Perioral Dermatitis
PD is a facial rash that appears around your mouth but can spread to your nose and eyes. I first noticed mine after getting a facial peel. All I remember after getting my facial was the insane amount of product that was slathered all over my face when I left. My skin felt like it was suffocating and I was a greasy mess.
The exact cause of it is unknown, you may be able to treat PD, but reoccurrence is high.
There are a lot of theories that cause it, such as the use of topical steroids, fluorinated toothpaste, eating cinnamon, chewing gum, hormonal imbalances, gastrointestinal issues, candida, and the use of heavy face creams (hmmm?)
The day after the facial I woke up with what I thought was a zit right below my eyebrow, which of course I tried to squeeze with no success. I put some "zit cream" on it and went on with my day. Big mistake, HUGE! The following day it traveled down to my eye area. I took a photo and sent it to the doctors in the family and they all recommended I use hydrocortisone cream, and when that didn't work I started to panic.
I eventually saw a dermatologist who diagnosed me with "dermatitis", which is a blanket term for inflammation, and prescribed me a steroid cream. But, what I wanted was answers to what it was exactly, how I got it, and if there were any natural ways of treating it. Unfortunately, all I left with that day was an insanely expensive prescription for a cream that I wound up not buying.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and started researching PD. I tried changing my toothpaste, and my laundry detergent, I took homeopathic remedies and supplements, I drank teas and Chinese herbs, I changed my diet, I read all forums on PD and tried all remedies suggested- even putting an anti-fungal cream for feet on my face. NOTHING WORKED.
I was desperate for answers and since it was still around my eye at the time I went to see my Optometrist. He gave me the same diagnosis and prescribed me a different steroid cream that was more reasonably priced. I thought, okay here is another professional telling me to use steroids, so this must be the "cure" so I started using the cream.
I wish I could share photos of what happened next, but I deleted all of them due to the painful memories of that time in my life. At first, the steroids worked like a charm, it was disappearing! Then the PD hit the fan in a big way. After I was done using the cream small red, scaly, zit-like pustules started to form around my eyes, nose, and mouth. It was awful. I was frustrated and depressed, and I wanted to hide from the world. Even though friends and family said it wasn't as bad as I thought it was, it didn't matter. It was on my face and it wasn't going away.
Eventually, I stopped everything. I would just rinse my face and spray it with thermal spring water. The less I did the better it got. I wish I could say there was one magical cream or pill that worked. Maybe it just ran its course- a year was a long time!
What I do believe is that the facial I had gotten had finally broken down my skin’s natural protective barrier. I was doing too much and using too many different products.
I still get tiny PD breakouts on the corner of my mouth and under my nose and I'm still not sure why, but when I see those red bumps coming I immediately reach for The Problem Solver Serum. It helps heal and protect my skin and if you are struggling with PD, rosacea, acne, or ingrown hairs I hope that it helps you as well.