When I was a freshman in highschool, I didn't have real skin issues. I had acne like every teen, but really it was only a handful and mostly on my forehead or the corners of my nose, so they weren't that much of an issue.
However, in my sophomore year of high school, I developed a pimple right on the corner of my right mouth. I messed with it, like I did with all my pimples and eventually it healed and left a kind of tanned scar, which was common for me. However, that tan scar/spot developed into a kind of rash at my right corner of my mouth.
At the time, it was not irritating, just tan, so I didn't think it would become something like a rash, but it started growing.
It somehow jumped to the other corner of my mouth and then they both began spreading around my mouth.
That's when the patches started getting irritated. Whenever the weather became hot and dry or hot and humid, these patches would flare up, becoming very painful and itchy, and red. And, of course, I would scratch it, and it would shed many many flakes of skin, which was disgusting and gross to me at the time. It was embarrassing and frustrating.
What made it worse, is that this sort of rash grew completely around my mouth and to the outer corners (the bottom triangle ends) of my nose, which is where they are today.
The dermatologists I went to all didn't know what it was and their suggestion was a high concentration of hydrocortizone or just applying a lot of moisturizers.
I did not want to go with hydrocortizone because applying too much causes difficult-to-get-rid-of acne and those doctors never really recommended any moisturizers.
Through personal research, it seems like a mild form of Seborrhoeic dermatitis.
Even though my symptoms are very very similar, because this is a self-diagnosis, I am not 100% sure this is what my problem is.
Therefore, I have set on a journey, a journey for my skin. I want to improve my skin condition and reduce the redness and rashes that I have around my mouth. I will find out what my problem is and will heal my skin!
Summary of my Skin Type:
To get an idea of my facial skin type, I have combination skin.
My forehead and nose are oily.
The skin between my brows is sensitive and is either oily or very dry.
My cheeks are dry/normal.
My mouth and chin area, as well as the corners of my nose are extremely extremely dry and sensitive.
I most likely have a chronic yeast condition there which is reactive to many skincare and beauty products.
This yeast usually is pretty dormant, but when it flares up b/c of weather or stress my skin will get very painful, red, itchy, and sheds a lot of skin.
After the flare up, i'll get a dark reddish ring around my mouth.
When my skin sheds, it grows quickly and dies quickly, so the new skin is quite raw, and it can't handle a lot of products
however, if I don't exfoliate enough, dead skin builds up, cakes my face, causing irritation, break outs, etc.
So, in order to prevent my skin from shedding, i try to moisturize it with products that won't irritate my raw very sensitive dry skin.
About acne: I have minor adult acne of getting clogged pores from oil production (oil + dirt + pollution = bacterial + acne) and I have menstrual hormonal acne (acne which comes around the time I have my period). This can give a good idea of how the acne products I use and review affect my type of skin. Therefore, if you have similar acne as me, the products that I review may work better for you. I am not saying that people with different acne can't use them or the products won't work for them, but it might not work as well. Because, different acne needs to be treated by different things. I hope you understand what I mean, but I don't want to disappoint someone with an acne treatment product that works well for me but somehow doesn't work well for him/her.
Thank you for reading this page. I hope it helps any of you who are suffering and dealing with skin problems as well. Good luck and I wish you the best!
Update 5/08/2014:
It has been a very long time since then! Hi everyone, how are you? =)
I am quite happy to say that for the last year or so I have not had any flare ups of the skin problem around my mouth and nose. Occassionally those areas can get a little red or irritated, however, they were not as severe as before.
I still have a good skincare regimen that involves gentle cleansers, exfoliators, and calming moisturizers, all that of which have helped me tremendously!
The reddish tan area around my mouth and nose, have faded, and while still noticeable, is a significant improvement from where it was before!
(I wish I could have before and after pictures for you, but I was too embarrassed back then to take any =P)
I would just like to let you know that my journey has been a happy one, which good improvements and changes for the better! I hope that this update will encourage many of you to not give up hope on your skin problems! Where there is a will, there is a way! And it isn't a perfectly happy ending yet for me! Still going on!
About acne: I have minor adult acne of getting clogged pores from oil production (oil + dirt + pollution = bacterial + acne) and I have menstrual hormonal acne (acne which comes around the time I have my period). This can give a good idea of how the acne products I use and review affect my type of skin. Therefore, if you have similar acne as me, the products that I review may work better for you. I am not saying that people with different acne can't use them or the products won't work for them, but it might not work as well. Because, different acne needs to be treated by different things. I hope you understand what I mean, but I don't want to disappoint someone with an acne treatment product that works well for me but somehow doesn't work well for him/her.
Thank you for reading this page. I hope it helps any of you who are suffering and dealing with skin problems as well. Good luck and I wish you the best!
Update 5/08/2014:
It has been a very long time since then! Hi everyone, how are you? =)
I am quite happy to say that for the last year or so I have not had any flare ups of the skin problem around my mouth and nose. Occassionally those areas can get a little red or irritated, however, they were not as severe as before.
I still have a good skincare regimen that involves gentle cleansers, exfoliators, and calming moisturizers, all that of which have helped me tremendously!
The reddish tan area around my mouth and nose, have faded, and while still noticeable, is a significant improvement from where it was before!
(I wish I could have before and after pictures for you, but I was too embarrassed back then to take any =P)
I would just like to let you know that my journey has been a happy one, which good improvements and changes for the better! I hope that this update will encourage many of you to not give up hope on your skin problems! Where there is a will, there is a way! And it isn't a perfectly happy ending yet for me! Still going on!
