help! Skin going strange!

mandrose

I never had bad skin as a youngster but suddenly in my late 40's all that is changing!

A real problem area is either side of my nose & across my cheeks. I've got little white lumps, which (please excuse the graphic description) have pockets of puss like substance. If I get any sun on these areas the lumps get bigger and very noticeable and the puss seems to expand! I'm going on holiday to Portugal in 5 weeks and hate the thought of having such a red spotty looking face!

I use an exfoliator & also moisturise daily. I was thinking of going to a beauty salon and having some treatments done but to be honest this is a little out of my price range at the moment.

I would be very grateful if anyone has any help or advise to help with this.

Mandrosex

cyclingyorkie

personally I would head to see the GP before hitting the beauty salon - just to make sure everything is OK!

belfastgirl23

First of all, go and see your doctor or ask a pharmacist, no one here will be able to give you a proper diagnosis!

However, with that coda, it sounds like rosacea to me. Don't google, it will scare the heart out of you because in very rare cases it can really look horrible and of couse these are the first images that come up. I've had it for a few years (diagnosed late 30s) and truthfully it's been a bit inconvenient and it does mean I have to be careful about what creams etc I use but a few applications of the antibiotic cream the doctor recommended sorted things out. I think it probably does get worse with stress - or at least when I first noticed it I know I was very stressed (close family death with a lot of stressful paperwork and unexpected costs attached).

It's also more common with fair skin. If you've got the kind of skin that flushes when you drink alcohol then that's also quite common.

Good luck, I do know how horrible it is to have unruly skin.

suki1964

The Butterfly patteren does indeed suggest rosacea, but only a GP can diagnose so first head there

The if it is that, its trial and error to find what suits you best as like all skin complaints, what works for one dont suit another but theres a lot of sufferers on this board who have years of experience and lots of advice

jenniewb

Check if exfoliation is infact making it worse: in the past when I have had skin problems the first thing I feel like doing is trying to scrub it off- only thing is many times its my skin reacting to something and it just irritates it more, it seems to bring on the problem! Or worse its a skin virus (had this all over my arm and managed to make it spread like mad by doing this) I seemed to gouge out new homes all over my skin for the virus to lay itself in!

I'd apply something to deal with any itching if it is itching, something very mild, even aloe vera gel and then go see someone about it. Its easy to make things worse when you don't know what the problem is! A medical dermatologist may also be able to offer suggestions if your GP is clueless as to what it is and puts you at the back of a long waiting list.

Violetta_2

Could be milia but best go to the Dr 1st to see if it's something they can help with.

mandrose

Thanks for all your replies. Stupidly I hadn't even thought about going to get it checked out with the doctor but after your suggestions will make an appointment and get it checked out!

Thanks again
Mandrosex

belfastgirl23

mandrose wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. Stupidly I hadn't even thought about going to get it checked out with the doctor but after your suggestions will make an appointment and get it checked out!

I was the same, I dropped in casually to a pharmacist and they more or less diagnosed it and told me to see a doctor. But it would never have occurred to me!!

good luck, let us know how you get on.