Perioral Dermatitis

[holly]

I have been diagnosed with perioral dermatitis.  My doctor prescribed a gel called Metrogel and told me to use a mild soap like Cetaphil to wash my fase and apply this gel twice a day for 6 weeks.  It is improving but it's painfully slow.  In the meantime I look awful.  Everything I read says to use oral antibiotics but I've talked to my doctor about this and he wants to stay with the Metrogel only.  Wouldn't the oral antibiotics speed up the healing process?  Is he just being conservative because of antibiotic overuse?

Thanks!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Holly:

I usually treat perioral dermatitis orally, with one of the tetracyclines, because I find that the improvement is much more rapid, under a month.  Topicals are slower and work less completely, in my experience.  Perhaps your dermatologist has some specific reason for holding off on antibiotics.

Best.

Dr. R

[Laurel]

Hi, I was just diagnosed with perioral dermatitis.  My doctor had prescribed a steriod cream.  The strange thing is that I only develop this when I'm pregant.  This will be my fourth child and I developed this rash at 4 months. With my other children I got the condition about 8 months, so it never really got a chance to get as worse at it is now.  Within a week of delivery it disappeared with my other children.  This is the first time I have actually been diagnosed with this.  The thing is my rash never had the bumps like the other people with this condition have stated.  Mine is like dry, chappy, and red in the area of my chin and mouth.  Also the cream that I was prescribed says it is to be used cautiously and only if needed with pregnancy.  If anyone has any information they can give me regarding  this please email me at ***@****.  Thank you.  Laurel

[Suzanne]

I have had perioral dermatitis for more than a year now.
My dermatologist has prescribed three different tetracyclines and a sulphur drug but the condition persists.  Do you have any suggestions for what I might try next?