Perioral dermatitis hell!

[GrumbleGums]

Does anyone have any experience or advice?

Having done battle with my skin for months I finally cracked and went to the GP today having developed a very sore dry patch of skin around my nose.

I have been diagnosed with Perioral dermatitis, most common in young women apparently, small consolation that at 34 I have a young woman problem!

I have been put on antibiotics and can expect to be on them for at least 4 months apparently.

I am struggling to know what products to use to cleanse (tone?) and moisturise, what about make up? Going without is not an option for 4 months +. I've not been advised to stop using anything just to keep it light.

Suggestions, anyone?

Do the minimum - anything that you touch the dermatitis with has the potential to irritate it. Definitely DON'T put any steroid cream on! Mine has finally settled down - it started in the first week of September.

Cleansing - something really mild. I use Dermalogica Ultra Calming cleanser.
Moisturiser - again, mild. I did well with La Roche-Posay Toleriane products.

It's definitely perioral dermatitis ? just to check

i first developed it when pregnant - and the GP just kept giving me short courses of anti biotics (as she didn't know what it was).

Eventually i went to a consultant and the treatment is a 3 month course of Lymecycline (Tetralysal). It works within the first week to start shifting it. But it's important to complete the course.

It may not be what you want to hear, but I do get it maybe once every 18 months/two years. I can tell when it is returning - as it's always int he same place just to the upper right of my lip. I can generally just get to the gp and get a prescription quickly to stop it getting worse.

Asjajeb says do NOT use a steroid cream - it may seem to cure it, but in fact will make it worse.

Make up - um I just use a thick concealer (applied using a clean finger tip).

I use quite gentle face products. If I have been wearing make up then I use a Boots Sensitive skin facial wash, if no make up then Cetaphil cleanser. I use a Green People moisturiser which is non-irritating.

I do think that the mineral make ups aggravated mine. I used to use Bare Escentuals for years, whilst suffering with the PD - but didn't put 2+2 together. I've binned it now and just use a cheapo liquid foundation when I feel like I really need some make up.

I think a lot of people don't know what it is - unless they have suffered with it.

As it just looks like a patch of acne I guess many try to treat it the same.

It's awful - my sympathies OP. Hope it soon clears for you.

I get it too, usually every 1-2 years and I have Erythromycin to treat it which does get rid of it. I use Avene products, they don't seem to irritate it at all, there's one specifically for red patches which seems to work well.
Sympathies, it's horrible

I get it too, usually every 1-2 years and I have Erythromycin to treat it which does get rid of it. I use Avene products, they don't seem to irritate it at all, there's one specifically for red patches which seems to work well.
Sympathies, it's horrible

I have that and I've been using steroid cream on it for years.

It's always around my nose. Sometimes it hurts too.

Thanks all

Yes is definitely perioral dermatitis. I have probably had it around 6 months now, was getting huge painful "spots" on my chin that I was treating as acne and slapping every cream known to man on them, they calmed down and a blistery flakey red patch appeared around one side of my nose and has spread.

I have the correct antibiotics, 28 days on repeat and have been told to expect 4 months worth.

I'll have a look at avene and also cetaphil, I've read about both of those on my Google searches. Have used LRP effaclar range earlier when this started thinking I was dealing with acne. I quite liked it but have read I should maybe avoid foaming washes, sulphate something or other. I need to read into this more!

DD had this along with her eczema.
She had the antibiotics but this was prescribed by a dermatologist who also prescribed special cleansing and moisturising cream and a steroid preparation.
A year later, she only needs the moisturiser, but her skin breaks down if she stops using it.
I think it is called "protopic" - I don't know if you can buy it or if it has to be on prescription..

There seems to be a connection between this condition and various autoimmune conditions, at least in some people, thyroid, gut conditions and so on.

Have you got (or might you have) other health conditions such as these that could be a root cause?

Might an autoimmune protocol diet be worth trying for a month or two?

This was diagnosed for me after a very bad attack, but now they are not sure. I was referred to an allergy specialist who thinks, because I react badly to Aspirin, that I might have a Salicylic intolerance! So I now try to monitor this, which is not easy, but it has really helped. I also tried the sugar and olive oil approach, which was picked up on a google search as helping the bacteria. Not saying this is what you have, just helps to think about other causes, like the suggestions in the previous reply. What i did learn from the allergy specialists was that because i was on Ramipril, that this fed the original allergic reaction and made it far worse than it would have been otherwise.

3littlefrogs, that's interesting, would be good to know what she uses. Of course at the moment I'm desperate to get rid but an conscious of prevention as far as I can too.

No other health conditions that I'm aware of. Autoimmune diet, never heard of it but will look it up, could do with losing weight and there's never a better time than January!

Does anyone get it in their scalp? The hairdresser said I have patches of it in my scalp

I was so embarrassed.

Not in my scalp no, or my hairdresser is too kind to mention it!

There does seem to be some correlation between the condition and certain ingredients in shampoos.

I can see I have a tonne of research to do into this to try and maximise prevention as far as possible.

