Perioral Dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis is an acute, inflammatory disease of the skin on the face. It mainly appears around the mouth and eyes, although in more advanced stages it can spread to the rest of the face. The disease manifests itself as small red spots, inflamed in places.

The areas affected are usually sensitive to the touch and might be a little itchy or sore. If perioral dermatitis is not treated, it can develop into painful bulging bands all over the face. This skin disease mostly affects young women, mainly aged between twenty and thirty.

What causes perioral dermatitis?

There are many factors that cause perioral dermatitis and it is sometimes difficult to find the initial reason for the occurrence of the disease. One of the most common reasons (around 80 % of cases) is the use of corticoids, which are usually applied to the skin when treating other skin diseases.

Frequent use of make-up, hydration creams and other cosmetic products can also lead to the rash appearing. Other possible causes of perioral dermatitis include yeast infections and the use of hormonal contraception. The disease occurs more commonly among people with very greasy or very dry skin.

Treating perioral dermatitis

Treating this skin disease is usually a long process. It is first necessary to eliminate the causes, meaning to stop applying hormonal ointments or cosmetic products. Treatment is then a matter for a dermatologist, who, depending on the extent, intensity and development of the disease to date, chooses treatment using products to be applied externally or those encroaching on the organism as a whole.

It is a good idea to treat the affected areas of skin with ointments on a non-greasy base, products containing zinc, calcium and other active ingredients proving particularly useful