I’ve been slowly coming off soolantra after amazing success (I wrote and entire topic of my die off journey here). I’ve been clear of oozies since.
However when I went to see a dermatologist several months ago he mentioned that soolantra is a known irritant and it’s generally recommended for use for only 4 months. So based on his advice I slowly cut back from my usage because I was very scared of becoming sensitised to it (and never being able to use it again and being stuck with untreatable oozers).
I think it’s been about 2 months since I stopped and I’m starting to get super itchy red bumps that come to a head but they aren’t oozing just yet. From the itch and the redness I can tell that this is the beginning of my oozers coming back again.
I’m rather convinced that demodex is the main cause of the oozers so I’ve been looking into other demodex treatments.
Ive been applying sudocrem as a face mask every day hoping it might help but I’ve since got a second itchy bump. That being said I have only used it for 2 days but will continue to give it a chance for 2 weeks (demodex lifecycle).
So In searching for other demodex treatments I found that apparently eyelash demodex is quite common and very easily treated with a solution of teatree oil! This method is based on a lot of literature studied regimens of treating demodex on the eyelashes.
I’ve been using ivermectin for about a year and a half, and it worked really well, very quickly. Since the main issue was gone, I’ve cut back to applying a tiny amount every other day or so. If I miss several days I notice them coming back - nothing major and nothing oozing but the first signs. I’m also worried about coming resistant to it.
I used to use tea tree regularly before I started ivermectin and it sorted of worked/helped dry them out, but they never fully went away and my chin was bad at the time. I put a few drops on micellar water. My skin is quite sensitive and it was always fine for me, but I know some people have strong reactions.
Worth a go I’d say but check your skin doesn’t react. I might also try and see if helps me go longer without needing the cream!
We all have different reactions/ triggers. I can only tell you that in my own life, Tea Tree oil made things 10x worse- especially on my scalp. Online, people like to call this “die off,” where you have to get worse before you can get better. But no, Tea tree just messed me up bad.
Also, do you think your doctor knows what they’re talking about? These doctors don’t know anything, nor do they care to know, about our condition. So, go ahead and take their word for it that Soolantra is bad for you. But it has invermectin in it which farmers use to treat livestock long term without any side effects. I’ve been using Soolantra for years and have had zero negative side effects. It is harmless to everyone except the mites.
I can actually get by without using soolantra at all, for the first time, in over two decades. I just can’t eat fruit or other histamine triggering foods like chocolate, tomato, avocado, etc. I also never eat sugar, and only drink water or wine- nothing else. My face stays clear. I also rinse my face with water instead of using soap.
So, take notes all you want, but you have to do your own tests. I was a really bad case with this condition, but diet and not washing my face with soap cured me. Until then, just use Soolantra. Most doctors ‘pretend’ to know what’s going on. That’s my two cents.
Yeah, I tried tea tree oil but it wasn’t really effective. Soolantra did the business for me and I’ve been using it for years without any issues like @misfit108. I did try to come off it some time ago but the bumps started returning after a few months so I caved and started the Soolantra again. Now, very occasionally I get a bump that hangs around for a few days but they don’t ooze and are not significant. The medical profession doesn’t seem to know too much about this condition and were somewhat stumped by my case even Rosacea specialists. I was given medication for a bacterial infection yet tests always came out negative. I believe others on this site have had similar experiences. So far Soolantra is the only thing that seems to work for me.
