Itchy, red § swollen face

[ben.v]

My wife is suffering from a very itchy face. It started about 2 weeks ago when her lips became dry and itchy, they then started to become very swollen and developed blisters.



Now all around her eyes is swollen and unbearably itchy, the skin all over her face is dry and rough, it is itching so much so that she can’t sleep or concentrate.



She initially tried Zovirax for her lips but it didn’t help, then we tried Blistex which also didn’t help. We have since tried several other remedies including;



Nivea Moisturising Cream

Baby Oil with Aloe Vera

Camomile Tea applied to the face

Multi-vitamins



She went to the doctor today and they diagnosed ‘some kind of virus’, and told her it should go naturally within a few weeks! They gave her Calamine cream for the itching but she has been using it all day and it has no effect. She is 21 and has no known allergies, she hasn’t been using any makeup or cosmetics since it started.



Please can you offer some suggestion as to;

1. What it could be

2. How we can treat the illness

3. How we can relieve the symptoms



Thanks



Ben

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

When a face becomes suddenly itchy, it is usally either a contact dermatitis (allergy to something being applied) or eczema (a hereditary sensitivity not caused by anything specific.)  Many rashes are passed off as "allergy," even without clear evidence.  This results in people throwing out lots of good stuff, on which suspicion has unnecessrily been cast.



Hereditary eczema is often called "skin problems," "allergic skin," and other euphemisms.  So your wife may have a personal or family history without realizing it.



My advice is to try over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone twice a day.  If there are any new products she's used that really seem to correlate with the onset, get rid of them, but only if the correlation seems real.



If the rash doesn't go away in another week, I suggest you consult a dermatologist.  But an infection does not seem at all likely.



Best.



Dr. Rockoff

[CarynS]

Ben - I have the EXACT same thing, but it's been going on for a YEAR!!! I have been to three dermatologists, the most recent (and best one!) today. It's still not clear what I have, but it is some sort of "contact dermatitis". I am scheduled to have an allergy patch testing done, but not for another two months. I'm not sure where you live, but apparently the doctor I am going to is pretty well known for conducting the test.



I've used several steroid creams, pills, etc, but do not want to continue using them. Not happy with my "diagnosis" I did a little research online and discovered that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a compound in nearly all shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, lotions, etc. I was using St. Ives facial wash and it was the second ingredient! I stopped using it last Saturday. I went to a whole foods market and purchased a bar of olive oil and chamomile soap thinking this is the mildest thing I can use on my face. I have only used it twice, but I think it's helping. Of course, that could be my wishful thinking. :)



The doctor today said that in North America, SLS is not one of the most likely contact dermatitis causes. However, about 3 years ago I purchased Tom's of Maine toothpaste and my mouth broke out with like 200 canker soars. I did research on canker soars and guess what...SLS causes them. As soon as I stopped using the toothpaste it cleared up. My thought is to avoid ALL chemicals at this point.



The doctor I went to today said that it might be an "acne-like" dermatitis where your skin forms little bumps, "grows" together and then flakes off. This is exactly what I have. She gave me a prescription for an antibiotic as well as an antibiotic cream. I don't have the name offhand (I dropped off the prescription already).



Oh, I tried that 1% hydrocortisone cream - many times. They do offer relief from the itching, but it offers nothing else. The best thing I found so far is by Burt’s Bees (www.burtsbees.com) the "Res Q Ointment". It sort of "glues" the flakes back together and is great relief. It also improves the look of my face, although it's still red, just not flaky. I highly recommend this stuff. You can buy it online or at any place that sells Burt’s Bees (generally whole foods markets).



Good luck and I hope this helps.

Caryn S.

[devigal]

My wife (devi) has a similar condition. Her face got red and extremely itchy from her neck and shoulders to all over her face and even affecting her eyes

   We consulted our natural health books and discovered that egg whites applied all over the affected ares did much to alleviate the itching. However, the redness and bumps are still there (it's been 4 days now), but the flaking has diminished considerably.

   Hope this helps, and you should try to research more homeopatic remedies and possibly post 'em up.

   ty stonecretesteel

[Margaritte925]

A related discussion, itchy & swolle face was started.