Dealing with skin issues - acne, rosacea

[Birdeye]

Hi @Jasperswim

I've been really lucky in my life and haven't really had to deal with skin issues. I'm piping in here more as an outsiders perspective.

One of my best friends has so so so many skin issues. Constant pimples, acne, redness, dryness and oiliness at the same time, scabs. Everything. I know it's been her face and arms, and I think it's been other parts of her body too.
The only reason I know any of this is because she is very very public about it. Legit her entire chin could be pimples and scabs, and most of the time I (and I would confidently guess everyone else) wouldn't notice until she would complain about them.

My mother had a lot of skin discolourations, and I know other members in my family do too. I know it bothered her, but most of the time I would completely not notice. I don't think any of my siblings are aware of it.

I know these are quite different to what you're dealing with. I just think sometimes it's important to remember that other people aren't focusing on, or possibly even noticing, the things that you think are the most obvious issues.

[Jasperswim]

Hey Bree-RO, never heard of 'Two Sugars' but I love podcasts so I'll definitely check that out thanks! I have mixed feelings about the next patch test as it is really expensive, I hope I get some answers out of it and not be left in a mystery if they come out negative again but then it would be good to not have allergies to the substances tested, maybe the dermatologist would think I have some weird autoimmune condition or something else. 

[Jasperswim]

Thank you Birdeye for your sincere comment, its great to hear an outsider's perspective on this as even though you haven't dealt with these kinds of skin issues you still have an understanding of the uncomfortable and frustrating experiences that people who do have it go through. It makes me a bit more comfortable to hear how people like you don't notice it a lot and really most of the time people are mostly thinking about their own personal lives and issues, I just gotta keep telling myself that. Maybe I should try out cognitive behavioural therapy heard it can help with that kind of stuff

[T4ils]

Hey @Jasperswim, thanks for sharing your story. I can see why you are having mixed feelings about the patch test.. although it sounds like it would be great to get to the bottom of all of this. I personally dislike when medical/health related things are a mystery!

I am like @Birdeye as well, I haven't had any serious skin conditions either. I was also about to write something similar in that I think we focus on the small details of our appearance a lot more than other people would focus on.

Cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful for a whole lot of things. Do you know anyone around you who you could book an appointment with?

[Jasperswim]

Yeah I hate to have my health left in a mystery I just want some answers already! My GP can probably refer me to see a psychologist or therapist, which would help but they are expensive, I'm trying to save my money for my dermatologist appointments, treatments for my skin and travelling. There are probably sites online or books or apps on cognitive behavioural therapy I can look at instead and train myself.

[T4ils]

It sounds very frustrating @Jasperswim, but you are hanging in there! That sounds fair enough as I’m sure those things must cost a whole lot of money. Did you know about about mental health treatment plans? A GP can write one up for you and you get 6 initial sessions at a reduced rate. If you find a psychologist or counsellor that bulk bills, it won’t cost you anything.

I don’t doubt your amazing skills although it can be really hard to remain objective if you are training yourself and that’s where it can be great to have some outside support. Just something to keep in mind 😃

[Jasperswim]

Yeah I've heard about that process I'm sure my GP can probably plan something like that for me and yeah training by yourself isn't the best thing sometimes, I used to meditate everyday for a while which was really good but not so much nowadays due to distractions of a busy life which can make it harder to use my mental energy to focus. I am getting back into using guided meditations, maybe theres a guided audio for cognitive behavioural therapy out there?

Either way theres lots of options out there to explore.

[May_]

Hey @Jasperswim I also struggle with facial redness (undiagnosed) and went to a dermatologist - some of the things they suggested really helped but unfortunately the world of dermatology is very expensive as I'm sure you are aware. It sucks! Laser helped me a lot but again it was very expensive and I'm not sure if it works for everyone. Has your derm ever mentioned it as an option?

That's awesome that you used to do meditation a lot - it can be so challenging to fit it into a busy schedule but it sounds like it worked well for you in the past. I'm not sure about a guided audio for cognitive behavioural therapy specifically but I've also recently gotten back into meditation and am using an app called 'headspace', have you tried it?

[Jasperswim]

Hey May_ what did the dermatologist think your redness was caused by if they didn't diagnose you with rosacea? I've heard laser really works for some people, I've been tempted to try it but it is costly and my GP doesn't think it'll help for my skin but I'll ask the dermatologist about it. I've heard IPL therapy is best for my kind of skin and it'll take a few sessions to get an effect. How long did the effect of the laser therapy last for your skin? Did the redness come back?

Yeah I really value the use of meditation for my anxiety and I used to use the smiling mind app which focused on mindfulness but I've heard of headspace, could give that a go thanks 

[May_]

@Jasperswim mine is predominantly caused by cumulative sun damage (I have very fair skin and Irish heritage - so very vulnerable to the Australian sun). I have red blotches/veins around my cheeks which is mostly stable (always around) but sometimes I get additional redness if I am stressed/hot. Having fair skin also meant the laser does work well on my skin and I noticed a difference after one session but then after the initial session the difference was minimal. And I have noticed that the redness has come back after some time has passed but still not as bad - they say a lot of people need to get it touched up every year (although I think that should only be one session). My dermatologist suggested sun protection as the most important preventative thing I could do - so I wear sunscreen every day all year round and wear a hat whenever the UV is high or if it's sunny and just generally avoid the sun haha. So hopefully this will help with making the treatments last longer although I think I'm seeing the result of damage when I was younger and less careful unfortunately. Hope this is helpful in some way!

Oh yes I've heard of smiling minds too a lot of people seem to like that one!