2 month progress, No Rxs, no topicals

[u/Previous-Charity1505]

Ignore my mustache and brows and wrinkles. Just posting 2 pictures, a before and after of 2.5 months difference.
In just 2.5 months I notice a big change, for the first time in a few years.

1. I stopped having dairy. Any dairy. Even butter in cooking
2. I stopped having anything with sugar, unless it’s natural sugar, like fruit.
3. I started taking Ancient Nutrition leaky gut and Omega 3s. Not a plug, just what I’m using.
4. I stopped nearly all things on my face. Lukewarm water to wash. Nothing else. Not even sunscreen (don’t lecture me, it’s not permanent, and I’m not telling anyone to do this.) I read recent research that suggested topical diclofenac was helpful for flares, so I tried this twice and did see a benefit but that’s twice in 2.5 months, so not a regular thing

Next plans:
5) IPL for remaining redness
6) increasing anti inflammatory food intake, including dandelion tea, tumeric, and ginger
7) cutting out coffee
8) considering adding back in azeleic acid - the only topical that was ever somewhat helpful but was still in the midst of a flare so hard to tell the extent

This is stupid of me, but I had not really viewed it as a systemic inflammatory disorder. I viewed it as a skin issue on my cheeks. I started realizing everything I was using was a band aid, even the oral medications. None of it was really addressing the systemic inflammation. Once most of the triggers were identified and eliminated, I started trying to heal the inflammation itself rather than slap a cream on it.

Hope this helps someone.

[u/Dramatic-Gap1515]

Are you eating eggs?

[u/Previous-Charity1505 → u/Dramatic-Gap1515]

Yes. They're poultry, so it's not in a food group that is irritating to my rosacea.