Redness around the mouth: how to recognise perioral dermatitis

Redness and a rash around the mouth are often written off as a simple “skin problem” or an “allergy”. Yet this may be perioral dermatitis. It most often affects young women, but men and children can get it too.

How to recognise it

• Small red bumps and pustules around the mouth
• A narrow strip of clear skin between the lip line and the rash
• Sometimes spreading beside the nostrils and around the eyes
• A burning, tight or dry feeling

The most common causes

The most typical cause is long-term self-treatment with steroid creams. At first the cream reduces the redness, but when you stop, the rash comes back stronger, so you apply the cream again. Heavy, rich creams, too many cosmetic products at once, fluoride toothpaste and a weakened skin barrier can also play a part.

Treatment

• Simplifying your skincare: keeping only a gentle cleanser and a basic moisturiser
• Stopping the steroid cream, but under a doctor’s supervision: the rash may flare temporarily in the first weeks after stopping
• Topical treatment (for example, metronidazole or erythromycin) and, when needed, oral antibiotics from the tetracycline group
• A few weeks of patience: perioral dermatitis does not clear quickly