Strange Red and Dry patch on face?!

[kjdandjbd]

I have no idea what is going on with my face and I desperatly need help. For the past week there has been a patch of red, dry skin under my eye, on my upper cheek, and I have no clue what it is. At first I thought it was windburn, (my husband drives his jeep with the top off) so I began applying lotion all day and night. It burns and tingles a little whenever I apply it. The lotion isn't helping though. (I am using a oil-free face lotion) If this persists I will be going to the doctor next week to see what is wrong, but I was hoping someone here could offer some help beforehand. What is wrong with my face?! I have had acne in my past, as you can se with the pic, but it is has gotten a lot better over the years. I am not curently taking or using anything for my acne. I have naturally oily skin and I wash it every other day. I have changed my face wash six weeks ago from Noxema (with tricolsan) to St. Ives Olive cleanser. I will stop using the cleanser this week to see it it helps, but if it was just dry skin wouldn't it respond to the lotion? I am at a loss! Please help!

[sissigirl]

I have the same exact thing--it's a recurring dime sized spot below my lip on one side. I work in TV, and it is really hard to cover with makeup because it starts to flake, and sometimes when i remove the flakes it bleeds a bit, and is very sensitive. Im going to the derm on the 12th of sept (earliest appt I could get), but would love to compare with you what YOUR doctor says as well.

[lorimcb13]

Me too! Have an appointment with dermatologist next week.

[kjdandjbd]

Sounds good, we can compare and see what the doctors say about it. I'm sorry you have it too, it is so freaking annoying! I hate it! I will call on Monday (if the hurricane doesn't get too bad here) and get an appointment if I still have it. I will update you as soon as I can.

[sissigirl]

Thanks, sorry you have it too! I spent some time online last night looking up whatever anyone had to say about it (I'm sure you've done that too--it looks like a ton of people have the same thing)--I put hydrocortizone creme on it last night, and it seems to be a little better this morning. Mine keeps coming and going tho, so I'm never sure what affects it. I had little cracks on the corners of my mouth before this that did the same thing, and I started taking iron pills and using an anti-fungal on them--they finally went away  (hopefully for good), but was wondering if they were at all related. Did you ever have the cracking mouth corners? That was also freaking annoying because it would start to heal and then crack when I ate and looked really gross too--it would flake too and hurt.

[kjdandjbd]

No, I haven't had any cracks in the corners of my mouth. Maybe I will try hydrocortizone creme. Does yours itch? Ever since I stopped using lotion it itches like crazy sometimes. Especially after a shower. I tried looking up this condition but couldn't find anything, what kind of results did you find about this?

[willy851]

This is eczema. No cure and no reasonable treatment. It will come and go, sometimes for long periods. It might spread to other area's like your eye lids.
Hydro Cortisone is one of the treatments. But long term use causes thinning of the skin. There seems to be an epidemic of this disease affecting adults. Because historically it primarily affected kids. They claim it affects 15% of Americans of which 2% are adults. They need to take a better look at that. If you look at this site and others. You will find hundreds of people, every week, complaining about the same thing. The number one complaint to Dermatologists is eczema. If they came up with a reasonable treatment, or better yet a cure it would cut billions out of there profits.

[lorimcb13]

I had eczema in between my fingers and it went away in two days with Renew cream. I hope it does not recur.

[kjdandjbd]

Yeah I thought it might be eczema but I wasn't sure. Darnit. I guess I will get some hydrocortisone cream and try it for a few days. If it doesn't get better I will go see the doctor. Thanks willy851.

[sissigirl]

Mine suddenly went away--so weird! It didn't get better and better and then disappear, it was just all of a sudden GONE. Hard to believe as it was scaly, the texture of the skin was weird, kind of stiff, and then suddenly normal! I still have my derm appt--I think I'll go and ask him about it in case it comes back. How's yours?

[kjdandjbd]

Well after I had tried vasleline on it after bathing and after a week it hadn't really improved much, so I decided to stop using it and only wash my face with cool water and made sure I didn't get it wet in the shower. (I like warm showers) So two days on and it is still scaly but the redness has almost completely gone away. I hope it gets better. I am glad yours went away! When you get back from the derm please tell me what he said about it.

[sadie1246]

go to the doctor it could be squamous cell carcinomo, that is the way it starts out.  i have it.  it is skin cancer.  no cream will help.  it can be taken care of.

[sissigirl]

Well, kind of luckily, before my appt I  woke up with THREE new spots, and the one on my face started getting worse again--so I went to derm, who looked at it and diagnosed eczema immediately, which I pretty much expected. He said that it is related to asthma (which has largely gone away for me, but I had severe asthma as an infant and child until I had my son), and that people with asthma typically suffer from skin disorders, and it gets worse as we age. Great! The good news is that he prescribed two meds for me, one for body (Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment--0.1%) and one for face (Desonide Cream--0.05%). OH wait--the desonide may be for the splits on the edges of my mouth--(a yeast infection)-I've got to check--anyway, My spots are almost gone, and I've been using the meds for only two days. Definitely much faster acting than the hydrocortizone, which did seem to help, anyway. I would say it was worth it to go to the doc and get these. I feel like I have some kind of defense for when it comes back. I'm hoping it just goes away, because otherwise I'm suspicious it's some kind of food allergy. I'm vegan, so I don't have a lot to cut out to do an elimination diet, but just because it's such a pain, I'm avoiding it unless the eczema returns, but I'm very suspicious about a wheat allergy. So I guess I'll look into that if it keeps recurring. Hope yours is better!

