Hi all. I™ve posted my fair share of desperate pleas on this board, asking for help with my perioral dermatitis, and so far, nothing has worked. It appeared about four years ago, and for three, I used a derm rx™d metro + hydrocortisone lotion that totally suppressed it. Over the past year I™ve tried antibiotics (oral and topical), antifungals, sulfur creams, black soap, demodex treatments, countless natural topicals like ACV and tea tree, and oral supplements like zinc and probiotics. I™ve also eliminated fluoride, SLS and other irritants, use only water to cleanse my face and wear no makeup whatsoever. I even got tested for food sensitivities and ate nothing œbad for almost two months “ no change. NOTHING makes a dent. Yes, some things dry the bumps up after the fact, but nothing has prevented them from appearing. That said, I feel it has to be something internal, and maybe if I do everything at once, in the (hopefully) right order, that will squash it. I™m posting my new regimen in the hopes 1. It keeps me accountable and 2. It helps others.
I™ll kick this off Friday with a colon cleanse. Saturday-Thursday, I™ll be doing an intense plant-based cleanse. And from then on out, I™ll be taking probiotics, zinc, an anti-candida med, cod liver oil and MSM supplements. I plan to continue using nothing topically, other than an evening primrose-based spot treatment on the particularly bad spots. As far as food goes, I™ll steer clear of the foods I™m sensitive to, and eat a lot of organic, fresh things like veggies, juices and chicken. I hope to have some semblance of improvement after a month -- do you think that's a fair assumption?
Pics are attached. The skin around my mouth is constantly red and textured, and every day I get one or more bumps that resemble a whitehead but are fluid-filled and very superficial. Sometimes I get smaller bumps under my eyes and alongside my nose, too.
Anyway, this has been a really, really tough journey. I™ve had acne in the past but was always able to kick it (antibiotics, Accutane, etc.), and I wonder if those things actually drove me to have this condition by damaging my body. Every failed treatment has sunk me a little deeper into a hole of anxiety and depression. I know better than to get my hopes up with this, especially since I™ve tried eating SUPER healthy in the past and it had no effect, but maybe, just maybe, doing all this in conjunction will help my body turn a corner.
Any advice or support is very much so welcome. Updates will likely come every other day or so.
I don't know much about your case other than what I've just read, but I thought I'd drop some advice anyway. Maybe it'll be helpful!
Have you tried using a AHA exfoliator? Alpha H's Liquid Gold is a great one. It's known for smoothing out those little comedones under the skin. Do some research on it! Also, the ones you get around you eyes are sometimes caused by over moisturized skin (try to avoid added extra moisture and oils to that area).
Despite the POD, you have really pretty skin! Do you use lip balm or products on your skin? I found out my POD trigger was petroleum, and after I stopped using it it went away. I got a lot of advice from people over on the skin board at makeupalley so maybe try posting there too.
Thanks so much, paigems. Nope, no use of lip balm or any products, really. I wash with water and spot treat bigger bumps w/ an evening primrose oil-based concoction (which I've also eliminated in the past to see if that was the problem). I wish it was as simple as removing a product or two.
I know you've probably looked up a ton of possible causes, but a few that you should consider if you haven't already include oral contraceptives, laundry detergent, and nasal steroids. I know you also tried eliminating fluoride and SLS which are in toothpaste. Maybe you could try just brushing your teeth with baking soda? It's possible you could be reacting to something even in the "natural" toothpastes.
Oh yes, I've researched it all. I think I've read the entire internet. :/ I stopped bc about a month and a half ago, and used baking soda for 2 weeks (after using no sls/flouride for a year) to brush my teeth... No changes. And I've been using laundry detergent called Molly's suds w/ no surfactants in it. I kid you not, I've racked my brain trying to think what might be irritating it. Maybe I'll switch back to baking soda for my teeth... But yeah, I'm using dr bronners baby soap for hair and organic soap for body... Nothing else. I SO wish it was a trigger... I just can't think of anything else to remove!!!
Sdpinkas, thank you for your advice as well. I'm fairly certain these bumps are PD, and I'd be afraid to treat them with AHA -- my chin area is SO reactionary, and PD can be irritated at the slightest thing. I truly WISH it was acne -- then I'd be able to treat it! No topicals seem to help my case.
