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What Causes Reddish Areas On Face?
Question: I have a few red areas on the face with scaling. It can itch/tingle as if tiny worms or critters were walking there or something and lots of scaling/flakes coming from it. I just started keflex 500mg four days ago but no improvement so far, but I am going to give it a few more days with keflex. I also tried cortizone, but that made it better while on the face and then it got worst when i stopped using it. I tried different creams and it seems some make it better while using cream but then after stopping cream it goes back to this redness and scaling. Now sometimes i feel like a slight burning pain, it is hard to describe. I have pictures I can share.
It started about four months back with slight redness, by nose then it got bigger and now there is a spot on eyebrow and other side of nose. There is two places that I think I might have picked it up. One is I worked in a health clinic and might have touched something and then my face. Other is, around the same time I came back from south XXXXXXX (Ecuador and Colombia) where I slept in Hostals and might have picked it up there.
I have a friend who is a general physician, she can prescribe me any medicine but she doesn't know what this is.
It started about four months back with slight redness, by nose then it got bigger and now there is a spot on eyebrow and other side of nose. There is two places that I think I might have picked it up. One is I worked in a health clinic and might have touched something and then my face. Other is, around the same time I came back from south XXXXXXX (Ecuador and Colombia) where I slept in Hostals and might have picked it up there.
I have a friend who is a general physician, she can prescribe me any medicine but she doesn't know what this is.
Brief Answer:
Seborrhoeic dermatitis
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for skin concern on face.
After throughly analyzing the pictures and interpreting your query I can make our that you have the condition known as " Seborrhoeic dermatitis".
To tell you simply regarding this conditon- it is basically mood inflammatory response of the skin to various stimuli and mild fungal component as one of the important component. It basically affects face and hairy area along with face. On face it is seen as flaking of skin over and around eyebrows, beard areas and nasolabial folds.
The itching is variable with mild to intense feeling.
In my patients I prefer to use a combination cream containing mild steroid such as Fluticasone with an antifungal such as clotrimazole or sertaconazole or related antifungal. Once the flaking is reduced in around 7 days then I shift it plane antifungal in reducing frequency of alternate days.
For reducing the itching sensation I prefer to give antihistamine such as loratadine for 2 to 3 times daily. Once the itching and abnormal sensation is reduced then can reduce the dose accordingly.
A proper head wash with an antifungal shampoo helps a it in preventing further recurrence.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Seborrhoeic dermatitis
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for skin concern on face.
After throughly analyzing the pictures and interpreting your query I can make our that you have the condition known as " Seborrhoeic dermatitis".
To tell you simply regarding this conditon- it is basically mood inflammatory response of the skin to various stimuli and mild fungal component as one of the important component. It basically affects face and hairy area along with face. On face it is seen as flaking of skin over and around eyebrows, beard areas and nasolabial folds.
The itching is variable with mild to intense feeling.
In my patients I prefer to use a combination cream containing mild steroid such as Fluticasone with an antifungal such as clotrimazole or sertaconazole or related antifungal. Once the flaking is reduced in around 7 days then I shift it plane antifungal in reducing frequency of alternate days.
For reducing the itching sensation I prefer to give antihistamine such as loratadine for 2 to 3 times daily. Once the itching and abnormal sensation is reduced then can reduce the dose accordingly.
A proper head wash with an antifungal shampoo helps a it in preventing further recurrence.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you very much for your answer. Before I ask my friend to prescribe for me the suggested medication, may I get a second opinion from one of your colleagues at healthcaremagic. I appreciate your diagnosis, I just want to make sure before I start using medicine on face.
I also have a couple of questions regarding this.
I have read that sebbhorreic dermatitis can be a latent symptom related to HIV. I had unprotected sex in february and march of this year with a female I met in ecuador, should I be worried that I may have contracted HIV? I never had this on my face before april of this year. Though I did have a problem with red patches and flaking on scalp for many years which usually resolved with selsun blue shampoo. However the red patches on face give a slight burning/pain sensation which I never felt on scalp and are larger than the ones I had on scalp. Currently there are none on scalp because I use selsun blue once a week. However the ones on face seem to be spreading.
Also, I read on some sites that natural treatments such as garlic, coal tar, tea tree oil, olive oil may work in helping. Would you recommend any of these?
Prior to the on set of sebbhorreic dermatitis (which I noticed in april) I had spent about three months near the sea and mountains in south XXXXXXX but mainly sea. Could it be that the fungi on my face got used to the sea and sun and are now reacting due to the fact that I am not near the sea?
I also have a couple of questions regarding this.
