ACK! I've Got Perioral Dermatitis

So, you're looking for a short but sweet description of Perioral Dermatitis? That's easy. It's a rash that develops around the mouth and nose which gives it the "muzzle rash" nickname. The rash may also surround the eyes as well. As you can well imagine, this is not the most attractive look!

For some reason, women in their 20's, 30's and 40's seem to be the ones most affected. This may very well be due to the amount of moisturizers and make up we tend to use. Also, for some reason, women who are more prone to blushing may be at higher risk for developing this rash.

If you've used topical steroids (i.e. hydrocortisone), you are more likely to develop Perioral Dermatitis).

Some other causes of this rash may include sunlight and fluoridated toothpaste.

The rash doesn't usually itch but it can be a little tender or painful if touched.

Some doctors may mistake Perioral Dermatitis for Rosacea or other skin disorders. If you suspect you have Perioral Dermatitis, see a Dermatologist and do not use steroidal creams to treat the rash.While the rash may disappear temporarily with the use of such creams, it will come back much worse than before. Many of the stories online indicate that physicians will typically misdiagnose Perorial Dermatitis so scheduling a Dermatologist visit is probably the best way to go.

We live part-time in the Caribbean thanks to my husband's job. This summer, we were out enjoying that tropical sun and humidity just about every day. Around the end of July, I started experiencing what I thought was a heat rash. Being no stranger to heat rashes, I simply stopped using much of my makeup and just continued to use a light moisturizer. The rash didn't really clear up, but it didn't get worse either.

Fast forward a month, after having this rash for over a month, I finally came to the conclusion this was not a heat rash (doesn't take me long, eh?). I thought maybe it was some fungal thing but I didn't really have anything handy to treat it so I started playing with different creams already in our medicine cabinet.

Kids, don't try this at home
One cream in our medicine cabinet is Mometasone Furoate (a corticosteroid). My son's allergist had prescribed this for my son's latex allergy outbreaks to bring down facial swelling. Upon the first use, almost immediately, my rash disappeared. I used it for a few days and then stopped. My rash started coming back so I applied more. This cycle continued for a month and a half. I'd use the cream and the rash would disappear. I'd stop use and it would come back quickly. Finally, even the cream wasn't stopping the rash. That's when I knew I needed to see a dermatologist. Because my son had been misdiagnosed for almost half a year by regular physicians before a dermatologist correctly diagnosed psoriasis, I knew to skip the middle man and go straight for the dermatologist. Now that I know what this is, that was a smart move. I've read many accounts online of non-dermatologists misdiagnosing this condition and <> prescribing steroidal creams.

The moment my dermatologist saw my face, he instantly knew what this was. He told me the Mometasone Furoate was actually making the condition worse and to stop using it immediately. He prescribed Solodyn (an antibiotic) and Clenia. Fortunately, he gave me some samples of the Clenia to try before I turned in the prescription.

I immediately started using the Clenia and taking the Solodyn. However, because I stopped the Mometasone Furoate cold turkey, for the next three days, I had a major rash surrounding my nose and on my chin. It was horrible. I couldn't cover it with make up so I just gritted my teeth and carried on as best I could. Unfortunately, being a mom of busy kids, I couldn't just hide at home. I did notice folks staring at my rash. For awhile I just simply explained it but after a day, I found I really didn't care any more so I just let people wonder what was happening. Only one person asked what was wrong with my face.

During the first day, I really researched this condition online. I wanted to learn all I could and find out what I could do to make it better.

A number of people seemed to think apple cider vinegar (ACV) helped the condition so I tried a little experiment.

On one side of my face, I used the Clenia. On the other side of the face, I used the apple cider vinegar. By the next day, the side with the ACV was visibly less red. The side with the Clenia was actually an angrier red. Keep in mind, this was day two of going off the steroidal cream. I stopped using the Clenia, although I did stick with the Solodyn, and just used the ACV. Within several days, there as only the faintest outline of pink and my skin was incredibly soft.

There is one drawback to the ACV, well, actually two. First of all, when you first start using it, it stings like anything. However, I was more than willing to do whatever I could to get rid of this rash. Drawback number two, as my five year old daughter pointed out, is that it is stinky.

I did take a few more suggestions from the internet. I really cut back on sugar and I stayed out of the sun. In less than a week, my rash was gone. And, I'm not sure if this is from the Solodyn or ACV, but my face looks really good right now.

I'll update this page in the future if my rash returns but, if you don't see that update, I continue to be Perioral Dermatitis free and I hope that you are as well.

I am pleased to say I went off the cortisone cream and had the perioral dermatitis explode on my face, I am now rash free. I do notice that if I have too much sugar, I get a little pink around the nose now. However, I've found a product that seems to be really working for me. I bought the Eucerin Redness Relief soothing cleanser and I really like it. The cleanser is recommended for people with Rosacea. I then have also switched from my usual moisturizers to the Aveeno Ultra Calming Moisturizer. Eucerin does make a Redness Relief moisturizer but I bought the Aveeno before I noticed it. I'm really happy with the Aveeno but I'll try the Eucerin when I run out.

I've stopped using the apple cider vinegar. I really think the ACV worked best when I had the initial breakout. Once I got the breakout under control, I didn't notice it doing too much.

So, in a nutshell, I seem to be staying PD-free by limiting sugar, using my Eucerin Redness Relief cleanser once a day and using the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturizer in the mornings.

Half a year later I am learning what to avoid to trigger a reaction. My skin doesn't seem to like new lotions anymore so I am sticking with the Aveeno and Eucerin. All in all, I'd say I am PD free!

One year later Despite having steroidal shots and being on Prednisone after an especially bad spider bite (black widow?), I've remained PD free. Whenever I notice some pinking around my mouth or nose, I immediately start using my Redness Relief wash and the pink goes away. Yay!

A couple years later: I've now developed an allergy to Sodium Lauryl Sulfates in general. I have not used the Eucerin Redness Relief Cleanser for a number of months but it does contain Sodium Laureth Sulfates. Sodium Laureth Sulfates are not as strong or as harsh as the Sodium Lauryl Sulfates so I am unsure if I will have a reaction. I have found that occasionally using apple cider vinegar helps if I start to pink up. I also am sticking to a few general products because when I deviate, I pink up. I stick to the Bed Head sulfate-free shampoo (love SuperStar...it really is the best). I know this sounds strange but, for me, it works, I've been using the Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo as a regular soap while in the shower and washing my hands. I did not care for it as a shampoo but love it as a soap. I find that if I use these products together, I stay clear but as soon as I deviate, I start having issues again. I'm sure there are many other wonderful products but since I've found what works for me, I'm sticking with what I know.