Hi there, my PD looks similar to yours, and although I have made suggestions here before, like so many of us my routinenhas changed, so I thought I would share my findings too. I was using an otc fungal cream, prescription antibiotic cream, and otc fungal powder with pretty good results. It nevsr wenr completely away, but was manageable. Until it started back up again, so I changed to another otc fungal cream. So, Ive known since I started experiencing this 4 months ago that ANYTHING with oil aggrivated it terribly. I knew I wouldnt get rid of it using fungal creams with a mineral oil or petroleum base, so I switched to an antimicrobial gel only along with the powder patted on at night. Not sure I gave that enough time to see results. I also take an omega supplement, zinc, and a yeast fighter supplement. I agree it is an internal issue but cant get , myself to eliminate sugars, breads and beer! Other than that I eat very healthy. My current routine that is working...drummroll please, is grapefruit seed extract, topically and internally, as well as my supplements. I drink 8-10 drops in water with food and mix 1-2 drops in water and applymit topically 2-3 ti es a day. I also still pat on the fungal powder at night. Make sure you get GRAPEFRUIT seed extract, not grapeseed. It tastes bitter and is strong so use with caution. This treatment has worked the fastest and with the absolute best results. I am like you, trying all kinds of things and being slightly obsessed! I also changed my toothpaste and avoid sls
I hope it continues to work well for me. This is exhausting....good luck! Look it up! Oh and let me reiterate, I never use ANY oil on that part of my face, no tea tree, neem, coconut, anything! I think that is key for me as well...only oil free moisture if its flaky
Hi Russmea... thanks for your input. I, like you, have since changed my regimen, too. I'm no longer using the primrose oil and am instead using zinc cream on the spots. HOWEVER, I am totally with you on oils aggravating the issue. And while spot treating with the zinc helps calm my skin down, it is in a mineral oil base.
I tried grapefruit extract in the past but didn't see any results. Are you finding it's stopping the bumps from appearing? How long did it take before you saw results?
It's kind of a relief to hear you say your PD resembles mine. Since I've tried just about everything with no change (including antibiotics, which seem to work for just about everyone), I was beginning to think this might not be PD after all. Is it weird it never gets dry/flaky though? I just get the bumps.
Wow, I did a really bad job of keeping this going. I can honestly say, though, that the cleanse made NO difference in my skin whatsoever.
I was recently diagnosed with Perioral Dermatitis. It started about six weeks ago and after about a month of ignoring it and covering it with make up I decided it was time to get it treated. The doctor prescribed Erythromycin Topical Gel USP 2% which helped to clear it up a little but there was just a slight improvement. It also makes my skin very dry and tight. Last week I started to use Curad Silver Solution which kills bacteria, fungus and yeast and there has been a dramatic improvement in my skin since using it. In fact it's almost completely cleared up. The relief I got from using this gel was amazing, it immediately calmed my skin. It's available off the shelf and I got mine at Safeways. So I use the antibiotic gel at night and Curad gel in the mornings. I wash my face with just water and pat it dry. I'm using no cosmetics at all on my skin, not even eye makeup at the moment but I will slowly introduce them when my skin is completely clear. I've discarded all my old make up so I don't re-infect my skin with whatever caused the infection in the first place. I hope this helps and please let me know if any of you use this gel and it works for you too.
can you express anything from the whiteheads you get in your chin? I feel exactly like you do. I don't know what is going on in my chin area and have tried countless things that have all failed. dietary changes, topicals, supplements, drs, naturopaths and so many other things I can't even remember anymore. I don't know what I have so its hard to treat when your just not sure what it is. My chin area gets tiny whiteheads that are only visible when I flex my chin and then you can see tons of them. They are practically sticking out of my pore, just begging to be expressed. They have a deep core to them and some have a plug in them. Others look like its pus and its sitting right at the surface but when you try to get it out it doesn't come out. My chin is constantly a mess and only a course of antibiotics have calmed it down. Im going to check out the curad gel that was recommended
hi wicky. i feel ya on the frustration. and yes, not know what it is makes it oh so difficult to treat. as far as my chin goes, the whiteheads are really superficial and always pop when i lightly scratch over them. but what you're describing, the type that look like they're on the surface but nothing comes out, are on my forehead. i actually tried to pop one this am and all it did was make a red mess.... and although it looked like a normal whitehead, nothing came out. i'm at the point where anything i use on my face seems to irritate it, so all im using is water. and then when i do pick (like the forehead sitch this am), i use some zinc cream to both treat and cover (during the day) while they heal. i've kind of given up on trying things, to be honest.