I have read that sebbhorreic dermatitis can be a latent symptom related to HIV. I had unprotected sex in february and march of this year with a female I met in ecuador, should I be worried that I may have contracted HIV? I never had this on my face before april of this year. Though I did have a problem with red patches and flaking on scalp for many years which usually resolved with selsun blue shampoo. However the red patches on face give a slight burning/pain sensation which I never felt on scalp and are larger than the ones I had on scalp. Currently there are none on scalp because I use selsun blue once a week. However the ones on face seem to be spreading.
Also, I read on some sites that natural treatments such as garlic, coal tar, tea tree oil, olive oil may work in helping. Would you recommend any of these?
Prior to the on set of sebbhorreic dermatitis (which I noticed in april) I had spent about three months near the sea and mountains in south XXXXXXX but mainly sea. Could it be that the fungi on my face got used to the sea and sun and are now reacting due to the fact that I am not near the sea?
Brief Answer:
Do not use anything without dermatological advice
Detailed Answer:
Hello young fellow,
Welcoem again to the forum and thanks for your follow up.
You are most welcome to confirm the diagnosis before you proceed for the treatment.
Now regarding your further of the queries:
Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a manifestation of AIDS and not HIV. It means when the HIV infection reaches to the advanced state then there is manifestation of SD.
The distribution and pattern is generalized and not limited to the face in HIV. SO do not correlate your SD with HIV. Even if you are worried then can go for simple antibody test for HIV.
Those persons who have scalp dandruff then it is likely to get SD of face too.
Please do not think of using anything like garlic, coal tar or anything unusual without a dermatologist suggestion....please big no...no...to all these things.
There is no correlation of sea exposure in your case so also no correlation to this thing too.
I again suggest you to have a proper head wash with an antifungal shampoo and an antifungal cream application which helps in preventing further recurrence.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Do not use anything without dermatological advice
Detailed Answer:
Hello young fellow,
Welcoem again to the forum and thanks for your follow up.
You are most welcome to confirm the diagnosis before you proceed for the treatment.
Now regarding your further of the queries:
Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a manifestation of AIDS and not HIV. It means when the HIV infection reaches to the advanced state then there is manifestation of SD.
The distribution and pattern is generalized and not limited to the face in HIV. SO do not correlate your SD with HIV. Even if you are worried then can go for simple antibody test for HIV.
Those persons who have scalp dandruff then it is likely to get SD of face too.
Please do not think of using anything like garlic, coal tar or anything unusual without a dermatologist suggestion....please big no...no...to all these things.
There is no correlation of sea exposure in your case so also no correlation to this thing too.
I again suggest you to have a proper head wash with an antifungal shampoo and an antifungal cream application which helps in preventing further recurrence.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Thank you again. Just one last question about the dosis of the medication. How much percent should clotrimazole have? Is clotrimazole 1% enough or does it need to be stronger? And how many times per day should I apply it?
Thw reason I ask is because I live in united states and I dont have insurance so I can not go to a dermatologist. But I have a friend doctor who can prescribe medicine for me but she does not know much about SD to decide on dosis. Also, would clotrimazole be enough by it's self to treat this or I would really need a steroid cream? I am just a little bit scared of putting steroid on face is why I ask.
Thw reason I ask is because I live in united states and I dont have insurance so I can not go to a dermatologist. But I have a friend doctor who can prescribe medicine for me but she does not know much about SD to decide on dosis. Also, would clotrimazole be enough by it's self to treat this or I would really need a steroid cream? I am just a little bit scared of putting steroid on face is why I ask.
Brief Answer:
Clotrimazole 1 % is sufficient.
Detailed Answer:
Hello young fellow,
Welcome again to the forum.
In your condition 1% clotrimazole would be sufficient to be applied on the affected area.
I myself do no prefer to apply steroids in your kind of condition so better no to apply the same.
If at all despite applying the cream for few weeks you find less improvement then I prefer to use a combination of mild steroid such as hydrocortisone for few days only and then stop it.
I reassure you fully that your condition is one of the simplest one and never going g to create any problem in future.
I hope above information will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Clotrimazole 1 % is sufficient.
Detailed Answer:
Hello young fellow,
Welcome again to the forum.
In your condition 1% clotrimazole would be sufficient to be applied on the affected area.
I myself do no prefer to apply steroids in your kind of condition so better no to apply the same.
If at all despite applying the cream for few weeks you find less improvement then I prefer to use a combination of mild steroid such as hydrocortisone for few days only and then stop it.
I reassure you fully that your condition is one of the simplest one and never going g to create any problem in future.
I hope above information will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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