Acne-like spots from allergies? (mainly neck)

[MimiThePink]

Does anyone have allergies to anything that causes spots that look a lot like acne? I've been getting these on the sides of my neck and they're driving me absolutely bananas. (They don't seem to be acne - they don't generally turn to whiteheads but if I pick at them they heal extremely slowly. They're also paler than acne-like spots, I think. Hard to describe!!)

I have a PPD allergy and this was the same reaction I used to get (but on my face as well as my neck). I haven't dyed my hair in a long time so it can't be that. The fact that it's so localised makes me thing it's a contact allergy but I'm damned if I know what. I have a memory foam pillow - could it be that?! (No itching at all or wheezing/runny nose type symptoms.)

I don't wear scarves or similar, and I use minimal hair products. I sleep in a silk bonnet (curls) so my hair doesn't touch my skin at night. I guess it could be the run-off from my shampoo during showers but you'd think that would affect the back of my neck and my scalp too.

Thank you for getting this far 😳 any thoughts gratefully received!

How often do you change your pillowcase?

I get spots down both sides of my neck - milk allergy, not a contact one.

All the blinking time 😂 currently about every 2-3 nights, in case it's bacterial or fungal.

@BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn I do actually avoid milk because I think it helps keep my skin clearer overall, and when I first started doing it (over a year ago) I think it did make a difference to the rash on my neck too, which comes and goes. Having said that, although I never drink straight milk, I haven't been very strict about a bit of cheese and ice cream recently, so maybe I need to revisit that!

Another thing that makes me think it's a reaction/allergy/irritation is that it often seems to swell up a bit - i.e. the spots start to look swollen/cystic, but then quite often calm down by the next morning.

Thanks for your replies.

@BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn have you had that diagnosed or was it trial and error? You're literally the only other person I've ever found who has spots on their neck that they don't think is acne!

Diagnosed as a child. Like you I avoided milk but not all milk products - I was under the impression that if it was fermented or well cooked, and not excessive quantities, it didn't affect me. Didn't think anything of the spots - my mum had spots well into her 50s, so I assumed they were just one of those things. Then I got into kefir making and - despite boiling the milk well and fermenting - the quantity seemed to tip me over the edge (or it may be looming perimenopause) and now even a trace sets me off.

It took several months of complete avoidance before the spots went, and they return after accidental exposures.

That's really interesting, @BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn , thank you. It's such a pain to avoid traces (especially given my fondness for baked goods!) but I would certainly cut out all milk products if I knew for sure that was the culprit.

I come out in hives when I’m stressed. I’ve been checked by a specialist and the hives aren’t allergy related

I also get non-allergy related hives - but they go all over my body, not just neck.

Triggered by stress possibly. I take an antihistamine as I sometimes get bumps behind my ears then a few on my neck. They disappear quickly.

Have you been to the Dr's?

I get these and think it's folliculitis, ie caused by yeast.

Could try nizerol (sp?) Shampoo on it and see if it clears?

Mine focus on my cheeks but spread to my neck after a while

Thanks for further responses - I wouldn't say I'm particularly stressed but I suppose you never know! I've sort of discounted thinking of it as gives as it's never itchy and doesn't look like the traditional raised blotchy skin, but having said that it does sometimes get raised underneath the spots, IYSWIM.

I have an allergy to PPD and have just been reading up on that being sometimes used in rubber treatment/manufacturing...I'm really hoping my beloved memory foam pillow isn't at fault although I had it before I got that, I'm sure!

@Randomuser9876 not for a while - I went a few years ago when I had something similar all over my face as well as my neck, and patch testing at the dermatologist eventually diagnosed a PPD allergy - I immediately stopping dying my hair and it improved dramatically. I was just left with the odd minor breakout on my face of "normal" spots every now and again.

Then this started up on my neck about a year ago and has been like this in and off. The skin specialist GP at my practice is not very helpful and also doesn't seem that much of a specialist to me...so I haven't been that keen to go back, and I haven't got the energy to be told it's probably just acne and have I tried washing etc 😳🙄

I did wonder if it might be fungal - I tried a week or so of clotrimazole but that didn't seem to have any real effect. (If it is folliculitis/malasezzia, my usual routine may be exacerbating it of course, and I don't look for specifically fungal acne-safe products - but my instinct is that it isn't fungal.)

You don't wear earrings do you? I originally thought mine might have been triggered by that.

I just wear 9ct gold tiny hoops - I did try not wearing any for a few weeks and it didn't seem to make a difference, so I've gone back to them! I also have a nickel allergy (I know 😱) so I never wear anything that isn't solid gold or silver anyway. I also never wear perfume and avoid any fragranced products. Thank you though!

I also have spots on my neck, a PPD and nickel allergy and a useless skin specialist GP!! So snap.

Wouldn't think there's PPD in a memory foam pillow as it's white?

Could try and dry them out? Sulphur paste, tea tree oil or sudocream?

I get these. I have a milk allergy but also sulphites.

Sulphites are hard to avoid. I ran out of Redbush tea so had normal 🤷🏻‍♀️it was not worth it.

Haha, fancy that @Randomuser9876! Yes not sure about the rubber/PPD thing - will have to see what I can find out about it potentially being used in manufacturing non-black rubber.

Oh God, @Cheekyfuckerseverywhere , I hadn't considered suplhites! I drink an unholy amount of tea so that would be very sobering. Do you manage to completely avoid all milk plus milk products?

I had this and it was fungal acne. But mine would occasionally itch. I got rid of it by putting a layer of Nizoral shampoo on it for 15 mins each day and washing off. Cut out all skincare with fungal acne triggers and use a bar of sulphur and tea tree oil soap now.

Thanks @Moonberri! Do you still only use fungal-acne safe skincare now? How did you know for sure it was FA?

Yes I still do as I'm worried about it coming back. I didn't know for sure until I tired the Nizoral and it worked. It was so frustrating as I had tried everything until then. Its cheap and quick so worth a try?

Yes maybe I will @Moonberri , thank you! I did try it the first time round without any luck (before I knew I had a PPD allergy) but if this is a different trigger than it might be worth a try, you're right.

You can get rosacea on your neck. Triggered by allergies or whatever. Its almost impossible to tell if its a skin senstivity or rosacea but you could try azealic acid and see if that helps. Your doctor could prescribe antibiotics if that's what it is.
It happened to me- I was allergic to lanolin in wool clothing and also something oily in certain hair serums that set me off. I can't use memory foam pillows it makes it a whole lot worse when it starts - it's the heat.

That's interesting, thanks @DeclineandFall. I don't think this got particularly worse after I got the memory foam pillow but maybe I'll give it up for a few weeks and see what happens? I've also considered dust mites too, so a new anti-allergy pillow might be sensible anyway.