Perioral Dermatitis - Looking for some advice

[MaisOuiMaisOui]

Hi

My 11 year old DS with no history of any skin conditions or use of topical steroids flared up with what we now know/have been told to be perioral dermatitis in March this year. Nearly 6m later it’s still visible around his mouth and nose and at a follow up appointment today our GP declined to continue treating with antibiotics so I am really worried as it’s only partially treated, the dermatitis is going to flare back up again and set DS back on another long pathway to getting it treated again.

Looking for some advice from anyone familiar with how perioral dermatitis usually resolves. If it’s still visible and treatment is stopped, is it likely to just go away on its own or flare back up?

Here’s the history if it helps. DS has never seen a doctor in person and has been treated by 3 different GPs so maybe that’s part of the problem.

Early March: GP A prescribes hydrocortisone cream - thinks it looks fungal, which is fair enough, hard to tell from a photo.
End of March: DS is much worse, GP B diagnoses perioral dermatitis tells me to stop steroid cream immediately, DS to wash face only with water, keep DS out of sun, not to use sun cream on face and prescribes metronidazole gel.
Mid April: no improvement, GP C prescribes hydrocortisone ointment. Thinks it’s fungal. Told DS should not be washing with just water as that will aggravate condition. Prescribed an anti fungal wash.
Early May: DS’s skin around mouth and nostrils is really red and inflamed and I notice similar red areas on his eyelids. See GP A again and he diagnoses as perioral dermatitis, prescribes Erythromycin.
Early June: follow up appointment with GP A, DS’s skin is slightly improved. Prescribes 4 more weeks erythromycin, puts DS in queue for dermatologist appt.
Early July: follow up appt with GP A, DS’s skin has improved a little more but dermatitis is still v. Noticeable. Prescribes 4 more weeks erythromycin and hopes dermatology appt will be made soon.
Today: GP C does the follow up appointment . DS’s skin continues to improve but still has visible red areas around mouth and nostrils. GP C is shocked that DS has been prescribed antibiotics. Tells me he won’t be repeating the prescription, and that the fact DS’s skin has improved is probably unrelated to the antibiotics - the sun has probably cleared it up. Withdraws DS from dermatology queue. Tells me nothing more is needed. I am .

Lyonsleaf Zinc & Calendula Cream
bepanthen nappy cream

try both these on his face over the dermatitis. I have trialled and tested everything going. Finally I found these two very cheap
and basic creams has resolved it! Remarkable . Good luck

I found washing with dead sea salt helped settled it loads. I was eventually able to get on top of it but it still flares up when I'm stressed or my hormones are fluctuating.

I think improving gut health through diet and probiotics can help too. Sorry they are going through this.

I get it at least once a year. The only thing that works is a month long course of doxycycline - one a day. I'm pretty sure it's caused by a reaction to my own saliva.

Zineryt - erythromycin & zinc solution - recommended by my dermatologist cleared mine up. I always keep some at home & start at the first hint of a flare (you can ask the pharmacist to supply it unmixed so it doesn't go off). It's deeply unpleasant I feel for your ds.