MAJOR GROSS FACTOR here. I’ll write about the picture first and leave plenty of space that you can skip past the picture if you really don’t want to be totally grossed out. If you have a weak stomach you’ll not want to look at this one.

I had an appointment with the dermatologist yesterday to see what’s going on with my face which is red and itchy! I’ve had several people tell me they think it’s rosacea (sp?), but she doesn’t think so because it presents with a different type of rash. Some have suggested it could be a skin lupus which is evidently much different than regular lupus, but supposedly it would NOT be itchy if it were that and my face is extremely itchy. She doesn’t really know what it is yet, but she gave me some antibiotics to try for a month as well as some anti-itch and anti-inflammatory medicine in a cream.

It’s still VERY ITCHY today, but maybe slightly better than yesterday. I can not use ANYTHING on my skin that isn’t hypoallergenic so.. that means I can’t use any of my normal makeup, face soap, or moisturizer. I bought some Vanicream moisturizer and some Color Essence makeup yesterday since I have to have SOMETHING to try to cover up the red rash on my face if I’m going to be out and about anywhere in public (notice I didn’t post a picture of the red rash on my face.

I’ve been planning to buy some mineral makeup sometime, but just haven’t gotten around to ordering any online since it’s so hard to tell what color I should order. Now that I have the Color Essence I should be able to compare it and find something similar in the Bare Mineral line which my friend, Emily, has been wanting me to try for a long time. Everyday she does a feature on her blog about what she’s wearing and sometimes a how-to apply or use a certain product.

Supposedly, and again I haven’t had time to research this much, the Color Essence is made by the same lady who used to own Bare Minerals, but Color Essence is more refined (and I think a little more expensive). I do know that I like the container that Color Essence comes in. The powder automatically goes into the brush from the bottom of the container and you don’t have to tap any off from the brush risking losing any of it or spilling the container which is what would probably happen to me. The place where I bought the Color Essence told me that the refill the for about 1/2 the regular price. It takes so little that this should last a very long time. I won’t even try it until the next time I go to town, but I’ll let you know how I like it after I’ve had a chance to use it.

Ok.. so that’s why I was at the dermatologist… remember you’ll not want to look at this next picture if you have a weak stomach! While I was there I showed her this “thing” on my arm. She didn’t think it looked like anything much to worry about, but when I told her that I scrape it off with a razor every week and have been doing that for the last 4-5 months she said SHE would take it off permanently (LOL)! So, now I have a nice hole in my arm. It really doesn’t hurt, but it looks horrible. She did send it off to the pathology department, but again, she doesn’t expect it to be anything at all.

I made the mistake of looking at it after I left the office and I was SHOCKED at how deep she went to cut it out! I’m sure glad it didn’t hurt! And, I wish I would have taken a picture of it before I went it. There. Now you have WAY more information about me than I normally give out!