I have suffered from this condition for six years now. It mainly affects my cheeks by my nose, chin, eyebrows and temples. And also, for about 5 years, I struggled with find effective ways to prevent and minimize flare ups. I've been to the dermatologist and have tried EVERY prescription used for this with no luck. But I have finally found a combination that works for me, and I wanted to share it with the forum in case anyone else here suffers from this chronic condition. First, keeping your skin clean is a requirement. Get in the habit of washing the commonly affected areas daily, even when you are not experiencing an outbreak. For me, I've found that its best if I wash twice a day, once in the morning after waking up and once right before bed. After having tried more soaps and cleansers over the years, I found only one soap that works - Dawn Antibacterial Hand soap. It's a harsh soap but it's the only thing that works for me. I wash for two minutes, not using a rag and not scrubbing (I find scrubbing irritates the skin and can trigger an outbreak). I simply put about a dime size drop of soap in my hands, and then lather my face for a few minutes with warm water. The be sure to pat the area dry. During outbreaks, I will follow with a wash with Denorex Coal Tar Shampoo with menthol. I don't know why, but it works wonders. But with this, I will not wash in water. Instead, with my clean and dry, I will lather the affected areas in a thin coat of the shampoo, being sure to rub it in a little. I will let it sit for about 2-3 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Again, pat dry. Using this has GREATLY shortened recovery time. I use to experience out breaks that would last a week or more. Now, because I wash with these, an outbreak is usually gone completely within 24-48 hours. WARNING: If you use the Denorex, it will burn. It feels like putting IcyHot on your balls (not that's I've ever done that). But it is a lesser discomfort than alcohol on an open wound. Now, because both of these products will dry the hell out of your skin, I usually finish up with some lotion. AVOID Oil-based lotions and lotions that contain alcohol. Use only a water-based lotion! The oil in oil-based lotions will only make your inflammation worse. And alcohol will irritate the skin, also aiding inflammation. Since I've been doing this routine, I have a breakout about once a month or so, and it only lasts a day or two at most. Before I started, I was having outbreaks constantly. I spent about 95% of my time suffering with the symptoms and effects. Now it's less than 2-3%. Additional tips: - Change your bed sheets on a weekly basis. Because my face is the area prone to outbreaks, I change my pillow case every 7 days when not affected, and every two days when affected. - Diet has a lot to do with it. Avoid alcohol as much as possible. Also, sugar is our enemy. The more you reduce your sugar intake, the more you reduce chance of an outbreak. I'm hoping this helps others out there. It took me almost 6 years and a lot of trial and error to find a combination of things that would work. But I've been doing this routine for almost a year now and it's been very beneficial.
