running with rosacea

squishprincess
squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
edited November 7 in Fitness and Exercise
does anyone else struggle with this? i have mild rosacea with bad flare ups, and one of my triggers is getting overworked and overheated. it causes my cheeks to flare up so bad, and get all hot and remain red for a long time. it's so irritating because i used to jog/run all the time but now i hardly do because over the years it just flares up worse if i'm not careful. i can't go to a derm right now, as i'm uninsured, but does anyone have any tips on working around this? or treatments that would tame it? i'm fond of the rosy cheek doll look but not so much looking like a clown with red blotches on my face, haha....

(also this may be a bit of a stretch, but does anyone else have TV aka tinea versicolor? it's annoying to deal with as well when it comes to cardio exercises....)

Replies

  • juliaaandersen
    juliaaandersen Posts: 3 Member
    I have also struggled with rosacea. However, I think it was things like sunglight that caused mine to flare up. I am so lucky that we don't have to pay to go to the doctor, so I went and got some pills and cream and now I only get rosy cheeks. But as my doctor told me, it might come back, but it will probably only last for a couple of years.

    I've read some articles about it and as far as I can see, staying away from alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks and food, and basically everything that triggers the flare ups is the best thing to do. And it's important to wear sunscreen.
  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
    yea i know, i do try to avoid those things for the most part! and i'm always unsure about trying the otc medications because i have sensitive skin that reacts to so many things, so i'm afraid it might actually worsen my condition and skin.. maybe i'll get brave one day and try them.

    pretty much my biggest triggers are weather induced and my body temperature rising/sweating (basically any amount of adrenaline..). it's so aggravating!
  • queenbea77
    queenbea77 Posts: 404 Member
    I also have rosacea. It first started several years ago when I was doing a spin class. I was using the towels from the gym to wipe my face and they use lots of bleach. The dermatologist thought it was a reaction to the bleach so I started bringing my own towel. Since then I've switched dermatologists and he confirmed it was rosacea. He gave me pills to try but they didn't do anything for me. I also have a prescription for Topical metronidazole which helps but doesn't completely take care of it so I also do the IPL (laser) treatments. I usually go every 2 weeks for 6-8 weeks and have to do that a couple times a year. I can stay away from the alcohol but I can't give up the spicy foods, coffee or exercise so I just have to live with it. I use Eucerin face cleanser and lotion on my face. My hair stylist also has rosacea and she mixes a couple different face cleansers and lotions together and says it works for her but I tried it without much luck. You would think they would figure out what causes rosacea and give us some relief! Mine tends to flare up worse in the winter - I think it's because of the heat in the house and car. Only plus to the IPL treatments is the DR can zap my age spots too. I just wish they could put some sort of numbing cream on my face before the use the laser - it hurts like a SOB!
  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
    yea you would think with how common rosacea is they would look more into figuring out the root of the issue that affects so many people. and i definitely don't think they know what they're talking about when they say it typically affects adults 30+ years in age. mine started developing around 16, and i'm 20 now. i'd say mine is currently mild, with worse and worse flare ups. so it's only a matter of time, literally, before it becomes chronic with the flaring which totally sucks. it's frustrating, i'm just glad people know what im going through.

    i haven;t put any effort into seeing a derm yet about my rosacea, probably will some day although like you, it wont do much most likely. i love how they say avoid triggers and its like lol ok.... avoid existing basically. they really dont understand.

    all i know is i miss running & biking. i used to run a lot and now i can barely jog without flaring my skin up. sometimes i dont even have to do anything for it to flare up and i find myself putting frozen bags of peas or something on my neck and cheeks to try and cool down. sometimes i just pop a benadryl and try to sleep it off. nothing really gets rid of it, all i can do is try to tame it by cooling down and not aggravating it best i can. but yea im not giving up spicy stuff, i actually eat salsa every day but i dont think spicy stuff is a huge trigger for me. unless im eating loads of it. mostly emotions/exercise flare mine up a lot. which sucks because its unavoidable :( and im not giving up on exercise ughh it just sucks a lot!
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