system last year after an operation and the demodex theory just seemed much more likely than the other skin disorders appearing out of nowhere in my 30's. I've never had eczema or any skin disorders in my life. The constant burning/itching and crawling sensation on my face at night has been driving me insane....I can literally feel something crawling on my cheeks and my nose at night-time and it's always much worse when I wake up in the mornings - a symptom that the Dermatologists completely disregarded. The effect on my self-confidence too has been catastrophic.

While I am not cured or anything in such a short space of time, there has been an improvement, albeit slow, but the main area that the ZZ cream has helped in 2 weeks has been the "flare-ups"...usually once per week my skin would just go bright red and lots of bumps and raised patches (like acne) and burn like hell for 2-3 days, I haven't had one of those flare-ups since using the cream, but it's early days yet.....

I'll come back in 2 weeks and post another update...hopefully it will be a good one!

[skandi]

Hello kiva
it's nice to hear about your improvements!

I'm in a similar situation myself, suffering from "something" dermatologists can't explain.
I have been to the family doctor and two dermatologists where I got diagnosed with sebboreic dermatitis once, rosacea once and also for having cronic hives or what she called it.
I have tried so much different cleansers and creams on my face the past two years, I think it's insane to think about all the stuff and all money spent on this. I started to get pretty severe acne in my early 20's and got tetralycin which actually helped me get rid of this.
I blame the use of these antibiotics for making my immunesystem weak and to make it possible for the Demodex start doing damage.

I have read alot of forums looking for a cure, and read about how these skin problems make people "loose" their social life, loose their selfesteem and getting really depressed and I really do know what they mean! to have such problems on a part of body which you can't hide is not very fun!

Aaaanyway... I did also get my ZZ and Fumanling cream not long ago (also the cleanser soap)..have been using this for about a week now.
Started with cleansing with this soap, then apply ZZ at night and Fumanling on daytime.
My skin was really dry from the start and it got even dryer, and after first days of using this treatment my face looked REALLY bad. Especially my forehead really broke out, also between my eyes and I started to have some small flaking. also some small on my cheeks. The special thing I noticed on these breakouts, they feel really stingy...like really burning and stings...never had this kind before, so I am hoping its the creams that kill those bastards!

now I have stopped using the soap and switch between ZZ/Fumanling every other night and at daytime I use my regular moisturizer.
So now that the worst breakouts already starting to fade away and I hope these really bad ones don't come back.
I have some small breakouts still.

I will try and document whats happening also, and instead of starting a new thread I thought I could also write in here

I look forward to see your improvements..I'm hoping to get rid of this thing too!

[kiva]

Hi Skandi,

Thank you for your post also....it is really helpful to hear how someone else is finding the products, I get so nervous trying new products on my face when it's already so damaged that it's just nice to hear how other people are getting along too and to share thoughts/side-effects!

Well, since my last post, I had spoken too soon....the next morning I woke up with a breakout again It is not as bad as those before I started using the cream but it was sad to have a small setback. But, I guess it's good news if it means things are being killed off. Actually, what you said about burning, I have been feeling that too, like stinging/piercing sensations more than usual...I really hope it's the critters keeling over in there!!

My face is really dry again too, I have been using a bit more of the ZZ cream (I was using such a teeny amount before) so I might cut back a little but I am still not really using very much at one time.

Also, does anyone else wash their face a lot? I find I have to splash my face with water every hour or so (which in itself is very drying).....I get so much oil that I have to wash my face all day long that means its hard to put the zz cream on during the day but I have to control the grease build-up. Does anyone else find face-washing with water beneficial? I can literally see little beads of oil if I don't....gross....

Well, I will post more in a few days...I will perservere with the ZZ cream. I am also going to see the 4th Dermatologist this week, a top skin specialist from Germany, and will see what his take is on the Demodex theory or anything else he might suggest....here's hoping

[Walter]

Please don’t become disappointed because of the breakouts, it is just a faze you need to get through,
the problem is that all those dead mites are exposing their own specific bacteria into your skin and
this can create infections, this is the only reason for this outbreaks, not the products itself.
All our products are antiseptic and killing bacteria but those infections are just too deep and too much in the beginning,
you will see later that they indeed are working well also against infections.
Depending on the individual, even after 3 months there can become miner breakouts,
the biggest mistake some people do then is stopping the treatment because they think the treatment is not working
but it does, believe me, those breakouts will stop and your face will be clear again, it just takes some time.
How long it takes depends on the individual so no general rule…………………

you will get there, you will see…………….

