At My Wits' End!!!

Tasianab · October 2010

So for the past two and a half years I have had this issue where the skin around my mouth gets really tingly and itchy and bumpy. I have been to two doctors, two dermatologists and an allergist, had a whole bettery of tests (it's not herpes!) and none seemed to be able to figure it out (or didn't really care to, I don't know). Usually I can control it with a topical cream one of the allergists gave me but recently it got really bad on my bottom lip and it has scabbed over.

What's the big deal, you might ask? My wedding is in 8 DAYS! I'm freaking out. I don't think there's anything I can really do at this point except try to keep it clean and dry and hope it heals and falls off but I am so upset. Besides the fact that this is a constant ongoing thing that sometimes prevents me from even kissing my fiance, it is painful!

I'm just so over it...

JoyMatt424 · October 2010

Ugh, that sounds so frustrating! I know it's close to your mouth, but I know Neosporin always helps soften/heal scabs for me really quickly. Also oatmeal does that too (just classic oatmeal ground in the food processor with warm water). Both of those heal scabs quickly, and they are safe enough to use/replenish multiple times a day. So sorry to hear that happens to you, just focus on getting it healed!

linguo42 · October 2010

I second Neosporin. That stuff works wonders. Also make sure not to wear any makeup over/near the scab for the time being, and try not to rub it or touch it in the next week. I know this sounds a no-brainer, but it's shocking how much we touch our faces without realizing it. Don't over-cleanse, either.

That's so strange, though. Did you switch toothpastes, lip balms, facial cleansers or anything else around the time it started showing up? A quick Google search found me a lot of hits about people who had similar reactions caused by sodium lauryl sulfate in their toothpaste and other products used around the face. If you don't think that could be the cause, maybe try keeping a food diary and noting when the reaction worsens to see if you can find a correlation with anything in your diet. That obviously won't help in time for the wedding, but it may be useful in the long term.

Tasianab · October 2010

Thanks ladies! A food diary is a great idea! When I saw the allergist I did a whole slew of patch tests on everything - even the soap from work and the utensils in the employee dining room. I've tried so many all natural products and new products and dermatologist tested products trying to pinpoint the cause. It'll clear up for a couple weeks but it always comes right back.
I've tried using it as an excuse to get out of Vegas sooner and I tell my fiance I'm just allergic to this city.

When we get back from the honeymoon I am going to see an oral pathologist, maybe he'll have some ideas...

RecoveringActor · October 2010

This is going to sound weird, but try athlete's foot cream or monistat cream. A lot of times that kind of itchy, dry, irritatedness around the mouth is an overproduction of yeast. I had that going on around my mouth and around my nose. I was using a serum with hyaluronic acid in it during the day with my moisturizer and athlete's foot cream at night, and it cleared it up. I don't know if it will clear it up in 6 days, but it's something to try.

For the day of, just do like you're doing and keep yourself and your skin as hydrated as you can, and use a foundation primer to make sure that your skin keeps the hydration.

At My Wits' End!!!

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