During a very stressful time, I had a flare-up of perioral dermatitis (PD), a scaly red rash, to the proper of my mouth. It’s something I had never even heard of, and definitely was not the run-of-the-mill dry skin that I assumed it to be when it first cropped up.

It seems that perioral dermatitis is somewhat common each across the mouth and under the nose. After I posted about it on my Instagram Stories, multiple people messaged me to say that they, too, have experienced the skin condition. Unfortunately for me, each of them had pretty different advice for how one can treat it. Some told me to exfoliate with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), others said to make use of only probably the most gentle skin-care products. Many said a topical antibiotic cream was all that will work.

For something so common, why is there a lot confusion? I talked to experts to determine how one can treat the rash around my mouth called perioral dermatitis, which could possibly be dry and itchy and is usually mistaken for eczema across the mouth and nose.

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• Joshua DraftsmanMD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City.
• Morgan RabachMD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City.
• Kate Somerville is an aesthetician and founding father of Kate Somerville Skin Care.
• Renée Rouleau is an aesthetician and founding father of Renée Rouleau Skin Care.

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• What is perioral dermatitis?
• What causes perioral dermatitis?
• How should I treat perioral dermatitis at home?
• When is it time to get a prescription to treat perioral dermatitis?

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What’s periorial dermatitis, exactly? Well, for starters, it’s a facial rash that sometimes shows up across the mouth, Corey L. Hartmana board-certified dermatologist in Birmingham, Alabama, has told Allure. It will possibly pop up in other areas as well — across the nose, chin, even the outer parts of the eyelids, and cheeks — and frequently presents as red and bumpy, so it might be mistaken for other skin conditions, like pimples or rosacea. Unlike pimples, it will possibly be itchy, although that is not at all times the case, so if you may have red bumps around your mouth it is best to see a dermatologist who can assist diagnose.

The rash just isn’t contagious, and it is not totally clear what causes it — but it surely could also be that something is irritating the skin (moisturizer, and even toothpaste) or that you just’re allergic to an ingredient in your skincare. Or it it might be a response to longtime use of a corticosteroid medication, says Dr. Hartman. Sometimes, the bumps could be puss filled, adds Joshua DraftsmanMD, a board-certified dermatologist in Recent York City. I

“Despite being common, we still don’t understand why perioral dermatitis develops,” Zeichner explains. In keeping with him, there are numerous theories, including the usage of topical cortisone creams, fluorinated toothpaste, heavy skin-care products, asthma inhalers, and — yep — stress.