My skin- does this need investigated?

[UhtredRagnarson]

At some point in December my skin broke out quite badly in a way it never had before. It’s was very itchy small bumps along my jaw line and around my chin and mouth. Mostly they never came to a head like a zit. They were red and raised and itchy and then died off but as they died off on my jaw they started appearing on my neck as in the photos. They’ve never gone away and I’ve added photos of them since 25th of January to today.

These photos are 25th jan

16th feb

2nd of march

Today

Mask-ne ?

I’d go, it’s had time to heal & not resolved. You don’t need to put up with things like this.

@Whatwouldscullydo

Mask-ne ?

I wondered about this but I’m meticulous with my mask and hands and I’m not working so the only time I wear a mask is once a week for about 40 minutes when I do the shopping and it’s washed everytime.

@Fluffycloudland77 will a GP look at it right now?

If it deffo can't be mask related then, yes I'd see a dr. I think at the very you can still get phone appointments

Hope you manage to get somewhere.

Thank you

May well be peri-oral dermatitis

Go see your GP - they often mistakenly identify this as eczema - and it’s important they don’t because the steroid treatments used for eczema made it worse. The treatment is usually 3-4 months of fairly mild anti-biotics. If you don’t get a resolution ask for a Dermotology referral quickly as GPS have limited training in this area.

Adult acne ?

I feel your pain I have awful acne. Massive spots that don't come to a head and just stay there for months. They also itch and really hurt. I have pcos though so it's hormones. Usually spots along your jaw and neck are hormone related. Nothing otc works on them. I would speak to your gp. They will usually look at your skin through a microscope type thing. I've been prescribed creams and antibiotics but they didn't work for me, I know they can refer to a dermatologist if they think it's bad enough.

Thank you @partyatthepalace that’s really helpful.

I have pcos though so it's hormones. Usually spots along your jaw and neck are hormone related.

I wondered if this might be PCOS. Can it come on all of a sudden?

They say you're born with it, but for me the acne only started this bad after the birth of my ds but he's now 6! I was only investigated due to my acne as it was so bad
Do you have any other signs? Periods okay etc ?

My periods have been as normal. I haven’t been on any hormonal contraceptive for about 6 years, haven’t had any children in that time and periods have been regular as clockwork.

My periods were all over the place so that was another big sign. Worth talking to the gp about your skin, as someone else said you shouldn't have to suffer

Thanks @elsaesmeralda.

Yes, I would definitely see your GP. Though from my experience photographs and Zoom consultations aren't great with skin conditions.

No expert (though have a load of skin problems) but I'm not sure that it's acne. The spots seem more visible on your neck than your chin, but the skin on the neck doesn't produce as much sebum. Could it be folliculitis? I had that a couple of years ago and it cleared up quite quickly with antibiotics.

I had something similar and it was due to the cold sore virus. As in multiple cold sores appearing on whole lower half of my face, not just on the corner of my lip. Made me miserable for months before it was diagnosed as obviously no acne or eczema treatments worked on it. Might be worth exploring/ruling out as a possibility.

could be folliculitis or cystic acne if they're very firm? Either way a dermatologist opinion, not GP. Some GPs have a special interest in dermatology so could hunt one of those out. Masks etc could def be an issue - try a different type?

Expert opinion required if nothing obvious solves it. Could waste years asking GP about these sorts of issues. Ask to be referred dermatology or maybe get hormones levels checked etc - to rule out PCOS.

Have you removed hair from your face?

I had very similar spots after dermaplaning.

You’ll get triaged but will most likely prescribe a topical treatment. I’ve had the odd spot and I’ve had accutane in the past.

An allergic reaction to a beauty product maybe? Hair removal cream. Do you have lip filler on that first pic?

Have you cats? I got something similar, like contact dermatitis from my cat rubbing her face on me. I thought it was cute but not so much after massive face break out!

Topical zinc & not letting cat near face has helped me but I agree with PP, get a GP app for a medical opinion. My surgery were a little exasperated at me ‘not wanting to bother them’ and said they were still open for business as it were.

Hope you get some answers and a treatment that works

Forgot to mention you could also ask your pharmacist and that might be the quickest option, they can even prescribe for minor issues.