How can I get rid of perioral dermatitis?

[jskucas]

Help!

I have recently been diagnosed with perioral dermatitis which I have been battling for the last seven years. These tiny bumps always start on my lips and spread outwards on my face. The pain on my lips becomes so intense that it hurts to open my mouth to talk and eat. If only the bumps would be anywhere else on my body it wouldn't be that bad! As you can see I am always in a hurry to git rid of it as it extremly effects my daily activities when I have it. I usually have a 'break out' of perioral dermatitis two to three times a year which lasts for about 10 days of sparse eating and talking.

I have used tetracycline and doxcycline to try and clear it up but it doesn't seem to help. This could be due to the fact that my 'out break' only lasts for 10 days and it takes much much longer for the medication to kick in. Does this mean I need to always be taking medication for this?

I have recently been using metrogel and it drys out the area so much that it just hurts more---adding to the the not talking and not eating even more so! To compensate for the intense painful dryness and ictyness (my lips are so itchy that I just want to scratch them off!) I layer petroleum jelly on which makes it easier to talk and eat. However, this only lasts for half and hour then I have to reapply. Meanwhile I have to walk around with tons of petroleum jelly on my face which does not look and feel great at all.

When I first had my outbreak I just thought it was from stress but I think it could be from very acidic fruits, ie I had a mango the other day and I'm pretty sure that caused the outbreak.

I would appreciate any tips!


This discussion is related to Perioral Dermatitis.

[cathy6996]

my daughter has had periorifical dermatitis for over a year that we finally found out was caused by using petroleum and paraffin based products (vaseline, aquaphor and lip balms) around her mouth.  Once she stopped using the petroleum, her face started to clear up.  You really have to check ingredients to find products without petroleum though, but it has worked for her.  Hope this helps.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It looks like you are having recurrent perioral dermatitis. In such stubborn cases, you need to take the oral antibiotics (preferably doxycycline and minocycline) for a prolonged period. You can discuss it with your doctor and take the antibiotics for prolonged periods. A mild soap or soap substitute, such as Dove or Cetaphil should be used for washing. Scrubbing should be avoided.

I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.