Regarding dermatologists, don’t expect that they will stand behind you regarding demodex mites,
first of all, they learned that they are not doing any harm and second they don’t know how to treat,
you cannot blame them for this.
Most of the time, if they treat against demodex mites, it is with products which are not strong enough so no result,
there are simply no other products on the market which are capable to really eliminate demodex mites.

Regarding dry skin, this will also become better while using, the more your skin heals, the less problems with dry skin.

Also, does anyone else wash their face a lot? I find I have to splash my face with water every hour or so (which in itself is very drying).....I get so much oil that I have to wash my face all day long that means its hard to put the zz cream on during the day but I have to control the grease build-up. Does anyone else find face-washing with water beneficial? I can literally see little beads of oil if I don't....gross....

Do you use the Fumanling cream during the day?
if yes, then don’t do anymore, if the skin is too greasy, better to use only the ZZ, on the other hand, is the skin is too dry,
it is worth to try the Fumanling during the day because is very moistering.

If it is good or bad washing your face with water every hour I have no idea, I guess it is OK.

Walter

[kiva]

Hi Walter,

Thank you so much for your post - it is extremely helpful to have this message board facility and get feedback on the products and questions....it's very reassuring, thank you.

I will not be giving up on the Products!....On the contrary, in 2 weeks my skin is better than before and although I've had a breakout it is about half of what it usually would have been so I take that as progress

I am going to keep on the ZZ Cream for now and if I start using the Fumanling Cream I will post again but for now all progress has just been on ZZ at night-time.

I have 2 questions, if anyone can help at all or has experience on these strange happenings:

1) Life Cycle of Demodex: I appear to have breakouts every 2 weeks (approx) and usually on a Friday! That is so bizarre, I don't do anything different on a Friday (in terms of diet or routine) but it's been incredibly regular for months like this. Is it possible the bugs hatch every 2 weeks or something like that? When I was using the Steroids from the Dermatologist it was a little more frequent (think Steroids were a bad idea and making them multiply so never ever using those again)...but it has been very regular on around 12-14 days. Could this be the Hatching Cycle??

2) Sunlight/Heat: I still haven't quite figured out the pattern, but it seems that if I get warm or go in sunlight (even briefly) I get a breakout. I thought Demodex hated sunlight? Does anyone know if it is possible for sun to be a trigger for Demodex (or is it only a trigger for Rosacea as caused by the Demodex)? The 1st day I got the rash on my face in February was after having a make-up session and then going straight on a Tanning Bed for 8 minutes. I woke up the next morning with a crazy rash all over my cheeks. I still don't know which triggered it, the heavy make-up or the tanning bed (both terrible ideas in hindsight), but I would have thought the UVA in the tanning bed would have killed Demodex not make it come out? Also, the rash is very localised so never quite worked out why that is either.

Sorry....questions questions....but I do hope to be able to post answers to this stuff once I have more experience with how the treatment is going

[skandi]

1) Life Cycle of Demodex: I appear to have breakouts every 2 weeks (approx) and usually on a Friday! That is so bizarre, I don't do anything different on a Friday (in terms of diet or routine) but it's been incredibly regular for months like this. Is it possible the bugs hatch every 2 weeks or something like that? When I was using the Steroids from the Dermatologist it was a little more frequent (think Steroids were a bad idea and making them multiply so never ever using those again)...but it has been very regular on around 12-14 days. Could this be the Hatching Cycle??

I have the same problem! both with the apprx. breakout period of 2weeks and I have found answer on the site:

"Demodex is usually 100 – 300 microns long. In simple terms it is smaller than the tiniest insect but bigger than a germ.
There are two types, the long and the short. Parasitizing the facial sebaceous glands at an appropriate temperature, demodexes reproduce by a generation every 15 days......."

regarding the sun I do not know :-/

[kiva]

I just wanted to post an update as I am about half-way through my intended “test” time for the treatment – I’m now at around 6 weeks of using just the ZZ Cream at night, and I am very happy to say that my skin is much much better!! I have not changed any other routine or practice so I can only attribute the improvement to the ZZ Cream.

As you can see from my last post, the results were not immediate and it has been a very slow and gradual change with a few setbacks here and there where my skin did flare up, but never as bad as it did before and week-on-week the improvement did happen.

I cannot describe the relief to have relatively “normal” looking skin back on my face.