[sissigirl]

Okay, I checked and I was right, the Desonide is a corticosteroid used for the eczema. It is working, whatever it is!

[kjdandjbd]

Thanks for the update! I might have to end up going to the derm, arg. I really didn't want to. Anyway, my spot is no longer red, but the skin is dry and really wrinkly (if that makes any sense) is that what yours looks like after the treatment or is the texture back to normal again?

[sissigirl]

I know exactly what you mean about the wrinkly thing. And yes, mine has gone completely away to before-spot-normal-skin. One on my arm is in the wrinkly stage right now too :)

[kjdandjbd]

Well that settles it, I guess I have eczema as well. Darnit. Thank you for being so incredibly helpful! I wouldn't have known what it was if it wasn't for all of your help!

[sissigirl]

No problem--you too! Mine are almost gone, definitely glad I went and got the meds. Best of skin luck!

[kk9]

I have been reading all comments I also have the same dry patch on the chin I have had it for a month, I woke up one morning and it was there. I have try cortaid and black current pills for excema,my doesn't hurt or itch ii is just ugly to go to the dr. seems like a good idea should I tell them to give me something with desonicle in it?

[alinute88]

heyy idk if you still go on this, but ugh I so know what you two are talking about. Im out of patience and will go to the doc soon. but I have red dry looking spots right underneath my eyes and a little to the side of my right eye, and also spots like not even half and inch from the corners of my mouth and righ underneath my chin. at times they are extremely itchy and others they seem fine...my eye lids were somewhat peeling a bit also, but im only 20 and it seems like my eyes are becoming really wrinkly already from this. ive had this condition on my face for about 2 years. i mean it comes and go, I try to buy organic make up, no eye shadow since i think it kinda causes it to appear more?  but ive trie hydrocortosone (spell?) cream, and all other kinds but nothing seems to gelp these spots to go away, just time. I have them for about a month and then they disapper and then reappear a like a couple months later.. its annoying :(

[lorimcb13]

Have you gone to the dermatologist?

[stressball22]

i need some advice...my skin looks so horrid right now and im so upset about it. i have had acne in the past but for the past few years i have had flawless skin. a few months ago i started breaking out horribly and this sent me over the edge. it makes me so depressed and stressed. it seems to have only gotten worse and it has made my anxiety through the roof. i cant sleep at night and i have severe anxiety attacks. a few weeks ago i noticed my skin was pink in some areas and started to peel. since then it has just been a viscious cycle of peeling, pink red skin, then it gets dry and heals and then flakes off again. just a few days ago i started getting little rough patches that are so ugly and pink. and on top of this i am breaking out. i honestly dont know whats worse cause at least i can cover zits with makeup...i cannot even cover this. did i mention its extremely painful? it doesn't itch though it feels like its burning! my family says that it is all in my head and i do it to myself but i don't know how that could be. Help.

[chill101]

I have been suffering from red inflammation just around the side of my mouth. Firtly I applied Hyrdocortisone cream BP1% which did seem to take the redness away but left a white patch in the area. It is just a white patch and not itching.  Then suddenly one day I noticed that both side of my nose, the area between my cheek and nose it was inflammed and red. The skin was also very tender. Dr prescribed my an antifungal cream which didnt help. I tried using the anti-fungal cream along with the hydrocrotisone cream which cured the area around my face, Only the white patch around my mouth is still there and doesnt seem to go. I am too worried about putting make up just in case it comes back again.

[chill101]

Also, I have started using E45 face wash and cream which seemed to work wonder for me.

[tj300]

i used and exfoliant on my face and later on my face was broke out and had blisters on it . Now im dealing with red patches of dry skin on cheeks , chin . tried triple antibotic and avenno lotions and nothing is helping it go away thanks for some more advice

[peacee]

For about a year i have had a red spot on my eyelid. Now it has gotten worse and there is a red spot underneath my eye. It sometimes itches and sometimes it gets really hot and starts to burn. It has gotten better and than peels but than goes right back to being really bad and it looks disgusting. It is incredibly annoying! It also gets all wrinkly! What should I do?!!

[heartstrong2]

i get that too..
for a year now i get red patches on my cheeks and im wondering if thats ezema?
or just dry skin??

[TomSawyer]

I have a red dry patch underneath the corner of my mouth, which apparentely some other people have too. A few months ago the same thing was happening in the corners of my mouth and that was because of an iron deficiency. I'm wondering if this new patch could be because of a lack of iron too? How do you guys cover it up because it's embarassing and when I put on makeup it flakes and it's still red. Or if anyone has a cure that'd be even better! Please help.