Can someone tell me what this is and how to cure it?

[hahn100]

I haven't had pimples since my early college years and now I'm almost 40.  It started on the chin...i came and went away.  But everytime it came back it would spread.  I used various creams on my face including a strong steriod cream for a while.  Within the last 3 months I has covered the bottom of my chin and is coming up on my cheek and spreading slowing down to my neck, I fear.  It looks like ***** blistering pimples, my face is hot and red around the areas where the ***** pimples like thing are.  After about a day or two day the puss turns yellowish and starts to dry out.  The reddness and bumpyness is still there.  I've went to a derm. and they gave me oral steroid for 6 days.  It seems to work then it would come back.  Then I tried the steriods for 12 days.  It helped but as soon as I got off it, it came back with with a fury.  Started with 2 bumps on Friday.  Then 2 pimples like rash on saturday morning.  By the aftersoon I have 6 of them.  Come Sunday I had around 12 pimples with reddness in morning. On Monday, it my chin was on fire, it was tingly and itchy all day and the pimple like rash just spread. It is now, Tuesday and it I covered my chin and part of my cheeks.  It is tingly, itchy, with red bumps, hot and with pimple like puss.  They want to do a biopsy but I do not have insurance.  Can anyone tell me what this is?  Could this be cause by me using the steriod cream?

Need help!!!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
What you have could be hormonal acne due to premenopause. This is usually treated with progesterone cream. Painful acne or blister like rash can be due to shingles. It can also be due to contact dermatitis like contact with soap, detergents, powder etc. Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid are the other conditions that should be ruled out. There are other causes of blisters too but probably they do not apply in your case. These are Dermatitis herpetiformis, chronic bullous dermatosis, cutaneous radiation syndrome (following a radiation--maybe for cancers or X-rays or CT scans), and Epidermolysis Bullosa.
Please consult a skin specialist regarding this as a confirmed diagnosis cannot be given on net without examining the rash. Hope this helps. Take care!

[Angebelle]

Through your description, it sounds like you have adult cystic acne, many times this is caused by a hormonal imbalance.  It doesn't surprise me that steriods helped clear up some of the acne, but returned when the prescription ran out.  Also, your body will build up a tolerance to steriods if you use them too much.  Rather than treating the symptoms, treat the cause.  

Have you had blood work done recently to make sure all your levels are okay?  This may pinpoint what nutritional values you are lacking in your diet.  Sometimes simple multi-day vitamins appropriate for your body type/age will help bring your levels into check.  You may also want to take vitamins geared towards skin health, immune system, and blood cells.  Also, make sure you're drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet.  Water will flush your skin and organs of toxins that may be causing the acne.  It will take about three weeks for water and vitamins to really take effect on your body.

Another potential factor is that your body may becoming intolerant to wheat or gluten (yes, it can develop later in life and not necessarily as a child).  You may want to start cutting back on wheat or gluten products to see if this may be the cause.  

Meanwhile, don't use harsh acne products.  Because we're coming into the dry winter season use a non-acneic moisturizer morning and night after washing your face with a mild cleanser.  Good luck!