Anyone able to say what this is on my face? Impetigo?

[Alabasterangel6]

I do appreciate this is a terrible photo and you are a bunch of strangers on the net, but getting a bit fed up and wondered if anyone had had something like this and had it resolved.

This is a patch to the lower corner of my mouth on my chin. I can’t photograph it better without being identifying.

It’s been like this for about 7 weeks. It’s not spots (like hard spots with muck in them) it’s a sore red patch which blisters and weeps. The weeping is crusty and clear/golden and comes away easily.

I had a patch in the same place before and it went with fucidin cream but this swine will not budge. I was told then it was impetigo, and sure enough it DID go with the cream relatively quickly.

I’ve tried washing it with hibiscub, I’ve tried alcohol based cleansing (Clinique), I’ve tried washing with antibacterial soap and then nothing else. I am scrupulous about not touching it and keeping it clean. I haven’t put make up over it. I’ve tried these things individually (not all together and for several days) but nothing works.

I start to see it fade, then it seems to flare back up.

I went to the practice nurse 8 days ago and she said to use fucidin cream, she said she didn’t know what it was for certain but was behaving like impetigo in the redness and crusting. However it’s just as bad today with zero improvement. Some days I feel like it’s much les red then I’ll wake up the next day with a little watery blister again and the whole thing just comes back.

I find it remarkable that if it is impetigo no one else in the house has caught it!

It’s not sore sore, but I can feel it prickling. Never bleeds, no pus, just these watery spots and crusts. When it’s really ‘up’ it would be a about 2cm x 2cm.

I’m going back to the nurse tomorrow but anyone got any ideas? I’m getting fed up and want it gone!

My wife gets coldsores, tried all the creams, gels, lysine, nothing worked. She was getting 1-2 outbreaks a month, sometimes in her nose and ear as well as her mouth.

We buy the suppression therapy acyclovir from the superdrug online pharmacy, she's been on them for around a year, had one small outbreak at the beginning which was half the size of normal and healed quickly, then nothing at all since. It's been amazing.

The first time I ever had a coldsore it was on the side of my chin, near my lip so you don't always get them on the lips. You can dry them out with cold sore lotion which has no cream and works quickly, a little bottle of liquid. Or even with vodka or gin. Don't touch it. Do not touch your eyes either.

Stress brings them out, as does being run down. Take care of yourself, they can take a while to clear, especially if you have been using the wrong stuff on them. I find that greasy based stuff doesn't work as well as alcohol based treatments.

Clary sage essential oil is good for the immune system if you are likely to get a massage/aromatherapy.It is also good for stress and is the one I used to use for herpes/shingles patients.

Looks like mine, cystic acne, and that area of your face is hormonal.

Periods lighter or heavier recently? Noticed any different oil production in your skin?

I am otherwise clearer complexion, but get exactly what you have every 3/4 months.
I take a 3 week course or Lymicycline and it goes after a week 😊

When I had spots like that on one side of my face it was diagnosed as impetigo but turned out to be shingles. Might not be in your case as you have had them several weeks but just thought I’d mention it just in case.

But fruit surely cystic acne would be lumpy sore pimples with yak inside? Or am I wrong? These are not spots. Not at all. They are flatter than flat and definately start with blisters. No hormonal changes. Regular cycle. No hormonal influences (don’t need to use any contraception).

Are they like these images?
www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1093&bih=530&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=6kR9W8-CEcvPwQKhkJHAAw&q=herpes+simplex&oq=herpes+&gs_l=img.1.1.0j0i67k1j0l8.16653.17461.0.20118.6.6.0.0.0.0.91.331.5.5.0....0...1c.1.64.img..1.5.330....0.pLAE0I5edaA

Herpes simplex is cold sore virus, if you also Google herpes zoster you will see the singles one which is usually on the body, but looks the same, as in small blisters.

There is also genital herpes. Some people say that this is not connected to herpes simplex, and some say it is, so keep your hands away from your privates.

Blisters with fluid. Not spots with pus.

shingles, not singles

When you feel it tingling hold an ice cube on it.

As said before, DO NOT touch it, use cotton wool/buds to apply meds, and do consider what I said about drying it out with alcohol based liquid. Change your pillow case daily, and towels.

Nevermindhey Wed 22-Aug-18 12:07:41
When I had spots like that on one side of my face it was diagnosed as impetigo but turned out to be shingles. Might not be in your case as you have had them several weeks but just thought I’d mention it just in case.

Shingles takes a few weeks to go, some people have them for a couple of months.

toad the starting blisters look just like this google image. They are tiny pinhead sized. They tingle periodically. They don’t merge together into a big ulcer but stay as little individual scabby bits. No bleeding and no pus.

At the moment I have minor redness from the prior lot. But underneath (3mm away maybe) I have a new tingle and blister which has now burst and has a straw/golden scab.

Pharmacist said last time if it was impetigo it would have gone as it’s very effective when treated with fucidin so happy to rule that out so by default I’m thinking it def is cold sores (or maybe shingles?) but still not really sure why all of a sudden I’m plagued with weeks of the damn things which just don’t go away! Last time I had a cold sore was a lip one probably 10 years ago!

Also worth noting that I had bad bad chicken pox as an adult (I was 28) so 13 years ago and never had shingles following it, but when I pick the prescription up I’ll mention it to the pharmacist. Presumably the aciclovir tablets won’t make shingles worse!

Shingles would be my guess. It's the same family of viruses as cold sores and can look similar. Aciclovir is also used as a shingles treatment, so hopefully it will help you either way.

BTW I'm not a medic, I've just seen a lot about shingles recently.

Hope you get it sorted op!

Do you have any spots on your body? It would be on the same side if shingles.

No, nothing elsewhere just this very isolated patch which literally all but went for 5 days then reappeared!

It was a short course I took. Think it was around 5 to 7 days if I remember correctly.

Right then. Been to collect prescription from drs reception and took to pharmacy. Different pharmacist so I asked again - what did THEY think? She had a look and fairly dismissively said ‘certainly sounds just like a cold sore, and it looks like one’ but when I said it has been weeks, gone and come back, and it’s not on my lips she just shrugged and said ‘they can appear anywhere on the bottom half of the face, I’ve seen them under noses and on cheeks before. Worry more if the medication doesn’t work but give it a go first’. So they’ve given me 3 lots of 5 day courses, mainly because we go away next week and I don’t want it coming back! So the plan at the moment is to try a 5 day course. If it does come back I’ll be going on another 5 day course and going back and asking for a longer preventative dose. And I’ve picked up some lysine too. Fingers crossed. Thanks for everyones help!

My son is prone to unusual skin conditions and a few dermatologists recommended this website. www.dermnetnz.org/