SHAILENE WOODLEY - Joshua Zeichner

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"MY MOTHER
SOLD MY
VIRGINITY"
r
i
ROAD TEST
FEELING
FLUSH?
A new drug promises to subdue
the rosiness caused by rosacea in minutes.
MARTHA McCULLYgets her red-hot fix
192
MARIECLAIRE.COM April 2014
HERE'S AN APP in
England called
Drinking Time
Machine that projects
the ruddiness of
your face—and celebrities' faces—10 years out
based on current alcohol consumption. Log
in and you'll see Madonna all blotchy and
red. There's model Katie Price, flushed and
haggard. And although the app may exaggerate the effects, there is some truth to the
notion that drinking causes redness, especially if, like Renee Zellweger, Cynthia
Nixon, and me, you're one of the estimated
16 million Americans with rosacea.
Just last night, after indulging in a few
Hawaiian ponzu chips washed down with
wine, I felt a flush on my face. This was not a
flirty blush where no one really notices, but
the red-hot explosion kind where friends stop
mid-conversation to ask what's wrong. The
wine, or maybe a spice or MSG lurking in
the chips' "natural flavors," had triggered my
scarlet mask of shame. And it wasn't the
first time I had experienced a full-on fiery
reaction. For more than two decades, I've
suffered from a general redness on my face
that can be aggravated or subdued depending
on the varietal of my wine, the spiciness of
my shrimp fra diavolo, or the steaminess of
a steam room. I've never had to wear blush—
I have my own.
In search of help, I've tried many treatments, including topical antibacterial drugs
like Metrogel and Finacea, sulfur washes, and
the antibiotic doxycycline. So when I heard
about Mirvaso, a new prescription drug from
Galdcrma that treats the underlying redness
of rosacea, I was overjoyed. But I tried to
contain my excitement because emotions,
too, can trigger a flush.
I made an appointment with Dr. Joshua
Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical
research in dermatology at Mount Sinai
Medical Center in New York City, to see if he
would hook me up with a prescription. As he
examined my skin, he told me more about my
condition. "It basically means that your skin
barrier isn't working up to par and there's an
overactivity of the immune system and the
blood vessels in the skin," he said. Extremes in
weather, sunlight, exercise, and hot beverages
can all set off a reaction. And the list goes on:
smoking, dairy, caffeine, chocolate, hormones. In other words, anything that causes
blood vessels to dilate, according to Zeichner. Or, according to me, anything fun.
But Zeichner says the Mirvaso can help. It's
a topical gel that contains the drug brimonidine,
which works on the persistent redness or
"erythema" of rosacea by constricting facial
blood vessels' walls to lessen blood flow so
skin appears less ruddy. It's the same general
concept at work in Visine drops that reduce pink
how
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in your eyes. All I have to do is apply (wine), while bike riding (sun), or durthe gel in a thin coat all over my face ing yoga (exercise), my "flush" seems
once a day, and it supposedly starts to hotter and redder than ever before.
work within as little as 30 minutes.
"Some people get a rebound flushThe first time I try it is on my way ing once the drug wears off," says Dr.
out to dinner. On the subway down- Harold Lancer, a Beverly Hills dermatown, I feel a slight chill on my tologist. "Your initial results gave
skin as the Mirvaso kicks in. I keep the false impression it was a longchecking my pocket mirror and watch- term, slam-dunk solution—it's not,"
ing as my complexion becomes paler he says. Instead, he suggests using
and paler, in a very good way. By Mirvaso as an adjunct effort along with
the time I arrive at the restaurant lifestyle changes. "It's part of the meal,"
30 minutes later, I am a convert. Lancer says, "but not the main course."
Dr. Philip Brown, senior vice presiFor a month, I experience the thrill
of my skin evening out within minutes dent of medical and regulatory affairs
of applying my morning
at Galderma, says 4 perMirvaso. It only works for
cent of patients in MirI quickly
about 12 hours while it's
vaso trials experienced
become
on (if I wash my face, the
the adverse reaction of
redness comes back), but
accustomed redness. He stresses that
it's fast and noticeable.
the drug works quickly
to having
And, as with any good
to treat redness, a sympdrug, I initially find it ad- my facial tone tom of rosacea, but does
dictive, at least psychologinot cure the condition.
match the (He
cally. I quickly become
also assures me of
accustomed to having my
rest of my the drug's safety after
facial tone match the rest
than six years of clinbody—what a more
of my body—what a conical trials and the FDA apconcept!
cept! An unexpected downproval it received in 2013.)
side is that any little marks
Zeichner remains optinot associated with my redness, like mistic. He says he'll continue to prescribe
sunspots and the little spider veins on Mirvaso to those who have subtle, backmy cheek, appear more pronounced. But ground redness when they wake up and
overall I am in heaven, with an even- look in the mirror, even before triggers set
toned complexion that shows off my it off. However, he emphasizes the imporItalian ancestry more than my Scottish. tance of seeing a dermatologist who has
Sadly, my visit to skin paradise is experience treating the condition,
beautiful but brief. After four glorious because Mirvaso is best used as part
weeks, I put Mirvaso to the ultimate of a regimen that can include other
test: Flywheel class. I apply it a half- treatments like oral antibiotics and
hour before I get on the bike. After the topical antibacterial drugs, which
45-minute class, I share the details of also address bumps and pimples assomy dream-cream trial with my friend. ciated with rosacea, and lasers that mini"You look like you're having a stroke" is mize the appearance of blood vessels.
his polite response. I head to the
As for me, I'm keeping my tube of Mirbathroom mirror to see red blotches all vaso—coveting it, actually. It still seems to
over my face and flee from the studio reduce my redness as long as I don't use it
with a towel over my head. My redness daily, so it's there for an important interhas returned—and with a vengeance. view or a special date when I don't want
In fact, from then on, after dinner the wine to make me look like a lush, me
KEEP CALM AND CARRY THESE
BEFORE YOU HEAD TO THE DOCTOR, SWITCH TO A CLEANSER FOR
SENSITIVE SKIN AND TRY THE LATEST NONPRESCRIPTION TREATMENTS
2
Au'iif
,
Murad.
*ln a Murad sponsored study. Individual results will vary.
Study results on file. "Available while supplies last.
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