Perioral Dermatitis
21 February 2022
A skin disorder that I have been asked a lot about lately so I thought I’d share with you some facts to answer your questions and ensure you’re better equipped when educating and treating your next Perioral Dermatitis client.
Perioral Dermatitis is an inflammatory and follicular skin disorder that affects the nasolabial fold and mouth areas of the face.
Most common in woman, effecting 90% and teens effecting 45%.
Characteristics
- Inflamed
- Dry
- Red
- Scaly
- Rash like
- Pruritus (Itching)
- Pustules
Unlike Rosacea there is no flushing or telangiectasia with Perioral Dermatitis and due to its targeted area it can be quite easily recognised
Sometimes lasting weeks even months at a time. It can also have a tendency to bounce back depending on the cause.
Cause
The cause is unknown however there are a number of possible contributing factors that can trigger a flare up.
- Stress
- Make-up
- Wrong product use
- Medications
- Corticosteroid creams
- Nasal spray
- Impaired barrier
- Tooth paste
- Bacterial and fungal infections
- Impaired barrier
Just to name a few. There is no research to support any particular trigger.
Treatment
The best treatment is to remove any possible or known triggers. With the correct trigger removed there’s a chance it can repair itself.
Steroid creams are often prescribed however these can tend to mask the situation or even make it worse. If they can avoid these the better the chance of preventing and maintaining.
To prevent, minimise and repair flare ups it’s extremely important to focus on skin health and barrier repair through home care and in clinic treatments. Don’t forget to also educate your clients on what to look out for and how to prevent a flare up themselves.
