hi everyone
I have had this on my face for a while...for the past 6-7 months or so i've been trying to treat it, I feel like i've tried everything. it's been getting worse and worse and now looks horrific.
does this look like acne or perioral dermatitus an allergic reaction rash to something im eating or what?
it's only around my mouth area. some are round spots discolored spots other are larger brighter red spots. once a while they will puss up but they never seem to heal for good and always return..over the past few month more and more have been popping up, now they've never been more red
i really feel like im at my wits end here
I exercise constantly, take vitamins, healthy diet, tons of fruits, vegetables, etc.
thanks in advance
it could be perioral dermatitis. you will need to see a derm to be sure but if so i would change your toothpaste and see if that helps. have you been using anything new on your face at all? also are you moisturzing more than normal? i had perioral dermatitis that ended up spreading all over my face and i had to take 200mg of doxycycline a day and use nizoral shampoo (you can try selsun blue if you cant get a script for it) and i wasn't allowed to use any products on my face except for clindamycin.
Looks like perioral dermatitis. What most dermatologists do for this is give you a few months on an antibiotic like doxycycline and also tell you to completely cut out Sulfates (such as Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate) from your toothpaste as well as flavorings (cinnamon, peppermint, wintergreen, etc.). Must also stop using mouthwash entirely.
The only toothpaste my derm knew of that fit that bill is called Squigle (google it).
Thanks for the replys
I have had this lingering for a while now, maybe over a year and have tried things like apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, honey masks, etc. Sometimes it looks better but it doesn't last long. I've been growing my facial hair out and remembered today how awful it makes the rash stand out, so I had to shave it...Lol 4 weeks of growth for nothing.
Lately i've been using garlic,aloe vera and vitamin E and things seem to have been getting worse so I cut everything out. I also have been using a teeth whitening gel that I suspect might be a factor in flare ups, trashed it today.
I am in the middle of obtaining health insurance so I will be seeing a dermatoligst sometime within the next few months once my app gets approved, I have heard nixoderm is good but haven't tried it. Will
About 3 months ago I purchased a brand of toothpaste called JASON powersmile it's free of SLS & flouride. I already used SLS free shampoo/conditioner, however JUST TODAY I realized the shaving cream I have been using for over a year now has SLS in it. Come to think of it this rash really started once I switched shaving creams. I also began using a lot of teeth whitening mouthwashes and whitening gels around the same time.
I eat lots of mints, including LOTS winteergreen mints, and latley been eating lots of left over candy canes from xmas....Lol
In the meantime, will something like nixoderm cream help this? Also is there a generic version of doxycycline? I don't think the health insurance by my eployer covers brand names, just generic, terrible policy but better than nothing I guess