I will post another update at 2 months, because my skin is not 100% back to how it was and I am still hoping for more improvement, but I have to say that even at 6 weeks it is a drastic improvement to where I was before. Now if you were to look at my cheeks you can barely see there is a problem, whereas before it looked like I had a cross between acne/rosacea/eczema/dermatitis all rolled in to one….

It really is a miracle for me not to wake up every morning feeling down and wondering whether my face will look like I slept in a wasps nest….and to be able to go to work and walk about without feeling like people are giving me pity stares, and to go to a business meeting with confidence. Although I only had this skin condition for the last 6 months I had quickly lost all confidence and although this might sound a bit ridiculous the ZZ Cream has given me back some of my life….I think that other people reading this message board will know what I am talking about…..

Anyway, I will come back and write more, I just wanted to write this in case it helps some of the new people on the Board who are thinking of trying it out. I have no idea why or how it has worked, but the ZZ cream has so far made a HUGE improvement and I hope that it continues even more so that I can feel 100% back to normal again.

More from me again soon….. :0)

[Walter]

Hello

Thank you for your update, just continue and you will get your skin back
don’t do the mistake stopping too soon, this is the biggest reason for failures……………
also, best is to do a maintenance treatment if you decide to stop treating in the future, even using the ZZ
two times a month only in the evening will keep the mites away.

How it works?
very simple, eliminate demodex mites…… which is not so easy at all despite what some people think…..
The ZZ will eliminate them completely, not only kill some like many other products do.

Looking forward to your next update.

Walter

[kiva]

Just wanted to post another update in case anyone is looking for current user experiences on the ZZ cream:

It is now around 9-10 weeks on the cream (ZZ Cream at night only) and I just wanted to say that I am still seeing a definite improvement, even from my last post...(Walter - thank you for your last post, and I don't have any intention of stopping until I am 100% clear, even if it takes longer than I expected) :0)

I can see why sometimes people get disheartened as it does take some patience....(I long to wake up one morning and overnight see completely clear skin!), and some days it gets better, then worse, then better again, but absolutely for sure there is an improvement week-on-week. (I am only using the ZZ cream once at night so perhaps other ways would be quicker but I felt that for my skin that was the best way).

The other thing I have noticed in just the last 2 weeks is that my skin is starting to look like normal skin again, it's hard to explain but I didn't realise that apart from the all the bumps and redness and everything else, my skin kind of looked weird and dull and now it's got some texture back and looks a bit more like it used to before all this craziness started.

I will post again in a short while, and I will post photos at the end as well as I have been keeping a photographic record as proof...unfortunately I only have photos from about halfway through the treatment - I didn't take photos at the beginning because I never expected this to work and the image of the red face was so ingrained in my memory I never wanted to have photographic evidence! But, I did take some after a few weeks so I think those will still be useful for people to see how the skin reacts every couple of weeks with the cream.

Another update soon

[kiva]

Just another update (as I know people have mentioned the problem with this Message Board is that people don't post back good news once they are cured!)....well, I am not "cured" yet, but still having lots of progress.

It's been almost 4 months and my skin continues to improve and there has been no other possible factor other than the zz cream. It's taken time and patience, but my skin is about 80-90% back to normal....I plan to keep going on the current routine for 6 months and then go on to some kind of maintenance.

Will post back at 6 months with full results

[Walter]

Thank you Kiva

Walter

[Cosy]

Hi Walter,I have been using the ZZ ointment for about eight months.I have had an improvement,my skin is much less aggravated,much smoother,and it has kept the pimples under control.The rosacea on my cheeks,is certainly much clearer now,and sometimes I am glad to see that it looks almost normal again. It has also been helped by using a zinc-oxide based sunscreen which I started using at the same time.I have also been using aloe vera gel,to moisturize,in the daytime.
However,there is still some way to go,until my skin can really said to be `cured`.I have seen some very positive improvement,after months of using the cream,but my forehead especially,is still very sensitive.I think the main issue with using ZZ ointment long-term is the considerable price. It is very expensive.

[nomoredems]

I have been suffering from demodex infection fro the last three years. It started from a stye in my eye lid, then I lost my eye lashes, got acne like breakouts in my face, and now it's been a few months that I have had bumps on my head, the crawling sensation all over my body and the bumps and burrows everywhere, more obvious on my wrists and elbows. I believe that the infection is in my blood stream and I need something internal like ivermectin. Is anybody familiar with that and does anybody know a doctor who would prescribe that?