Hi everyone. I just found this website through a Reddit post because I’ve been searching for treatments. I’ve gotten 4 infections over the past 7 months (pictures attached of my latest infection).
It develops as a hive and then weeps and crusts over. Each time I’ve been to the doctor I’ve been prescribed mupirocin, doxycycline, and finally clindamycin. They took swabs in my nose and found nothing. I’m sick of this, and it keeps coming back. Any advice? I’m losing hope.
Potentially important notes:
I also sometimes get skin redness/rash along with the yellow crusts and once, my eyelids got swollen (I thought it was an allergic reaction to the doxy but I’m not sure). I’m cleaning like crazy and have been using Hibiclens for four months.
@emeraldspace25 Hi there, a very warm welcome to you. I’m sure this is really frightening for you and you don’t see an end in sight. It’s horrible being in that situation. Rest assured that many of us here know how you’re feeling. I know I do. Don’t worry, we’ll support you all the way.
It seems from your photos and description that you have the same condition as others here. If so, I wouldn’t waste your time with anything other than Soolantra. This has cleared things up for so many people on this forum including for me.
However, Soolantra is not an instant cure in my experience. I had to apply for around 8 weeks before it cleared everything. And in the beginning, things even flared up a bit. You need to persevere. But, after this initial period, it was very effective for me. It resolved multiple conditions: rosacea, dermatitis, dandruff, dry skin. It really transformed my skin.
There’s a more detailed description of what I went through on this site.
Great to hear from you. I bought Sudocrem and have been using it for a few days, and some lesions have gone away. I am starting Soolantra tomorrow, fingers crossed that it works! I’m nervous about the initial breakout but if it helps my skin it will be so worth it. I’ll keep updating.
Soolantra may not cause an initial flare up. Not everyone has had that experience, But stick with the Soolantra regardless. I’d also suggest stopping with any other treatments, like sudocream, and just use Soolantra. This will give you clarity on what is working and it seems to work best this way. I’m excited to hear how it goes for you. Please check in with regular updates. Wishing you amazing results @emeraldspace25 . Rooting for you!!!
Just wanted to post an update. In the week that I’ve been using Soolantra, I’ve had one of the bumps (hives?) come to a head around my lip, but it never crusted over, instead becoming a small, clear bump that quickly disappeared! I’ve done nothing but wash my face with water and using the plainest Cetaphil moisturizer there is. Feeling hopeful, and I will post a two week update.
The promised two week update! I woke up today with redness around my lips that have started to ooze and crust as usual. This is the three week mark, and because I didn’t flair up initially but am seeing crusts now, I feel discouraged. Did this happen to anyone else? Still getting crusts a few weeks in even without a huge initial breakout in the first few days? Thanks!
I think things are changing for you so I’d stick with the soolantra. Give it a good 2 months to see the impact. I had some areas around my mouth that were a little stubborn so don’t get discouraged. I’m pretty sure those tiny blemishes on your lips will go away with more treatment. I think your skin looks amazing.
Also, @emeraldspace25, you don’t need to use much soolantra. My 60g tube lasts nearly 3 years. Just apply the 5 tiny dots of it on forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and then spread around as much as possible. Please keep checking in with us.
Thanks for the kind words! The area around my mouth has been red/oozing/crusting all day but I get that I need to be more patient. It’s definitely not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. Will have more updates in a bit!
Just out of curiosity — did anyone else have this condition where it started out spaced apart but then started appearing more frequently? My first breakout was in July, then twice in November, then in January, and now in February. They just seem to be popping up with more frequency now, but seem to be more localized (around my mouth instead of my whole face). Anyone have a similar experience?
My biggest fear is that I have a condition nobody knows about and no one on this site has!
I think the condition is caused by demodex mites. So it really depends where they are on your face. The frequency could be die off or because of the quantity of mites.
This was the worst of it! I am looking a bit better than when this photo was taken two days ago but still discouraged. Anyone think this is really the same condition as the rest of you all have?
@emeraldspace25 I haven’t had it on my lips and it’s difficult to know exactly. Are there small spots that burst to create a clear fluid that then crusts over? If so then it seems to be the same condition. Is the Soolantra resulting in a change in the condition for you? For me, the quantity of lesions increased in the first 2 weeks and they were bigger but didn’t ooze. But there was a very noticeable change.
@emeraldspace25 have you tried using a fluoride free toothpaste. My son had lots of issues with his lips and it turned out he was reacting badly to the regular fluoride toothpaste. He’s using the Dr Bronner’s peppermint toothpaste now and not having any issues.
I start getting small reddish bumps, which over the next few days, ooze and crust. They itch especially in the beginning.
In my first two breakouts (July and November), I also had a reddish rash on my face, with some oozers on my cheeks (first post has the photos). My three most recent outbreaks (December, January, and now) have been localized entirely around my lips.
My breakout in January was before I started Soolantra. The breakout was mostly clear when I started Soolantra. For three weeks, I had absolutely nothing. My skin was completely clear. This is how it is between outbreaks (the time between outbreaks is usually 3-5 weeks, since November). Then, the redness and itch started up again in February. This is the first outbreak post-Soolantra, which I have been on for three weeks.
The outbreak is the same as the previous in January, nothing has really changed.
THANK YOU for being so so responsive @col. Seriously means so much to me. You have no idea.
As to your toothpaste idea, I will buy some flouride free toothpaste, but it doesn’t account for my clear-skin days between breakouts.
I know what it’s like. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this but I’m sure there’s a solution for you. It’s early days with the Soolantra so I’d stick with it for 3 months. Mine started at the borders of my scalp and eyebrows. I had bletharitis and started a regime to clear it. It was around that time that the whole thing started. For over a year there was no oozing just itching burning spots. My skin had become very dry and flakey. Years before I’d suffered from SD that I’d treated with hydrocortisone and it had eventually gone away. But the dryness just got worse. I’d have to moisturize frequently. Wherever I exercised and sweated my whole face would burn. Then the oozing and crusting started. It just became more frequent and more severe. The dermatologist was quite mystified. She prescribed antibiotics and other things but it just made things worse. Finally I tried Soolantra and it was transformative. I noticed my skin becoming softer, less dry, the oozing stopped and the spots stopped coming. I can now exercise without my face burning and I don’t use moisturizer any more. It’s helped so many people with this condition that it’s really worth giving it a good chance.
