Very Confused

[andrewscott87]

Hey everyone.
Im new to all of this so please bare with me.

Over the past few years my face has been producing red, dry itchy patches that started on my top lip. Every year it has spread up towards my eyes, around my nose and on the bridge of my nose and on my chin, it is slowly spreading to other areas.

I went to my doc and he said it was rosacea, put me on anti-biotics but that didnt work.
Next he said it was hives (because it looks very much like hives) but we couldnt figure out what was causing it.
So I went for a second opinion and even though it still looks like hives the next Doc said it was rosacea and now Im on metronidazol cream.

So what is it?
Can rosacea look like hives?

Thanks.

ps im 24, male, otherwise healthy and fit.

[Dr.Deepak]

So if both the doctors have said Rosacea, it may be rosacea. Rosacea is very difficult to treat. The best remedy to rosacea is to find out what is triggering the rosacea and you should try to find it yourself. Topical antibiotics might work for short time but than again you'll have it when you are exposed to certain triggering factors.

Rosacea and urticaria (Hives) may co-exist as some of the provoking factors for some types of hives are same. But most of the hives doesn’t last long and may not just be localized on face.

There are many triggering factors for both rosacea and urticaria (hives) which includes, sunlight, cold or hot temperature, hot and spicy drinks or foods, exercise, stress and emotions, alcohol, topical irritants, cosmetics and some medications.

Try to remember if anything is worsening it and avoid them. You can make daily lists of things you do and eat and see if something is making it worse. This way you may find out the factor that is making it worse, it’s the best way of prevention.

In either of the case (Hives or rosacea), its important to know which environmental condition is actually worsening your symptoms and avoid them. Another important aspect of prevention is to apply broad sperectum sunscreen and avoidance of excessive sun. Though men may not use as much cosmetics as women, it is wise to avoid harsh products and ingredients, including soaps, toners, astringents, camphor or any other that you are sensitive of.

If you can provide pics, it may be easy for us to suggest more....

[beansontoast]

hello,

You could try a product called Rosacea relief, it relieve facial redness,comfort skin
and soothe irritated skin it helped me a lot with rosecea.

[naturesdream]

I agree with Deepak, you really should try to find out what is causing it. It is always best to get to the root of the issue rather than treating the symptoms. This I know is easier said than done.

Something similar happened to me back in 2007-2009, we had just moved into a new (fixer upper) house in a different county. We moved in the end of 2006, by the end of 2007 I had noticed considerable changes to my face, lots of red patches...friends said it was getting older, I thought maybe it was all the remodeling and the stress of it all.

I finally went to a doctor and he sold me a $200 skin care system that he said would fix the issue in a week or two. After 4 weeks, the creams were gone but I still had the red blotches, I went back to the doctors and he said I need to buy more cream...I said no thanks I will try something else.

In 2009 we decided to stay at our camp for the summer, it was closer to work. In 2 weeks I noticed my skin was back to normal...it took me about 2 months to realize what it was...the only thing different was my location and...the water...(didn't figure this till we went back home)

After returning home at the end of summer it only took about 2 weeks to see my redness coming back! It finally dawned on me the water...I tested our water for chlorine and sure enough it was high in chlorine. Because our camp is in a different county our water comes from a different reservoir...and the chlorine content is different!

Sometimes it is the simplest things that can cause havoc! Most city water has chlorine in it to kill the bacteria but unfortunately for people with sensitive skin and other health issues, chlorine can be very damaging.

[Katie_B]

You may want to get opinions from other doctors. One thing you could do is go on www.realself.com. You can post your question and doctors will provide you with informative answers. It's always good to get input from multiple sources.

I think it is correct to assume that there are many different types of environmental triggers. Obviously though if the antibiotics are not working, then bacteria is probably not a cause. Other triggers to consider might include: sun exposure, emotional stress, weather changes, skin care products, spicy foods, alcohol and hot beverages.

Hives are technically caused by a reaction to a drug or food. So try to see if this applies to your case.

If other doctors confirm that you have rosacea, look into laser therapy. This may sound extreme, but lasers can affect very specific areas of tissue, including blood vessels. The light energy gets absorbed by oxygenated hemoglobin in the vessels. So this way, it does not affect surrounding areas. Once it is inside the vessels, it is then turned into heat energy which seals off the tissue so that your body can eliminate it as waste.

There is a laser called the Vbeam which uses a specific wavelength for this purpose People might also recommend IPL. But IPL uses many different wavelengths and the results are not as predictable.

Here are before and after pictures of a patient who received Vbeam treatments for the redness on his chest. The redness cleared away quite well.

http://www.finetouchdermatology.com/...eatment-vbeam/

[vencasand]

if it were me i would never go to a "doctor on line". how do you know he is a doctor or legit? i do to doctors who have their licenses on the wall, where they went to school, and registration with the AMA. american medical association. who knows who you are talking to at a web site. please stick with a real doctor!!! and in case you didn't know Deepak is a doctor. a real one.

[nessa]

Hi,

Acne Rosacea is said to be caused by hormonal imbalance, severe stress, climatic extremes, alcohol abuse, excessive intake of spicy foods, lack of sleep and harsh skin care products. From my experience the best is to used gentle skin care products, such as Epizone E (search on the net for availability) for washing; no toners and a fragrance free moisturiser and sunscreen (not higher that spf8 - means less chemicals). Also reduce stress by using lots of vitamin B supplements which strengthens the nervous and immune system, flax seed oil; 6000mg daily, vitamin A and zinc. Especially beneficial is to reduce acidic levels in the body; try to avoid acidic foods, drink real lemon juice in water to break down acids - not other citrus fruit and get an acid alkaliniser from your pharmacy or drug store. Try to steer clear of strong and cold windy conditions.

Hey everyone.
Im new to all of this so please bare with me.

Over the past few years my face has been producing red, dry itchy patches that started on my top lip. Every year it has spread up towards my eyes, around my nose and on the bridge of my nose and on my chin, it is slowly spreading to other areas.

I went to my doc and he said it was rosacea, put me on anti-biotics but that didnt work.
Next he said it was hives (because it looks very much like hives) but we couldnt figure out what was causing it.
So I went for a second opinion and even though it still looks like hives the next Doc said it was rosacea and now Im on metronidazol cream.

So what is it?
Can rosacea look like hives?

Thanks.

ps im 24, male, otherwise healthy and fit.