Anyone know what’s going on with my skin?

[ShitPuffin]

I know I need to see a dermatologist but money is a bit tight at the moment…All input gratefully received.

I’ve got 2 different problems - neither of which are totally new but also haven’t been going on for that long.

The first is something on my face. It looks like some kind of rash but is happening too often to be an immediate allergic reaction to something. I do get spots with it but it’s not like acne - they’re itchy and they can come up and go down over the course of a day.

The second is on my upper back and neck. It’s hard to get a good photo unfortunately. I’m getting spots that I’ve assumed are acne but now I’m wondering if they’re folliculitis or something else. They aren’t sore like acne can be but can look quite angry and big - and are filled like acne.

Please help as what I’ve tried so far hasn’t worked at all!

Food or drug allergy possibly. Looks like it's irritated on your face.
DS had a similar rash & after several weeks of constant itchiness & cutting out his ADHD meds we narrowed it down to an egg allergy.

Thank you. I was thinking it must be a reaction to something. No clue what mind!

I had a similar rash - turned out to be an MCT oil I had started taking.

Thanks LowRoad. Sounds like I’m going to have to do an elimination diet. It’s just infuriating because I can’t think what it could be!

Could be fungal, I have fungal folliculitis on my face which I use Daktarin intensive on. Fungal things take ages to go though.

Ive also got a food allergy to cows milk.

@Fluffycloudland77 I’ve just been wondering this about my back as when trying to get a picture for the online gp, I noticed some weird white patches a little lower down. (Not holding out much hope for a diagnosis from them but thought it was worth a shot!)

They could just be an unrelated holiday hangover though but I’ve been back 4 months. Obviously, I can’t really look closer myself…

Do they look relevant?

Honestly I don’t know, took me ages to figure out mine was fungal and I’m a podiatrist. I know about fungus and I’ve had them before 😂

Id see the gp though.

😂 Oh god, I’ve got no hope then. Let’s see what the gp says on the phone tomorrow. I might just have to bite the bullet and see a dermatologist.

Thanks for suggesting it though - I can ask the question if he doesn’t have much to say!

Could the first one be rosacea?

I don’t think so.

(Based on my Google dermatology degree.)

@ShitPuffin
I'd go to your Gp and see if they will do a NHS dermatology referral
🤞

Could it be a reaction to your shampoo / conditioner? Seems to both be areas which could come into contact with your shampoo in the shower.

The back could be but not all over my face. They’re totally different too. But I’ve tried various different shampoos and conditioners recently and it makes no difference. 😩

Thanks for the crossed fingers!

I actually have PMI through work but if the doctor says it’s nothing sinister, I think this is one instance where I might struggle to get a referral.

The stuff on my face is annoying and looks a bit shit but it’s not the end of the world to look at (though I definitely need to know if I’m allergic to something). The spots on my back make me really self-conscious in these summer months.

I used to get prescription antihistamines for something else. I’m thinking they might be worth a whirl for my face. I’ll ask tomorrow.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate you taking the time to suggest things!

The discoloured bit on your back could be something to do with sun damage. I have 2 on one arm, and they are visible when I get suntanned. I can't remember the name of it but I am not concerned about it although I was worried when first saw them a few years ago. Something do with pigmentation or rather lack of.

Forehead: could it he some sort if heat rash? Worth trying a very simple skincare routine for a couple of weeks, no oils, no heavy moisturisers etc. Some sunblocks would also cause irritation.

Back: I really don't know, it looks like spots to me. Avoid moisturisers and use basic plain soap when washing. Could you sleep on your front or side to see if that improves the situation. Skin looks quite irritated, maybe also something to do with laundry products you are using?

Dairy in general can make skin miss behave. Could you try reduce or remove from diet for a few weeks?

I’ve cut my skincare right back to my basic, most trust-worthy things but sunscreen in definitely a possibility. I’ve tried several different ones recently to see if that helps but so far, either none are suitable or none are the problem.

I did wonder about laundry products but I went back to bio last year (because non-bio was leaving some of my thicker clothes with that musty smell in winter). But surely if it was that it would have happened sooner…Urgh, I don’t want to go back to that smell.

I was just sitting wondering about the delicates detergent I’ve been using on my silk pillows and eye mask though. I’ll swap it out for Fairy and see if that helps.

I don’t feel like I’ve even eaten as much dairy as usual but I can certainly give it a try.

If it's located at the top of your back and you sleep with a reasonably exposed back, lying on your back, maybe the skin is exposed to the pillow case? A bit far fetched, but I'd explore all possibilities for now.
Maybe start with that, don't use the silk pillow case and mask for a bit.

These suncreams are very hit and miss. There's potential heat, sweat, clogged pores etc.

I swear in 20 years time they'll tell us these are very, very bad for our skin. I wear nuclear blast proof suncream and I haven't got a clue what those ingredients are. I definitely need a deep pore cleansing mask more regularly in the summer because of this.

@Branster Crazy, isn’t it? I don’t know how people wear sunscreen all year round! I spent a fortune trying different ones.

I cant sleep without my mask now so that’s not an option but I can definitely change what I wash it with. May as well just do the same with the pillowcases but that’s definitely nothing to do with my back. I also don’t sleep on my back.

I might wash the towels in non-bio tomorrow too…But I’ve just taken an antihistamine so that might interfere with my assessment of my face.

What a palaver! Twenty years ago I had skin that couldn’t get worked up about anything at all.