Hi Grumble, I had hellish perioral, probably either stress or cosmetics or anti acne skin cleansing routine induced (used Effaclar foaming dace wash and other Effaclar products and suspect it was too harsh - it's salicyclic acid and SLS after all!), exactly a year ago. To get rid of it, I discontinued all skincare, cleansers, moisturizers and makeup except water, castile soap and zinc nappy cream (Fissan). I also switched to non-fluoride and non-SLS toothpaste and SLS free shampoo and conditioner. It went away in about 8 weeks. During the recovery, my face was raw and horrible.

I did not use antibiotics, topical or systemic - I read everything I could find, including lots of medical articles, about perioral, and listened to a wise and experienced dermatologist who recommended the 'use absolutely nothing on your face routine' as a first line of treatment. Have never used steroids, but our bodies produce them (stress hormones) and I was definitely under tremendous stress at the time. Have been symptom free for almost a year. Reintroduced cosmetics, shampoo and toothpaste gradually one by one, and perioral symptoms have not recurred. Still use drastically less products than before, my skin is now better than ever. The 'hormonal' acne went away too!

I have IBS and hypothyroidism but during perioral my TSH levels were good and I was on medication. Not sure a diet can crack autoimmune disorders, but the FODMAP diet is excellent for keeping IBS symptom minimal. I'm starting to believe that I damaged the barrier function of my skin by cleansing too much and that sensitized me to something in cosmetics or hygiene products and possibly also stress hormones. Now when my skin has healed I seem to tolerate those products once again - but am careful not to go overboard. Will never ever use Effaclar face wash...

Just sending you lots of encouragement - it was awful with the skin feeling really tight and painful. (The zinc cream was enormously soothing!) Hoping that yours goes away quickly, good luck!

Thanks Frugal

Out of interest what shampoo and toothpaste did you switch to? Not sure my toddler will tolerate standing in boots while I read the back of every bottle!

I think I've definitely damaged my skin in all of this. I used to use Dr Nick Lowe products when they were discontinued I started to get breakouts, attacked it with everything I could and am paying the price now. When I think of the money I have spent on all these products too, gah.

Another sufferer here too - about six months ago...just before my son's wedding!

I had a course of Lymecycline (sp?), and that seemed to clear it up after about a month, although an improvement was visible almost instantly! But, just in case you fancy ignoring the instructions!!!....definitely no alcohol! It burns like anything (not that I tried at all !!!), and sunlight (daylight!) burns too. Steroid cream is a definite no-no.

And as a by-the-by, GP couldn't/didn't diagnose it...I had to pay and go private....no dermatology appointments available here at all!

I still have some red around my eyes, but I'm not sure if it's scarring or dormant dermatitis, but, touch wood, no further problems.

I only use Simple products on my face, I have never ever washed my face (in the last fifty+ years!)
(Keri lotion is very good too, but harder to come by.)

Noooo! Was told I could drink, had a glass of wine with lunch and just having a baileys! Feel like scratching off my face mind you!

This is really poop, payback for being a clear skinned, slightly smug, teenager!

I am a fellow sufferer too. I had no idea what it was until I posted on here asking for skincare advice and FrugalFashionista mentioned it and gave me loads of great advice

What antibiotics have you been given? I also get the huge painful spots on my chin but I've been on Doxycycline for a few months which got rid of them within a week or so. It also improved the dryness of my skin tenfold! It all comes back if I stop taking them though

I use Castile soap and Eucerin moisturiser on the dry bits. I got some LRP products but didn't get on with them (not that they irritated me, they just didn't do much for me) but I know a lot swear by them so it's worth trying.

Lush do a great selection of face products, all people who work there are knowledgeable on skin types

I've been prescribed lymecycline. Only started today so hopefully I'll see a difference by the end of January

Good luck grumble. If its anything like mine, it will clear up really quickly with the antibiotics. The big painful spots had gone within a week of me starting them. Take pictures at different intervals as the difference really is amazing once it starts working. The first two pics are my skin before the antibiotics, and the other is a picture I've taken just now. Sorry the first pics aren't a pretty sight but I wanted to show you how much it's improved (and actually changed my life, as corny as it sounds!). I can't actually believe I put up with it for 10 years before going to the gp. My skin still isn't perfect and most people would still hate it as it is now, but I can definitely live with a few blemishes compared to how it was!

Apologies if I've grossed anyone out with my pictures

Grumble I'm abroad so the toothpaste was a local alternative from the supermarket but lots of perioral sufferers recommended Jason Seafresh toothpaste. The shampoos were Aveda but probably there are much cheaper and better alternatives out there - my hair went oily and lanky and I couldn't bear it as my face was already a mess. Had to go back to my regular shampoo after a few weeks.

It might make sense to avoid SLS, SLES, sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium coco sulphate for a while. It's basically the foaming agent in hygiene prducts and so anything foaming probably has it, I became an expert INCI reader and it's everywhere. SLS is a bit like laundry detergent on your skin, and I think that by removing the protective sebaceous layer I actually ended up further damaging it.

Felix happy to hear that you got so much better - sound like you find an excellent treatment! I was ready to start antibiotics and had a prescription in my pocket but never needed it.

Patrick patches on scalp sound like psoriasis or seborrhic dermatitis. Their treatment is totally different - have you seen a specialist? Streroids are very useful in many skin complaints but should not be used in perioral - worth getting a professional opinion?

Sulphate and silicon free shampoo bought, friendly toothpaste bought. No joy with shower gel or soap but will up the hunt in the next few days.

Perhaps a visit to lush is required.