I had a problem with this as well. I thought for a long time it was just stubborn acne breakouts on my chin and around my mouth. The spots wouldn't surface, were red and slightly inflamed and the skin was itchy. My esthetician was unable to extract them, so I ended up going to my derm.

He diagnosed it as PD and did a couple cortisone shots on two of the actives to reduce inflammation (worked great) and then he put me on doxycycline. He did say minocycline was his first choice, but I can't take it because it gives me serious vertigo. The doxy worked really well - I was clear of the breakouts after a month and ended up doing a 2 month course just to make sure it didn't come back.

I think irritation is what causes mine. I got my flare-up after the moisturizer I use had a major formulation change. There were a bunch of potential irritants and cloggers in the new one, and I think that may be what partly triggered my breakout. I also think certain toothpaste ingredients flare me up - I don't know if its the flouride or the SLS or maybe the flavoring oils (cinnamon, mint). I switched to a toothpaste that has no flouride, sulfates or flavoring and I think it helped.

My derm also said stress is something that can cause flare-ups. The first thing he asked me during the appt was whether I had been stressed lately.

Thanks for the response!

Glad to know someone else has dealt with this stubborn rash. I find my breakouts only appear on my chin, but not the middle of my chin, only off the sides (the dry areas). This makes me believe that low humidity and dry weather causes my breakouts. You're right though about stress - my doc asked the same thing when I went. I have been stressed out but not as of lately - maybe about a month ago?

Just curious as to what your regimen (if any) was when you were on medication? My doc said to stop using everything, but that I can use a bit of moisturizer? Which, I don't know, doesn't make total sense to me. I feel like I should just stop using ANYTHING.

I've also heard good reviews about using ACV and yogurt, which is why I've been using yogurt. It seems to help, really calms the redness down but I'm still breaking out in little bumps. Any suggestions? Leave everything and go cold turkey? haha

Just an update for PD sufferers:

I've stopped my yogurt regimen and switched back to using ACV. It's been a couple days now and my PD is drying up nicely. I've also started using my moisturizer again (pretty sure it was never the cause of the PD in the first place). The ACV + moisturizer together seems to be working wonders.

I recommend anyone with PD trying yogurt initially to help sooth the breakout then ACV to dry it up and let it flake off.

PS - make sure to moisturize!!

Hoots

OMG - I am so thankful to find this thread. I haven't been diagnosed with this yet, but I know I have it. I have an appt on Thurs. to confirm. It's a red, dry rash with red bumps under the corners of my nose and along my laugh lines. Like several others, I have it on my chin, but not in the middle. The rash burns and itches.

I don't know what suddenly sparked this rash, but I've read that products with SLS can ignite this problem, and I've been using Cetaphil, which has this ingredient.

My question is what cleanser are you using on your face? If a cleanser as "gentle" as Cetaphil won't work, what will? Also, what moisturizer are you using?

I can't believe that I finally got rid of my acne and now have to deal with this.

My question is what cleanser are you using on your face? If a cleanser as "gentle" as Cetaphil won't work, what will? Also, what moisturizer are you using?

I can't believe that I finally got rid of my acne and now have to deal with this.

ShiningStar,

I'm sorry to hear you have this stupid condition as well! What a pain in the butt eh!

Make sure you get a round of antibiotics from your derm as he/she may also try and prescribe topical ointment. I think oral antibiotics work best. Also - whatever you do DO NOT put steroid cream on your face. This makes PD very red and twice as bad.

As for what triggers PD it's hard to say. Make sure you look at weather changes as well as new products in your regimen. Could also be hormonal: have you changed BC lately or been taking certain vitamins to help with hormones?

When I first noticed the rash I stopped putting anything on my face. I washed with warm water and applied a yogurt mask day and night for one week. Then the second week I started using ACV, diluted 50/50 with water. This helped dry up the PD. BUT - I found I needed to bring back my moisturizer because the ACV is a little harsh. I use Cetaphil moisturizing lotion (medium to dry skin) this is NOT the one with SPF in it. Sunscreen can aggravate PD.

Since I've been doing this regimen + the antibiotics it's been two weeks and The areas on my chin are almost gone. They are a little red but are fading day by day.

