Heat intolerance and facial flushing

[dazza999]

Not sure if this post belongs in the eczema, rosacea or the Ichthyosis section, but here goes.
I have very dry skin all over and have always had eczema on hands and in mid 30's developed dry flaky skin on shins. 4 years later this has spread to my whole body and I have been diagnosed recently with Ichthyosis Vulgaris (visual inspection only). About a year ago I started to get facial flushing and heat intolerance to the point where I had to go outside, have a cold drink etc. Any treatment suggestions please bearing in mind I would prefer to avoid steroid ointments from the neck up. I have tried Elidel recently which worked for a while, but now seems less effective.

[dazza999]

Thanks for your response. I'm a veggie so fish out of the question but am open to other sources of omega oils.
On this subjuct my dermatologist advised that Ichthyosis is a genetic and does not respond to diet, supplements etc and could only be treatmented topically. I endevour to include more in my diet.
Do you have any advise on the reducing facial flushing and redness?

[Wendy Green]

Hi Dazza999,

Apparently in rare cases the skin thickening and scaling caused by Ichthyosis can affect the body's sweating mechanism, which can lead to overheating; this could be why you are experiencing facial flushing and heat intolerance.

Wearing thin layers of clothing so that you can remove one layer when you overheat and carrying a hand-held fan in your handbag could help you deal with these symptoms; holding your wrists under the cold water tap is another way to cool down quickly. You could also try carrying a minispray filled with rosewater and spraying your face and neck with it whenever you feel hot and bothered.

I agree with Dr Murad - it's always a good idea to lubricate the skin both from the inside and the outside by eating a diet rich in Essential Fatty Acids and using a rich moisturiser or oil - preferably one without perfumes or chemicals - to avoid irritating your skin further. Petroleum jelly, or a natural oil such as olive oil, is ideal. Avoid using harsh, scented soaps or shower gels - choose gentle, moisturising types instead.

Central heating can make skin dryness worse - you could try using a portable home humidifier to add moisture to the air in your home.

I hope this helps you

Wendy

[Dr Anton Alexandroff]

Dear Dazza999,

Thank you for your question. I wonder if in addition to other skin conditions you also developed Rosacea.
What does make you to flush? Do you have spots on your face?

with best wishes,
Dr Anton Alexandroff MRCP(UK) PhD FAAD FRSM
Consultant Dermatologist in Leicester and Bedford
www.alexandroff.org.uk
twitter @bedford_skin_dr
blog: http://privatehealthnews.co.uk/category ... rmatology/

[dazza999]

My only experience of facial flushing/erythema is in connection with heat.
This includes spicy foods and exercising as well as just being in hot rooms. I have also noticed that I sweat a lot more from the very top of my head than anywhere else. I do sweat from other areas but the head is always first. After a 30 min run I will be a deep red colour from the neck up which takes around an hour to calm down and will be sweating quite a lot from the top of the head. When I'm getting hot I can feel my cheeks and forehead warming up. As I mentioned the elidel (1%) has helped a little in terms of reducing the burning sensation and the redness a little quick has been great. I was first prescribed this about 12 weeks ago and have been using twice a day as directed. The last couple of weeks the effectiveness seems to have reduced.

I do not have any spots on my face but have a reddish skin from the neck up. The area around the temples is alittle lighter in colour. I have recently had allergy tests and I'm allergic to benzophenone 3. i have checked all my skin care products and there is no sign of this.

I'm glad that summer is drawing to an end as I feel a lot more comforatable in the cooler weather although it's not great for the dry skin.

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

Hi dazza999, sorry to hear of your troubles. Have you looked into corticosteroid addiction? A lot of it seems to fit (burning sensation, dilating blood vessels in the face (red skin), later life onset of Ichthyosis, reduced effectiveness of topical treatments like Protopic). There's no harm in reading up a little.

[Dr Anton Alexandroff]

Dear dazza999,

you are describing typical symptoms of flushing rosacea. There is no licensed good treatment for flushing rosacea in the UK yet but we expect the first (and very effective and fast acting, topical) treatment to be licensed in the UK in early 2014! It is already licensed and can be imported from the USA through companies registered to import medications to the UK (Mirvaso® (brimonidine) topical gel; http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2 ... ed-Topical). It is difficult to import it of course but all is well it should become widely available in the UK in 2014.

meanwhile excessive sweating can be effectively treated with iontophoresis.

I hope this is helpful.
With best wishes,
Dr Anton Alexandroff MRCP(UK) PhD FAAD FRSM
Consultant Dermatologist in Leicester and Bedford
www.alexandroff.org.uk
twitter @bedford_skin_dr
blog: http://privatehealthnews.co.uk/category ... rmatology/