Ever since I was a little girl, around 6 or 7, I've started having these red areas in my face, mainly around my nose and on my chin, and they would flare up whenever I was under great pressure. This affected my self esteem a whole lot, and it even kept me from going to school and going out with my friends. It wasn't until it got really bad that I actually decided to seek medical counseling about it. My mom made an appointment with the dermatologist office, and the cause of my "disfigured face" was perioral dermatitis.
Perioral dermatitis is a common facial skin problem that mainly affects women. No one really knows exactly what causes it, but there are some known triggers. To name a few you have; face creams, face wash, makeup and sunscreens containing Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Isopropyl Myristate. The condition is also worsened by fluorinated toothpaste, topical steroid creams and oral contraceptives. To make it even worse, even the weather affects it, strong wind or harsh sunlight will make you flare up in no time.
For me, all of the above including stress triggers it. It's a bitch to live with, so take good care of your skin before this happens to you.
Bad news are, once you've got it, you have it for life. It is not contagious, that must be said. Good news are there are several ways to keep it in check. You can see a dermatologist and be prescribed Tetracycline, which is an antibiotic to treat infections in the skin, acne and perioral dermatitis. That will clear up your skin and then it's up to you to keep it from coming back. I'm going to make it easier by just referring to perioral dermatitis as PD. I will keep this blog updated with PD-friendly products, information and tips on how to manage it.
