perioral dermatitis - nghtmare then success!

I have suffered with perioral dermatitis twice and it is very frustrating. It appears on one side of my chin. I never had any skin problem when I was younger (I am 29). I have also found Boots Botanics to be good and will take a look at the Aveeno range. There is good information on the Derma Doctor website (US) about the condition too.

I've been given Zineryt lotion this time around but it is drying my skin out really badly. The first time I was given doxycyline and this worked to clear it up within 4 weeks (though I was given 3 months' supply).

Right now I'm planning to avoid skin make-up as much as possible and find a suitable moisturiser as I can't completely avoid moisturiser as my skin is so dry - arghhh!

Hello, I am very glad I found your posts. I am a 43 year female and like you, had great skin until September 09. I went into hospital for surgery and the day after I came home I noticed what looked like a rash on one side of my chin. I thought it was stress or a reaction to drugs and didn't worry too much. I tried a couple of creams and it appeared to go - but a few days later came back. In the months since I have tried numerous potions and at one stage was given acne cream, but nothing has cleared the rash up only lessened the symptoms slightly (now affecting both sides of my chin and my nose). Earlier this week at an asthma appointment the rash was noticed by the nurse, she was concerned and made an appointment with the GP for me. Last night I was told I had perioral dermatitis and prescribed a month of antibiotics. I wasn't, however, aware of the connection to cosmetics and moisturisers so it was good to read your experiences and recommendations. I will quit using my cleansers and give Botanics and Aveeno a try - I can't give up moisturiser completely, but avoiding my chin shouldn't be too much of a problem for a few weeks and hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick. Good luck ladies and thanks for the tips.

I am a 46 female and have had a red lumpy, itchy rash on my face on and off for about a year. The area is around my mouth, chin and upper lip. The Doctor gave me anti fungal creams and a shampoo to use on my face as he thought it was fungal related. He even gave me cream for athletes foot. The best combination of creams I used was the shampoo (Selsun) and a steroid cream (Betnovate). This works for a while - but only suppresses the rash, it never goes away - and it flares up every week or so.

Now I have been to see a Consultant Dermatologist who says I have Perioral Dermatitis - and has given me a 2 month course of antibiotic called Lymecycline ... fingers crossed they work.

Hi all -- I'm not from the UK, but came across this discussion while looking for info on perioral dermatitis. My son has/had this, and it appeared recently -- only in the last 3 months or so. His dermatologist made the diagnosis (also calling it childhood rosacea (he's 12) and suggesting that it was probably a genetic condition). I believe her diagnosis was primarily based on the fact that his rash worsened after applying steroid creams.

My gut reaction was that the diagnosis was B*S* (too sudden and too limited to mouth, nose and eyelid areas -- looked like an allergic reaction to me...). I've been reading LOTS on it and found several articles suggesting that people were having these reactions after using inhaled steriods. Bells went off -- this sounded very likely (my son uses a mask for inhaling a steriod product twice a day for asthma -- one that just so happens to fit over his nose and mouth, and if not worn correctly, the powder could easily reach his eyes...)

Anyway, while waiting for an appt with his allergist we've had him use a different inhalation method (a spacer device that he puts inside his mouth) and his rash has almost disappeared. What is worrying me is that if he's this sensitive to steroids on his skin, what is it doing to the rest of him?

What is curious is that he's been taking these same medications for the last 8 years -- and this is the first time he's had a reaction like this (if my "diagnosis" is correct...). So, if I'm right, it is possible to develop an allergy or sensitivity to a product after long-term use...

I don't know if this info will help any of y'all, but I would examine your medications -- are any of you using products that contain steroids? It might be a contributing factor.

Good luck.

Took a four month course of antibiotics (Lymecycline ) - but my skin has finally cleared up. Still used the Betnovate once a day along with the antibiotics, but I have now weaned off that - and am rash free !

i have had perioral dermatitis and it was so frustrating, mine was actually sore, my whole face had red blotches, esp around my eyes and mouth. i was on 6 weeks of antibiotics, four days after i stopped the PD came back. I got another round of antibiotics, and I also tried using cucumber toner and acv/green tea (1:1 or 1:2) ratio as a toner which helped, but a cream called KERIUM DS by LaRoche-Posay cleared it up in a few days, it was the only cream I could find that while it doesn't mention PD on the box, is for red, flaky dry patches of skin. It was expensive at 11.25 euro for a 40 ml bottle in my local chemist but just using it twice a day has made my skin soft and much less red and i'm not stressed about it anymore. I want to try the proskin eczema as well though as I live in Ireland the cost plus shipping is putting me off.

My rash seems to be gradually coming back ... hope it's just my imagination and paranoia.

But to be safe, I have just ordered the LaRoche-Posay kerium ds cream you mentioned, so fingers crossed it works.

Hi, one morning I woke up with tiny clusters of flesh coloured spot like things around the left hand side of my mouth. I thought this would go, but 5 months later it was still there. The doctor put me on lymecycline as we both thought it was perioral dermatitis, but this actually made me break out everyday. I then remembered a few years ago i had what a dermatologist called flat warts. She said they would need to be burned off which i was uncomfortable doing. So i researched on the internet and came across a website called pure healing. This saved me! The product got rid of my flat warts within 2 weeks. I emailed them and told them of my current problem and they suggested i use it for the condition i have now. and i have to say, it's the only thing that has cleared it. I also changed my toothbrush, both seemed to have helped! please email them if you are worried about a similar condition, they may be able to assist.

FOUND THE CURE!!

I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant and noticed small white dots around my mouth about 2 months ago.

Naturally I tried squeezing them but this made them rise and dry out and slowly spread into a rash that looked similar to eczema. Having eczema through out my life I tried treating it with a steroid cream called Elecon. This made the rash spread around the whole bottom of my mouth and inside and around the bottom of my nose!This was by far the worst and most irritating thing I've ever experienced!!

I went to 3 Doctors, all of them telling me I had to wait til after I had the baby to go on antibiotics!! I could not wait another 3 months! NO WAY! One Doctor prescribed me Financea cream. DO NOT use this! All it will do is burn your skin and make the redness worse!! The answer is SIGMACORT ointment!! And you don't even need a prescription for it.. It's about $8.00 at your local chemist. 24 hours after using it I noticed a MASSIVE difference! Because perioral dermatitis is still a type of dermatitis, it needs to be treated with a steroid cream even if your peri oral dermatitis has been brought on by over use of steroid creams the secret is a very LOW dose steroid cream. SIGMACORT or EGOCORT both are 1% cortisone. Buy the ointment coz this will sit on your skin for longer and won't absorb as quick as the cream. Use it 4 times a day for no longer than 4 days in a row. By the 4th day it should be cleared up !! Don't wear any make up or use anything else on your skin while treating it apart from warm water! Hope this helps xx

hello im having the same problem and i havent consulted any doctors yet but i would like to know if any of you have asked the doctors if you will be able to wear make up again after it has healed. i really want to know because i am still 18 years old and wants to put on make up.