help with buterfly

hi im new to this . i ve had lupus for some years and learning to live with it but the buterfly rash is getting more noticed, i ve tried all sorts of make up with no success yet. can anyone recommend any good ones or do i have to carry on red faced

Hello Lizzy

There's any number of effective make ups some specially designed for camouflage and even a few specially designed for lupus Patients. I like Revlon's Colorstay- it comes in a wide range of shades which can be mixed and it can be reapplied. You might find a mineral powder useful and you will need to use blusher carefully to put back the natural color variations in your face and avoid a mask look, odd as it sounds. I put the Colorstay on after applying my sun block.

I use the Elidel ointment too. I don't know about liver cancer patients though & I think the doctor meant that the medicine is used for transplant patients. The cream is used for eczema I think. It can be very helpful for actual skin lesions and doesn't have the side effects of a corticosteroid cream such as thinning the skin and causing expansion of tiny vessels, spider vein effect. However it also needs to be used very sparingly and is photosensitising so special care needs to be taken with sun avoidance and protection. I dont use it in the summer. Personally I wouldn't use it simply for red skin Eucerin make a very good range for red skin and their red skin cleansing lotion is brilliant for removing the Revlon makeup. The night cream seems helpful too.

The addition of Quinacrine to Plaquenil or chloroquine can be very helpful for lupus skin problems that haven't responded to Plaquenil. Unfortunately sometimes redness becomes permanent if the very tiny vessels have been damaged.

I am sure you will find many links if you google cosmetic camouflage and look at the LFA site which is currently advertising a range made specially for lupus skin with a percentage of the profits going to the LFA

Good Luck !
BB

Hi Lizzy, Welcome

Everyone on this forum is so very helpful with any question you might have.  It's a great place to come to.

I have also used Elidel, as I had a rash also on my eyelids.  It helped tremendously.  Now I only use hydrocortisone, over the counter when needed.  Since starting Plaquenil three years ago, most of my skin problems have cleared up.

As far as concealer goes, I use Dermablend.  I use a small makeup sponge to apply it and it works great for me.  You can also go online or to the Dermablend counter in most department stores and they will send or give you samples.  There are lots of colors to choose from also.

Some people don't like it because they think it is too thick.  But if you follow the directions for applying, you can put as little or as much as you need.  There are many concealers out there, it's just finding the right one that best suits your needs.   Good luck   AnnieRae

Hi Lizzy,

My apologizes, I apparently misread your post from the beginning, I didn't realize you were looking for makeup to cover the redness. I thought you were looking for something to take it away, that is why I mentioned the Elidel. As far as makeups, the other ladies have offered some great advice.

Again, sorry, I will try and read a little closer next time. Don't hesitate to call me out for reading things wrong guys, I'm totally okay with it. I'm human and make mistakes and don't mind owning up to them.

Have a great day pain free day everyone!

Melissa D.

Hello again

I do think we have to try out to find what suits us best so if you can return the make up that's a great plus, or if you can get a qualified person to help you chose shades and learn to apply the make up. There are special techniques, like dotting it on and finger tapping it to blend carefully. Also make sure to extend it down your neckline and under your ears and even on your earlobes. Don't forget sun screen on the ears too if your hair or hat doesn't protect them.

It is very individual. I found coverblend too heavy for my very delciate and fragile skin and i had ro rub too much to get it off, or maybe I didn't have the right remover product because I bought a color sample kit. It did take me a long time to find the right shade dark enough fto cover the skin problems but light enough to look natural as my natural skin is very fair but the lesions very red.

I found the Clinique came off over everything. Estee Lauder do a very good camouflage but I found it very drying.

Look for yellow tints, although modern makeup is much better this way.

Good Luck !

BB

Hey Lizzie,

Welcome to the group.  Hope you can find the makeup you need to cover the redness.  i look forward to reading your posts.

hester