[ashli]

hi again. so last night (saturday) i was at my boyfriends house, when my face just flared up! my cheeks have always been red, and my face does go very red pretty much every night, but last night was the worst its been. i always thought it was rosacea, but i thought id ask everyones advice!
hope you can help. Thanks
xxx

sorry for the 4 photos. i didnt know which was best

 

[Lily]

Hi Ashli,

Well done on getting such good photos. I'm no doc and especially not a Dermatologist, but your rash is definitely in the classic malar pattern which is found in lupus. It is sparing the nasal folds. Of course it's hard to tell things from photos but they are at least good pics and should be helpful. Good work on getting these before your Rheumy appt. You will be well prepared

love
Lily

 

[onetay]

ashli,
I would say that is a lupus rash, but what do I know lol. You should contact your doctor and show him the pictures if it has went away by monday. I would ask him what you can do when this happens? I have a cream that I can apply to areas like that but it can not be used on the face. I hope that you find an answer to your rash and that it is an easy one other than live with it lol. Let us know how things go.

 

[Joandublin]

Hi Ashli

I agree that you did very well to get these photos of your rash. It does follow the classic lines of a malar rash so it would be useful for your Rheumy to study when you get to see him.

The best of luck at your upcoming appointment! Let us know how you get on

Take care
Joan:rose:

 

[Clare.T]

Hello ashli
They are very good photos and this could well be a lupus rash. It isn't affecting the folds where the nose meets the cheeks as rosacea tends to do but that is very rare in lupus. It's even more likely to be lupus if you have been treating for rosacea without success.
By the way, I am guessing you have eye make up on and your eyelids aren't really that colour? :hehe:
It's worth mentioning not to wear nail polish and remove all make up before the consultation if you have to wear it for the trip there. The reason is that doctors will look at your hands and nails for abnormalities that can be clues and they need to see the state of your skin clearly. Purply eyelids can be a sign of a muscle disease.

Cheers
Clare

 

[ashli]

haha. no i did have make up on ill be sure not to wear any, thanks!

thanks also for the help. i was panicky when it just sprung up, and thought you all would be able to help a bit, which you have! thanks

ive been taking photos of all my rashes and urticaria to take with me, he's going to have a lot to look at!

im not visiting the doctor today as my mum realised that the doc said she or my aunt WOULD phone if my new results came through, after that mess with the receptionist before. so we dont think its my new ones, as she would get my aunt to tell me either way. luckily she is in today and tomorrow so ill find out whats happening!
thanks again for the help, i so appreciate it
xxxx

 

[eddie001]

ive been taking photos of all my rashes and urticaria to take with me, he's going to have a lot to look at!

OMG! Thanks! I had never heard of uticaria and I looked it up. I get that on my back from the sun. There have been times when it was so bad that I scratched right through my skin.

Sun, rash.
No sun, no rash.

It hadn't occurred to me it could be related to everything else.

Thanks.

 

[KarolH]

Yup, looks like a malar rash to me also.

Let us know how you get along.

Brilliant photos.

 

[Clare.T]

Hello Ashli

Looking at your photos again, it looks like there might be an affected area on your upper lip in the middle. That too is more like lupus than rosacea in my non medical opinion. My upper lip was the first area most obviously affected.

Cheers
Clare

 

[Clare.T]

I'm pleased to meet you Eddie

What you describe could be an unusual form of lupus skin called
bullous (blistering) lupus that usually occurs on sun exposed areas. The first clue to lupus sometimes occurs when a person goes to hospital after sun exposure and there is an astute physican on hand.
One source says the blisters range from 3-40cms in diameter but 40 cms is one humungous blister :hehe: so maybe it meant 3-4 cms.

Lupus specific skin problems are one of only four lupus specific signs. A biopsy can often show if it is lupus related even from unexposed unaffected skin such as a buttock or exposed unaffected skin such as inner forearm.
A 'must' on your list of possible symptoms. You might also notice a flare of your symptoms after sun exposure even if there is no skin reaction, such as nausea or joint aches and pains.

Clare

 

[eddie001]

I'm pleased to meet you Eddie
You might also notice a flare of your symptoms after sun exposure even if there is no skin reaction, such as nausea or joint aches and pains.
Clare

Thanks Clare for filling me in. My comment was in amazement and I didn't intend to hijack Ashli's thread.

I do get joint pains in the sun. I'm a bit dim sometimes and it took me ages to figure that out. I hadn't even heard of Lupus yet. Several days running it was vicious in my knees after sitting in the sun (I live in a very sunny place). I couldn't walk for a while. Before that and most of the rest of the time what I get from the sun affects my knees and my fingers, but is mild pain-wise. Notable joint pain for me is only a few months old.

My back rash has been going since my late teens. It's one of those things which has been there so long and become so normal, that it just got missed out completely when mentioning things to doctors.

 

[ashli]

hiya. thanks again for the help!
Eddie - i didnt think my urticaria was related either! until i read into lupus a bit and found it was a symptom! i hope you manage to get help with it!!

Clare T - where do you see something on my lip? is it the small redness over the wee curve? ( i have no idea what the middle bit is called )
ive been getting the rash pretty much nightly, and today i noticed its visible even with make up on, and is on the bridge of my nose a wee bit.
only 2 weeks till rheumy tho!!

thanks again, you've all been great xx

also. i have an appointment to see one of my 2 docs, who know about the problems. should i show the photos of the rash?
do you think they'll give me any pain meds this time? ive had to leave work early and avoid going out due to the pain she didnt want to give me any before my rhuemy.

thanks again

 

[greenhaggis]

Ashli,

Yes, do show photos to GP and definately copy some more so that you can leave copies with your rhuemi when you see them. Its good for them to keep copies in your files!

If you feel you need better pain management then go for it and insist!

Hope your using Suncream all year on exposed skin!

 

[ashli]

Hi Lesley, i will do. im hoping that these photos will help to get a solid diagnosis! im still waiting on my blood results tho
im not using sun cream, should i be?
we havent had sun up here since october!
x

 

[doris999]

Hi Ash,
i like you waiting for a diagnosis, ****** frustrating, well, yes you should use strong spf sun lotion factor 70 or more if you can get it, cos i can't go in the sun either, but when i do i use lotion and cover up as well, long trousers & long sleeves, hat.
i do have discoid lupus, so i know there is something going on with me.
better to be safe than sorry.

sandra....

 

[doris999]

Hi, me again, i live in Canada and i find even in the winter sun, my skin will turn red very quickly.
with lupus it's a year round thing, also lighting in buildings will effect the skin as well.

sandra....

 

[Clare.T]

Hello Ashli
It seems there is no special name for the middle of the lips except "Cupid's Bow" The vertical groove that runs from the bottom of the nose to the lips is called the philtrum. Yes I meant that it looks a bit red in the photos where the philtrum meeets the Cupid's Bow

You certainly should be wearing broad spectrum sun screen that protects from UVA as well as UVB. In the UK the UVA protection level is shown by a star rating system with 5 the maximum. The SPF is only for UVB rays

It doesn't matter what climate you live in, however little sunshine there is UVA comes through cloud the same all year round and through windows too. I got one of the worst sunburns in my life on the west coast of Scotland. It was very hot and close but overcast and you couldn't see the sun. That was years before lupus of course.

Many of us apply our sunscreen as part of our daily skin care routine. Many effective ones are invisible these days.



Clare