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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Recurring small patch
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Dermatology issues, such as: skin rashes, acne, birthmarks, skin infections, rosacea, and general skin care.
Recurring small patch
by worried in toronto, Dec 17, 2006 12:00AM
Hi Dr.
For the past year or so, i have had a recurring small red patch of skin on the left side of my face, under my eye and next to the nose. When it first comes up, it looks like a couple of small pimples. It seems to come up in the same place and gets a bit redder and lingers for a couple of weeks, then fades away and dries out. It is only on one side and doesn't seem to flake much. I thought it was like eczema or seborrhea but it doesn't have the flakiness described in seborrhea. I am just concerned that it keeps cropping back up every month or so. I feels like it comes up when i get stressed but i never had this problem before. I do have acne though. It doesn't itch at all either which is why i thought it wasn't eczema. I figured it wasn't acne as it comes in the same place.
Thanks a bunch
Rob.
For the past year or so, i have had a recurring small red patch of skin on the left side of my face, under my eye and next to the nose. When it first comes up, it looks like a couple of small pimples. It seems to come up in the same place and gets a bit redder and lingers for a couple of weeks, then fades away and dries out. It is only on one side and doesn't seem to flake much. I thought it was like eczema or seborrhea but it doesn't have the flakiness described in seborrhea. I am just concerned that it keeps cropping back up every month or so. I feels like it comes up when i get stressed but i never had this problem before. I do have acne though. It doesn't itch at all either which is why i thought it wasn't eczema. I figured it wasn't acne as it comes in the same place.
Thanks a bunch
Rob.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Dec 19, 2006 12:00AM
, Dec 19, 2006 12:00AM
Hard to say. It sounds a little like eczema or seborrhea. If you're treating it with a steroid cream, it may possibly be steroid rosacea, which responds to stopping the steroid and using an antibiotic cream like metronidazole, but that's just a guess. It doesn't sound at all serious or allergic, but I think you're going to need to see a doctor in person to find out exactly what it is. Since it's intermittent, you should try to take a good photo of what it's like at its worst. And of course--don't pick or rub at it, since that would confuse the issue and even perhaps perpetuate the problem.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
