out of the closet on rosacea & sex

[Guest guest]

Okay. I confess I also responded to Sal's question privately. Geez, I can't believe that I, who was too shy to post on my other e-mail list (exercise related) am posting on this subject. Sal deserved an answer but I had read too many weird stories about cyber-sex discussions to feel comfortable posting to the entire group.

But here goes. When I was diagnosed with rosacea I read everything I could find about rosacea, information written for laymen and also written for physcians. I was immediately struck by the deafening silence concerning sex. I thought to my self "How can sex NOT be a trigger?" Flushing is a classic sign of a sexual climax. And of course anytime someone without rosacea flushes, we're flushing 100x worse.

There has already been some discussion on whether sex as a trigger is a friction or hormonal phenomenon. I don't see why it would have to be either/or. Why couldn't it be a combination of both?

Certainly friction is part of the explanation. Just affectionate kissing and nuzzling (even by a freshly shaven husband) puts bumps and welts on my face. It is a family joke. My children will say "Oh, Daddy's been kissing Mommy again." I have said to my husband, " We're going to have to be like Gomez and Morticia. When you're feeling affectionate start kissing my hand, and STOP before you get to the neck."

I'm going to experiment with antihistimines and cold compresses (afterwards). No this is not romantic, but what about rosacea is?

My husband and I married early and have been together over 20 years. He is a peach about my rosacea (and everything else). My most explicit comment on this subject is as follows: face-to-face positions create the most friction and definitely cause me more problems. I won't get more specific than that, I promise.