Question Hi i am 20 years old and i have struggled with acne through out high school. I visited a dermatoligst in high school and she prescribed some topical medications I think it was Differen but I am not sure. I get a pimple every once in a while but nothing serious. My acne is disappering but the topical medication left my face red, and I think it is because I have sensitive skin and now my face will get sun burn very easily and it used to be just normal skin color but now my face has a light shade of red it has been like this for over 2 years and I tried regular Cetaphil lotion but it dosen't seem to help. And I know it is not rosacea, because I checked into it and because it turned red after I started using topical medications for my acne, How can I make the redness go away and is there any special cremes or lotions that I can put on my face in order to take the redness away? Thank You.
Answer If you stop the topical acne medication the redness should resolve. If the redness persists then you have another skin condition. You could have rosacea. Go to the web site www.rosacea.org and look up the trip wires. Trip wires are things that make the facial skin red. If the trip wires make the face red then you have rosacea. There is also a systemic disease that makes the face red which is Lupus and blood work has to be done to make sure you do not have lupus. One other cause of redness on the face is Seborrheic Dermatitis. Seb Derm is a form of dandruff on the face and is treated with topical medications that contain sulfer. I recommend that you visit your local dermatologist for the correct diagnosis as I cannot see your facial skin.
