Post # 1
Member
619 posts
Busy bee
I have very pale skin with a few freckles. I also have redness and blotchiness, mostly on my cheeks. I would love to have a more even skin tone by the wedding! I’m just not sure what to do. I have never seen a dermatologist–should I? Is there anything I can do topically, or do I need to look into treatments?
I use a gentle cleanser, then in the morning I use an antioxidant serum and moisturizing sunscreen. At night after cleansing I use an AHA lotion, a retinol serum and a night moisturizer.
I’ve wondered if I might be prone to rosacea. Also, I have sensitive skin and while the products I use are fine on my face, sometimes my neck reacts if I try to use them there.
Any advice?
Post # 3
Member
895 posts
Busy bee
Definitely see a dermatologist. It’s always good to have one even if it is just to be checked annually for skin cancer.
A friend of mine just had dermabrasion (sp?) done and she had good results.
Your dermatologist will be able to develop a skin care plan with you that will work best with your skin. Good luck!!
Post # 4
Member
5191 posts
Bee Keeper
- Wedding: October 2011 - Bed & Breakfast
I am not an expert by any means, but I have very pale and sensitive skin that is prone to redness and blotchiness, so I will chime in with my .02. Hope it helps. First, AHA and retinol are both chemical exfoliants, so using both creams simultaneously may be a bit much for your skin. If anything, I would start by cutting one of those out of the routine and seeing how that goes, and maybe even reducing their frequency, too. Second, have you tried “washing” your face with raw (unprocessed, still has bits of honey comb and pollen in it) honey in the morning? It has really helped my skin. Honey is a natural moisturizer and has antimicrobial properties. Third, the Korres product line seems to work best for me. I love their moisturizers and make-up wipes. Fourth, the less I do to my face, the happier it seems to be. If I don’t wear make-up during the day, I only rinse my face with warm water at night. And I still put on moisturizer after a warm water rinse. My skin drinks it right up. I only exfoliate once every 3 days, and I wash my make-up brushes religiously.
Post # 5
Member
619 posts
Busy bee
@lovekiss: That is a great idea to reduce the AHA and retinol. I was just reading on Paula Begoun’s site that AHA can worsen redness but BHA actually calms it. So I think I may switch to a BHA and do away with the retinol for now.
@Legallyblondiebride: Thank you, I really should look into this! Do you know if insurance usually covers dermatologists, or are they expensive?
Post # 6
Member
1662 posts
Bumble bee
@OvertheMoon: Check your insurance to see what they do for specialists. My insurance has a $20 specialist copay if they’re with a university hospital (work for a university) or $25 if you go outside.
Post # 7
Member
81 posts
Worker bee
Sounds like this could be rosacea. What you describe is exactly what I have and I have been to various dermatologists over many many years for this. The red areas of my cheek are also bumpy. Sometimes my cheeks get very flushed and hot. Only thing that has really helped me is getting photofacial treatments. They use an IPL machine and zap your cheeks. It requires several treatments, is expensive and requires maintenance – but it can work. I do it every so often to minimize the redness. I have found that cleansing my face with a Clarisonic seems to help my skin in general. Oh and the treatments were not covered by my insurance as it is considered cosmetic, but I am able to get reimbursed through flex spending account. You will need Dr letter stating that you have rosecea and this is the only known treatment for the condition.
Good luck!!
Post # 8
Member
11 posts
Newbee
over the moon – i didn’t read all of the other comments, but i have a very similar situation. if you have health insurance, go see a dermatoligist! it’s worth it! i visited my derm last month, she told me to try Cereve Foaming Facial Cleanser, Lotion and Body Cream (there are coupons on the Cereve website and you can get it at any walmart, cvs, etc.), Dove Sensitive Body Wash in the shower, All Free & Clear Detergent to wash my clothes and Bounce Sensitive Dryer Sheets. She also told me to take over the counter allegra daily and use hydrocortizone cream on any flare ups of redness. hope this helps you as well!!
Post # 9
Member
619 posts
Busy bee
Thank you all so much! I have insurance through an HMO so I suspect I’ll need a referral to a dermatologist, and that’s always such a headache! IPL isn’t in the budget, but I can definitely look at those skincare products–and using fragrance-free laundry products is something I hadn’t thought of.
Post # 10
Member
11 posts
Newbee
@Over the Moon: checked the spelling, it’s “Cerave”. Here’s a coupon http://cerave.com/purchase-cerave/print-a-cerave-coupon/ derm also reccomends bareminerals powder makeup. haven’t splurged yet, still just using covergirl trublend powder compact with my own brush, but if you’re wearing a liquid or cream makeup with fragrances, etc. in it, that might make things worse.
i have a PPO policy, my derm is a $35 copay, no referral needed
Post # 11
Member
1015 posts
Bumble bee
I also used Cereve for a long time.
Definitely see a dermatologist. If you have a few months, see if they can give you a prescription for Oracea – it’s a very low-dose antibiotic that will help with rosacea and acne. After a few-month course they can wean you off of it and the results should last!
The other thing that really helped me out was doing hot yoga frequently.
Post # 12
Member
619 posts
Busy bee
@Anise: Did you have rosacea? I have heard that heat is a trigger.
This is all so confusing, I know I should probably see a derm.
I do use CeraVe PM now and LOVE it so I’ll look into their other products. Thank you all so much!
Post # 13
Member
107 posts
Blushing bee
I agree 100% with Aprilbride12!
I have the redness/ruddiness in my checks and I have sensitive skin. I can’t live without my all free and clear bounce free and clear and now even downy free and clear. It makes a HUGE difference.
I haven’t tried the face wash that she mentioned…though I may look into it, but I can attest to the BareMinerals makeup. It made such a HUGE difference in my skin. Its definately worth the splurge. Plus once you get started you get a punch card and it saves a ton. If I go back to the cheaper liquid stuff I break out almost immediately. I started noticing a difference in the redness after about a month of daily wear. I also use their rev’d up for skin (its a vitamin/mineral boost that goes directly on the skin) and even FH said that I was glowing after about a week. Definately check it out. They also have a decent return policy if I remember correctly. (I haven’t had to return anything!)
Hope This Helps
Post # 14
Member
1015 posts
Bumble bee
I get acne really bad and probably have some signs of rosacea (my cheeks . Heat isn’t a trigger for me (too much alcohol is though!). I suspected the hot yoga helped the pores open up more and release whatever gunk they were holding on to. The oracea and the retinoid I’m using (tazorac) helped with the rest.
Post # 15
Member
11 posts
Newbee
@dallasbride2012: did you buy your bareminerals online to get a punchcard? I looked at buying from ulta, i have a rewards card there. it was about $62 for a starter kit with brushes or around $27 for just the powder by itself i think. hesitant about picking the right shade…
Post # 16
Member
1367 posts
Bumble bee
@Over the Moon: Definitely see a dermatologist. You could get IPL treatments to reduce the redness. One of my friends has a complexion that sounds like yours, and she’s currently getting IPL treatments and loves them.