California’s diverse landscape is now on my face
Posted on June 29, 2009
Filed Under Daily, Life in L.A. | 16 Comments
The other night as I was washing my face getting ready for bed, I noticed that there were some rough, bumpy patches of skin along my jaw line, and on the lower half of my cheeks. Naturally, I pressed my face up to the mirror until I was nearly cross-eyed, and tugged at my skin trying to get a good look at what it was. It sort of had the consistency of hives, only smaller, and not as itchy. The Boss said it looked a little red, but not to worry about it. He said it was probably just my body reacting to a new climate and water.
The next morning, it hadn’t gone away, and in fact, it was climbing up the side of my face. I washed my face, and covered it in olive oil, since it’s a natural healing agent, and mentioned in prophetic traditions.
I decided to log onto the Web to see if a group of virtual doctors could diagnose my condition. The Internet says I have a mild form of a condition called Melasma, which can appear on your skin (most often on your cheeks and forehead) with prolonged exposure to the sun.
First, these tiny little bumps appeared, and started to itch.
Then the texture started changing, and my skin became dry.
Then it started to spread.
In a city where you pretty much need a car to survive, I’ve been doing just fine so far with my sneakers, and a backpack to carry groceries. I left my car back in Northern Virginia, so I’ve been walking everywhere during the day, running errands and exploring the city. My daily moisturizer has SPF 15 in it, but apparently that’s child’s play for the California sun. The doctor I met at that dinner party said to start using SPF 40, and use a little cortisone as I see fit. It’s also good for me to avoid the sun for a few days until my skin heals.
The Boss got me Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion in SPF 55, which he and I have both started using, and I’ve limited my exploratory walks for now. I’m still using a quarter-sized drop of olive oil on my face first thing in the morning, a dab of cortisone before bed, and thank The Good Lord, it’s starting to get better, ya’ll!
I wanted to bring this up for a few reasons. First, researchers say it’s important to get small doses of Vitamin D from the sun, which you can do by sitting in the sun without sunblock for 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. After that, you need to apply sunscreen to the exposed parts of your body, 30 minutes before you go outside.
Second, just because you have a darker complexion, and your 89 year old grandmother only has four wrinkles (which mine does — she’s gorgeous) that doesn’t mean that you’re immune to the harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays.
Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone looks better with a tan, but there’s a difference between a little extra pigment that makes your skin glow, and possible long-term negative effects of prolonged exposure to the sun, and tanning beds. If you don’t care about your health, then do it for your vanity. Women who spend excessive amounts of time in the sun without taking the proper precautions to care for their skin, will be playing hostess to dark spots and wrinkles at a much younger age.
Now, go put on your sunblock, and in the wise words of my father-in-law, “Go buy one of those fancy hats that the Mexicans wear.”
UPDATE: Apparently it’s not Melasma. I haven’t gone to a doctor yet, but one of my readers (doing her residency in dermatology) my sister, and her fiance (both med students) are telling me that’s not what it is.
Well, I guess this is goodbye, Melasma.
Goodbye, forever.
Hey, wait! Then what’s on my face?
Anyone?
Comments
16 Responses to “California’s diverse landscape is now on my face”
Leave a Reply
not trying to go against what your doctor said, but that does not look like melasma. Melasma is usually a darker discoloration of the skin, and more common in women during pregnancy, ect. The treatment is not just cortisone, but usually a combined retinoid/steroid/skin lightening agent (i.e. triluma)…what you have looks for like polymorphous light eruption. If the cortisone is working I would definitely continue it, steroid creams are a mainstay of treatments in dermatology. (I’m a dermatology resident, btw…and I just started reading your website bc a friend sent me a link)
Ahh, Californian Sun!
Just swimming for an hour or 2 and I become 3 shades darker
I’ve never worn much sunscreen as a kid (SPF 15? I’ve never seen anything below 35 before..), but since I don’t want to look like a grandma before I’m even a mom maybe I should…
Insha’allah it’ll go away soon!
You should go see a dermatologist/doctor/anyone! just in case.
Get better soon!
whatever it is, it’s also probably partially, if not fully, a reaction to the change of environment, similar things can happen when you travel. the water u use to wash your face, the air (smog), the more intense sun, the heat (maybe, i don’t know if it was hotter in VA), even the veg u buy at ralphs could all be having an effect on your overall system….i say drink a lot of water and stronger sun block, and it will go away after it has adjusted to the new environment….maybe, at least, just my guess!
Its what my dadi/nani called “garmi lagai”.
It reminds me of what babies will get when its super hot outside.
But yes, definitely the sun is horrible in the west and south, be careful. Might I suggest carrying an umbrella? I know it looks dumb, but it lets you do whatever you want while being in the shade!
I’d like to know as well.. I think I’ve got something similar and I have dark skin… maybe it’s the change in weather.
I wonder if it could be a patch of Eczema or Allergic Dermatitis rash? Is it on both sides of the face or any other place on your body? Hopefully it’s just a prickly heat rash and will go away soon. That’s certainly no fun. I hope you get it checked out if it doesn’t go away.
Hi Sabah. It’s just on my face, and yeah, probably a heat rash. It’s gotten much better, so hopefully it will go away completely in a few days. If not, I’ll definitely find a doctor.
Your skin looks fine! You probably had flawless skin before so this slight rash is driving you crazy hehe. Hope it all works out
Hi, I have the same thing on my face ; its ony my chin and and on my cheaks they showed up two days ago. I put some cocoa butter on it the nite they appeared and that didnt seam to really do anything. Then i put some cortazone on it this morning. I really don’t know how to make it go away. It turns dry and becomes white if i scratch it or rub it. I’m eighteen and ive never had this before. Can some one please help me
Hi Jean. I think it might just take a little time, and less sun exposure to go away. That’s what worked with me. Try picking up some sunblock (the Aveeno one I linked to in the post is really great) and try using some olive oil on your face at night. I think my rash (or whatever it was) was just due to the sudden change in climate since I moved to L.A. from the east coast. If you don’t notice any improvement after a couple weeks of using sunblock daily, and olive oil at night before bed (after you wash your face) then you should probably talk to a dermatologist. Good luck:)
Thank you, I forgot all about my comment. The day after i posted my comment i Put some olay daily mosturizing cream on my face. I then put it on again that night before i went to bed. That morning i woke up and everything was gone. It didnt come back either. Thanks for the advice anyways i really appricate it!
Cant wait to try it out, wish me luck.
hi there i have the same thing i mean like exactly the same thing but its on my cheek and nose and spreading to the other side and on to my other cheek and i just started landscaping.i went to get it checked out today but all of the doctors offices are closed for 2days and it is really buging me i wanna kno if u figured anything out like my nose feels are raw and crusty its pritty nasty
so have you figured out what this is?i have it toO!! and it just started yesterday!
Hey!
I was on the computer for hours trying to figure out what was wrong with my face and i came across your site! I went to the doctor and he sais it was eczema patches so I’m using a cortisone cream, but was wondering if you used it over your whole cheek area, did it make your skin dry, do you have to wash your face differently, and can you wear sunscreen on top of the cream? I would really appreciate your tips. Thanks!
Retinoids are great on the skin but don;t use it if you are pregnant or has plans to become pregnant.,’.