You mentioned you need a cleanser. I used to use SpectrolJel, that's a nice gentle one. Right now I currently use a Arbonne cleanser; it works very well with my combination skin. You can check out their lines online. Let me know and goodluck

Hoots

Thanks, Hoots.

I will check out arbonne. I used to buy from them a few years ago. My derm suggested Aquanil, but I have to have my pharmacy order it in. My appt. is on thurs, so hopefully I'll get my antibiotics and start getting rid of this beast.

Just thought I'd add that this rash is now under my right eye - lovely...so depressing.

Hey everyone!

Just wondering how everyone was doing with their PD? It's been almost 4 weeks and my PD is still clearing up. I spent the first two weeks applying yogurt and ACV - I those only got me so far, once I noticed it was overly drying I started to use my moisturizer again. So far it's been awesome - I also re introduced my cleanser so I've been washing my face like normal and moisturizing like I used to and things seem to be doing alright. I notice a couple bumps here and there but they're pimples not PD. The most annoying thing for me right now is the red marks that the PD has left over. They're just on my chin but has anyone found anything to speed up the healing?

Let me know your thoughts!

Hoots

i just finished going through this and it was horrible! i've never had bad skin! i was diagnosed with perioral dermatitis 2 months ago - i was told it was a result of using a strong cortisone cream on my face for almost 2 years (shouldn't they put on the tube DO NOT USE ON FACE). i was prescribed doryx (antibiotic), finacea and another strong acne cream and told to use cetaphil to wash. i had dryness and bumps around my mouth and eyes and lots of regular looking zits on my forehead. the zits went away on my forehead but moved to my cheeks, got worse around my eyes and mouth and my skin was so scaly. i'd been looking on message boards for other ideas and tried yogurt but didn't help. also stopped taking birth control pills and stopped using fluoride toothpaste but didn't work. then i thought why are all these people using cortisone on their face, why do they even have it? don't we all have eczema? i had been prescribed the strong cortisone cream to treat eczema on my arms. i had been washing my face with coconut oil and using the cortisone because it was the only thing that didn't make me break out. so what i figured was the cortisone effectively treated the dryness, eczema, whatever but for the parts of my face that weren't dry all the excessive moisture caused acne. so now i wash with cetaphil or aveeno calming face wash, use an anti acne moisturizer on my entire face, then use something very rich on the super dry parts around my mouth and eyes - so far i've found atopalm, neosporin, and cortaid (i know i know, just a tiny bit) all work. if a zit pops up without dryness around it i use zit cream. and i'm cured! i just wish i could return all the expensive antibiotics and creams my insurance-less self had to buy. maybe it's possible i didn't actually have perioral dermatitis?

So in order to be classified as pd? Do you have I have mild acne around the mouth? I dont really have that. It's just irritated sometimes pink skin. Kinda inbetween dry. But it seems to be already foint down since I stopped all crave products and my Amanda gel. I just hope j didn't do any permanent damage.

I've done my fair share of research regarding acne over the years and I'm thinking this is my most likely culprit. I always have red, irritated skin below my mouth that breaks out in these unsightly-ass whiteheads, usually in clusters. The most irritating part is that they have such a long life cycle and they come to such BIG heads.

Well, today I'm diagnosing myself with the condition and I'm going to adjust my regimen appropriately. I took care of changing toothpaste last month, but only today am I tossing the moisturizer I've been using. Amazingly, a simple test of before/after this morning after my shower proved that the area was more red after the application of moisturizer and less red after I rinsed the area with water. This small proof is all I need to embark on an organic yogurt/acidophilus hunt. The tingling sensation below my mouth is the nail in the coffin. I won't post much more about the results until it's been another week or two to make sure its having an effect. Best of luck with everyone else...so tired of this.

So I have been battling perioral dermatitis for what I believe is at least the last 3-4 months off and on. I believe it started this January for whatever reason. I went to my local doctor and he immediately put me on cortisone creams which seemed to aggravate the problem rather than help it. I battled through it though in January/February when I went back and told him and he put me on minocycline instead. It definitely helped out and the problem MOSTLY subsided but still remained somewhat red on the sides of my mouth on my chin. I decided that I could live with that though rather than acne like in my teen years. However, again at the end of April or beginning of May it has come back again. Ugh.

