Hello all! I have had this recurring rash for over a year now. It is on my neck and chest and face. It's constant. Sometimes it's itchy. Sometimes there is a whitehead on some of them. It's been looked at by several doctors and diagnosed differently. I have been given antibiotics, antifungal, antibacterials and more. Drs told me it's folliculitis. Another Dr. told me it's contact dermatitis. I have also been told it's fungal infection and acne. All different doctors, all different things. I have taken many different oral meds and tried all of the creams and lotions. I have also tried sulfur, urea, tea tree oil, removing all chemicals and makeup. I sleep on freshly bleached pillow cases every night. I don't know what else to do! As someone without insurance, this mystery rash is costing me a fortune. Not too mention all of the emotional damage and loss of confidence over this past year. Has anyone experienced anything like this for such a long period of time?
That's frustrating when you get multiple diagnoses! I have been there too.
I'm not a doctor, but just in my own experience with having sensitive skin and getting similar reactions, I have a few guesses.
- Could be contact dermatitis to laundry detergent.
- Could be contact dermatitis to a product you use regularly. For instance, if you use a body wash, and don't wash it off completely and some gets left behind sitting on the skin all day, it can cause a rash like that. Some people are so sensitive that even if they do wash something off the skin can still react.
- Could be a reaction to a medication. They call reactions like this "acneiform eruptions" because it kinda looks like acne but it's not acne.
Just in case someone is searching for something similar. I saw a dermatologist and we did a culture. He prescribed Selenium Sulfide lotion to wear like a mask for 10 minutes every night before a shower and follow with Econozole. The rash is now 95% gone. Selsun Blue did not work because it wasn't strong enough. Neither did oral antifungals. Hopefully someone out there finds this info useful!