Paranoid about seb derm or something else

Hi Dr.

Here's the story: About seven months ago, near the end of the summer, i noticed a tiny cluster of red dots on the left side of my face next to my nose underneath the eye. It did not flake and wasn't particularily scaly, however it took a while to go away on its own. Now seven months later i have a similar tiny spot around the same place. I have done reading on Seborrheic Dermatitis, and it doesn't look just like the images online, but i wonder what else it can be. It is painless about the size of a dime, doesn't itch or hurt, and isn't anywhere else. I have been reading about the connection between seb derm and HIV and it has make me paranoid.

I am heterosexual, and have been with 2 women sexually in the past year since my last aids test both with latex condoms. The women were both educators and well versed in safer sex methods. Since then i got negative std tests for other stuff. Other than that, i was nicked at the barbers when he was shaving my neck. The blade was likely stirred in barbicide and wiped with a towel (plus air drying of potentially infectious minimal fluid for over 25 minutes to an hour) Was told by an HIV specialist after describing the incident that the risk was near negligible/non-existent, and also Dr. Handsfield on the STD forum that the risk was near zero and i should move on. Do you think i am overreacting? I am wondering why I have this little spot. I squeezed it the other (two of the red dots and yellow stuff came out (like a blackhead). I generally have had mild oily skin my whole life, with intermittent acne which i still get occasionally. It is basically a tiny patch of red with three red dots on top. It is nowhere else on my face or head (or body for that matter). Is there cause to worry? I bought a 2% USP cream and have ozonol in the cupboard, but maybe a hydrocortisone would be better

Whew, thats about it. Thanks for your kind assistance Dr. Rockoff.

Bill.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I agree with Dr. Handsfield.  This sounds like pimples that you're perpetuating by picking.  Please leave them alone and forget about it.  If even protected sex produces so much anxiety, you may want to consider counseling to deal with that.

If the marks persist for 2 months even after you've left them alone, please see a skin doctor.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[worried in toronto]

Dr. Rockoff,

Thanks for your speedy reply. I went to the pharmacy today and the owner/head pharmacist gave me a .5 hydrocortisone and said people get facial blemishes all the time. He said it would work and it has already set the redness down a bit.

I appreciate your advice on the anxiety front.

Bill.

[worried in toronto]

I further inspected my nose doc and i saw a yellowish greasy spot on the right side of my nose with a bit of peeling. Is this common?