It consists of small spots and dry patches of skin that appear around the nostrils and in a ring around the mouth. If the rash spreads up to the eyes then it tends to be close to them, underneath or in the corners.
The rash itself isn’t usually itchy, but can feel irritated or as if it is sore or burning.
Here are some images of perioral dermatitis. As you can see, it can come in a mild form as well as being more severe.
What causes perioral dermatitis?
There aren’t really any definite answers as to what can cause perioral dermatitis, but there are a few speculations. It has been linked to excessive cosmetic use (mainly due to SLS), hormonal imbalance, steroid cream use, strong winds and UV light, toothpaste that contains fluoride, the oral contraceptive pill and yeasts. [Information source: Patient.co.uk]
So why am I discussing this on my blog? Well, to be perfectly honest, this is something that I had never heard anything about until fairly recently. That is until I started to see a bizarre rash forming on my own face. Then, after some research, I found out that it is quite a common problem - especially in women between the ages of 20 and 45 years. This, along with the link between it and the use of cosmetics, I figured that a beauty blog could be the right place to give this a mention. Even if you aren't or haven't suffered from it, the information could still be handy to know.
