Well, we will start from the basics. It is not acne and it is not eczema as well. The perioral dermatitis is a different condition. We usually do not pay attention to it until it is out of control. We should now about this condition more. To be honest, no one paid attention to this condition until the recent pandemic situation when we were in the lockdown. The perioral condition is more common than you would think. It is mainly triggered with the high level of stress, change in hormones such as menstrual cycles or simple life itself. Another trigger is the urge to try all the new products on the market, while it is very difficult to identify the condition in time. Apart from this, it is also hard to fight it.
This is the reason for this post. We did the research and hopefully found answers to this. To know exactly what the perioral dermatitis is, how to discover it and how to treat it.
So, in order to get going, we need to establish what the perioral dermatitis is. As we mentioned above, it is not acne not eczema. However, it is easily mixed with the perioral dermatitis and you get the wrong diagnosis. It is really a big issue because when you are diagnosed with eczema, you are prescribed with the steroids which, even they cure from eczema, they can do a lot of harm for the perioral dermatitis making it worse.
What can you do to differentiate these conditions? According to Vellgus Red Light the perioral dermatitis is the inflammation of the skin. It starts with the nose and move towards the mouth. How to tell the difference? Perioral dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that starts around the nose and moves down to the mouth area. The important thing is to get to the dermatologist as they can establish the diagnosis immediately. In this case, it is recommended not to go to your doctor for this, but you need to go to the specialist in the field of dermatology.
If you want, in laic terms, it is the disruption of the skin’s epidermal barrier. The usual cause for this state is stress, using the cleanser too much, exaggerating with the nasal sprays and eye drops.
There is a high possibility that you have experienced this in greater form during the lockdown and isolation. It happened because the stress level was higher than usual. Another cause, is the over eating the snacks during the isolation. Among other things, birth control pills where shown as a cause for this state. It is especially with the women in 20s and 30s. Among other causes, we would like to point out the following such as pregnancy, steroid creams, fluorinated toothpaste and a sunscreen that does not fit your skin type.
The most important thing is to visit the dermatologist or a skin specialist who can do the professional diagnosis. Concerning the prescription for the treatment, it depends on the state of the condition. Usually, the antibiotic is prescribed. The antibiotic is not given to fight the infection but to balance the skin and to treat the condition.
From this point, it is recommended to give your skin routine an alternative, in other terms, change it. You can add vitamin B serum such as niacinamide or vitamin C serum. The role of the vitamins is to repair your skin’s protection. What else is recommended? Well, you should go for the lipid-rich cleanser which will help in the strengthening the epidermal barrier and cell membrane.
There is one key thing to pay attention to. You need to be very patience as the skin often goes really bad before it gets better. When we say patience, it means that you need to take the treatment for at least six months in order to see the changes occur.
At the end, we would suggest (as the condition is mainly triggered by the hormonal response or imbalance) to avoid the over-cleaning and exfoliating. The best thing to do is to do this twice a week. Also, you need to decrease the toners use as these products dry our the skin which leads to irritation.
What else you can do? You can change your life habits. Get yourself good sleep, a healthy diet, drink lots of water. This will not just improve your life but it will take the fight to the source of perioral dermatitis.
