WHAT ARE THE TINY RED BUMPS AROUND MY MOUTH?

This condition I see regularly in my clinic and for some reason it comes in waves. The condition is called Perioral Dermatitis and it mostly occurs in woman.

I myself have experienced this condition and it is very annoying! For me, it is the overuse of Vitamin A (in the form or retinaldehyde and/or retinol).I am naughty sometimes and use a little too much Vitamin A in the quest for more collagen. Who can blame me, I think we all want a little more sponginess right?! I have to admit, every time I start to see those little red bumps appearing, always on the right side of my chin, I know the bumps are on their way. I get a tingling sensation when they are rising up. So I want to share with you my fact sheet and list of action that I take as soon as these little bumps start to surface.

Of course, I always recommend you see a medical practitioner to confirm that you do indeed have Perioral Dermatitis and take on board their recommendations as well.

Click here to see an array of photos of Perioral Dermatitis

Possible Causes

- Many cases develop soon after using a topical steroid on the face for another condition such as mild eczema

- Toothpaste with fluoride

- Stress

- Vitamin deficiencies

- Cortisone creams

- UV Light

- Pill

- Sunscreen

- Rapid change in temp

- Skin care - benzoyl peroxide, parabens etc

- Allergy

Treatments

- Avoid using strong corticosteroid creams on Perioral Dermatitis. While these creams may seem to help treat your red bumps, they're likely to reappear once you stop using the cream.

- Basic skin care - I use the morning the Skin Matrix Balance Cleanser and CoQ10 Rosehip Facial Oil

- Use only Mineral make up 

- no sunscreen - except a mineral sunscreen such as Osmosis MD Protect or the Colorescience Face Shield Sunscreen

- Take Zinc twice a day

- Take MegaB Vitamin Complex

- Antibiotics - make and appointment with your GP

- Systemic and topical treatment - acupuncture, Chinese medicine

- Take apple cider vinegar to regulate your body alkalinity, you can also dab this onto the area once a day with a warm cotton square. Do not over do!

- Reduce stress levels - look at what you can do to reduce stress - yoga, reading, walking, quiet time etc

- Change toothpaste to nonfluoride one

- Pimecrolimus Cream

- Big green leafy vegetable juice daily

- Do not sun bake the area, UV light is not a friend of Perioral Dermatitis

- LED therapy works wonders!! but you need to go regularly in the initial phase. 

Thus far I have not had to go on to antibiotics by using my checklist, you need to be proactive and take action as soon as they appear. If your Perioral Dermatitis is persistent or you have had it for a while, make an appointment with your GP. I am not usually the one to recommend antibiotics, but I have seen this work for my clients with persistent cases. Perioral dermatitis has no known cause which can be very frustrating. It is thought to be bacterial. Use the above as a guide, I hope it can assist you!