Recurring Rash on Left Cheek

At least once a year I get a rash on my left cheek. This rash has been recurring for about 16 years. It is always in exactly the same place and lasts for several weeks.
It begins like a prickly heat rash, itchy and tingly, then after a few days begins coming up in lumps, once again, not unlike a heat rash, after several days these lumps open up and the whole area scabs over. It effects the area just under my cheek bone and in a strip half way down my cheek. My doctor advised me to use hydrocortisone cream but this actually delays the healing time.
Can anyone help as this rash is very annoying and prevents me for doing many things like water activities for weeks on end as sea water irritates it even more and it can get infected, making it much worse.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms the possibility of herpetic sores need to be ruled out. The other possibilities are of bullous staph infection or viral rashes. Herpes presents as blisters which break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak.


I sincerely hope it helps. Take care and please do keep us posted on how you are doing. Warm regards.