Women, Rhino & Ocular cea

[Guest guest]

Dear Group

Women do get rhinophyma. Dr. Nase talks about this in his book as well

as in previous posts. There are numerous women on this board, including

myself, who have mild cases. It is not always the end stage of rosacea;

in fact, rhinophyma can exist without rosacea (my grandmother had

rhinophyma, not rosacea). I have corresponded with several women who

have rhinophyma, and we all display the same symptoms: mild

inflammation & nose swelling, especially in the morning. Some of us

also have experienced nose shape change, if not actual enlargement. I'm

not talking about W.C. Fields here, but our noses have definitely

changed -- and rather quickly at that.

Most doctors will tell you that women do not get rhinophyma. I have

heard this and read this many, many times. But this is not the position

of the Director of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic or my current derm,

who is treating me aggressively with low-dose accutane and V-Beam.

If you don't believe that women get rhinophyma, start looking around

you. There are a lot of women out there with bulbous, bumpy, red noses.

If you think you might have rhinophyma and especially if you have a

family history (as I do), don't mess around with a lot of products that

will hasten the condition (like AHA's & BHA's) or hot compresses (which

I used for ocular rosacea and which helped to trigger the rhinophyma).

In fact, don't put anything on your nose except sunscreen (I use Oil of

Olay Complete -- Fragrance Free). And get a good, knowledgeable derm who

knows something about accutane and laser.

Matija just posted an article in which a leading expert on rhinophyma

discusses its dramatic increase.

I'm not trying to scare people, but I believe that I triggered this

disease with kickboxing, AHA's and hot compresses.

I am responding well to treatment, but still have a long way to go.

Heidi