For a 22 year old male it seems uncharacteristic I would be a candidate for this but I am for whatever reason. Anyways, I've gone back to minocycline again. I'm about 14 days in and I'm not sure how but it's almost worse than it was to begin with haha. I can see it trying to dry it out though so that's great news. I only stumbled onto this thread when I googled perioral dermatitis but I see that potential pests that may cause this are the SLS/flouride toothpastes, makeups, and the cortisone creams I originally was taking to combat this. Well I have always used Crest Whitening toothpaste and now that I know flouride is apparently evil for my sensitive skin I have switched over to Kiss My Face which is SLS and Flouride free so keeping my fingers crossed that was a good choice. However, I think the problem for me anyways is hormones/stress from work/school or the fact that I have been using a concealer/foundation to hide the bumps on occasion when I go out in public. We'll see what happens at the end of this month but this problem has really dampened my spirits lately.

Hey guys,

It's been a while. I noticed some recent posts and thought I'd comment. How is everyone doing with their PD? I recently got a tiny spot of it near the corner of my mouth. Not thinking anything of it, I thought I was just having an allergic reaction, my doc gave me cortisone cream (UH OH). Anyways, I used it for a week and my spot went away, but the minute I stopped using it, it came right back! Needless to say, that's the last time I make that mistake.

Right now, I'm only using MetroGel and it seems to be working alright. The tiny pimple like bumps are going down and the spot is just red now. From past experience, I don't want to dry this area out more, because it will only spread. I know a lot of people say they get their PD from different products but I truly believe mine is from when I upset my pH levels on my skin. When it becomes way too dry, I develop this stupid rash.

Anyways, let me know how you guys are doing! Anyone find a miracle cure yet?! lolol

Hoots

Hey guys,

So i had been reading the thread and a couple others over the past couple of months and wanted to add my two sense.

I thought I had PD for years. From the descriptions everyone is giving and are online it was almost a sure thing. I had red rash on the sides of my mouth that would have tiny blister like sores that wouldn't break open if i didn't pick at them. If i did pick at them it would break out even more. It was impossible to get rid of and seemed like everything I tried made it worse. It would take weeks for them to start to heal. I use to have them all the time two years ago, as soon as it would start to heal it would break out again. It burns and itches and once it finally stopped a couple of years ago it left a slightly discolored scar on my face.

Well it started up a couple of months ago so I finally went to see my doctor.

The doctor told me that it was Impetigo.

It is a bacteria infection that looks very similar to PD. It needs a dose of pill antibiotics to cure it. It is most common in children and can get very very bad in children, but in adults it is much less severe being only in small areas, like around my mouth. It is infectious and can spread. That's why itching or picking at it only makes it worse. And he said that I probably got it from someone at class since anything spreads like wildfire.

So I would highly suggest everyone that thinks they have stubborn PD that hasn't been diagnosed to GO TO THE DOCTOR and ask them if they think it could be Impetigo.

-J

So i also have been dealing with perioral dermatitis for most of 2011...due to my "hormones" apparently, & have been thru the gamut of treatments, all to no avail. But i have found that what works the best for me, & hopefully others, is: using Neutrogena's "oil free acne stress control triple action toner" followed by Tinactin antifungal ointment....maybe there is a fungal element to this???? All i know is it works for me so far...thought i would share

Whoops!!! forgot to mention i apply this twice a day...morning & night...

Hi everyone!

I have had PD for a few years off and on...... my Dermatologist has put me on Minocycline and Acyclovir. The Acyclovir combats my cold sores caused by the sun and the minocycline combats my period all dermatitis. As far as something to soothe my lips....the Dermatologist suggested I use Aquafor ointment.......which has helped but dont use it constantly or it wont help. I was told my PD flares up due to makeup products but especially from using the wrong toothpaste! I had switched to Crest(with Whitening) and that did it........obviously Ive switched back to the Crest Regular paste!

its been about 2 weeks on minocycline and its FINALLY beginning to work....this crap takes forever to start to heal.

I wash my face with cold water and use some moisturizer.(its made from Vasoline w/aloe but no vasoline in the ingredients). It helps if I stay out of the sun directly.......which sucks because its Memorial Day weekend and I usually go to the beach or pool and cant because its uncomfortable in the sun.

cant wait until it goes away completely!