Check your TSH levels. A lesser known symptom of Hypothyroidism is facial rashes. Hypothyroidism lowers your immune system and as your skin is a "lower importance" organ it gets the shaft. Resulting in exactly the rashes described above.
add me to the list..i have been using squalene oil to keep my face moist, creams have only irritated me further. I am going tomorrow morning to purchase biotin and vit b. i have started drinking about 130 fl oz of water a day. unfortunately i am having facial swelling flareups everyother week and have to pop one prednisone to take care of that. but am hoping these natural ideas will help soon. i'll post back in a couple weeks or when i notice improvements. cross your fingers!
I wrote the last post. It turns out that I am allergic to acrylic. My one vanity for the past seven years was having my nails done with gel. Because of a delayed hypersensitivity, I did not put 2 and 2 together until this past Wednesday.All the symptoms are there - swollen eyes,itchiness, redness, peeling, etc. Once most of the gel was removed, the symptoms abated, except of the peeling, which I guess makes sense, Needless to say, I will not be having my nails done anymore. A common thread?
interesting vwulwick, so glad you figured it out..so hopefully we all have some random allergy we will figure out eventually and we are not just a lost cause! Unfortunately i have not had my nails done in almost a year so that wouldnt apply to me. You mentioned having a delayed hypersensitivity, what did you mean by that? How long after you started getting your nail done did you start having reactions? And did it heighten when you got the fresh nails done? Just trying to understand, maybe i can find something similar in my life this would apply to. thankyou
Hi Lizzy,
I had nail appointment at 11 and started feeling the swelling and itching at 6 PM. Do you drink diet soda or use artificial sweeteners? I saw a reference to the same symptoms as an allergic reaction to saccharin. Splenda and aspartame can turn into chlorine and formaldehyde adn you could be allergic to them. Good luck in your quest.
I had nail appointment at 11 and started feeling the swelling and itching at 6 PM. Do you drink diet soda or use artificial sweeteners? I saw a reference to the same symptoms as an allergic reaction to saccharin. Splenda and aspartame can turn into chlorine and formaldehyde adn you could be allergic to them. Good luck in your quest.
Hello, I am so happy that I found this thread.
I am a 30 year-old male. I too have the same problem like some of you, however it only breaks out at a specific period of time of a year, the spring time, for about two weeks. First I thought it was a razor rash, but after 3 years of spring time breakouts, I have concluded that this has to be some type of a spring allergy. I live in NJ, which has nasty pollen saturated air in spring time. So I think mine is more like a seasonal allergy.
I get rash on my face only. When I feel some tightness around my lips and eyes area, then I know it is starting. It starts from tender area (eyes and mouth) of my face and takes a week to fully break out all over my face with pink rashes. It is very itch and dry.
Last year, I went to an allergy doctor and tested for allergies but found none and she had no idea what the problem was. I have never had any allergies in my life and I am very active and healthy and I drink water about a gallon a day.
Many people in this thread seems to have breakouts on/off for an extended period of time. I only get for two weeks around April.
Today I felt dry around my lips and I looked in the mirror and saw my eye areas are wrinkly. It was pretty bad last year. I think it is getting a little worse every year. I would like to know if anyone with similar symptoms as mine has found some cures or root of the cause of the rash.
I am a 30 year-old male. I too have the same problem like some of you, however it only breaks out at a specific period of time of a year, the spring time, for about two weeks. First I thought it was a razor rash, but after 3 years of spring time breakouts, I have concluded that this has to be some type of a spring allergy. I live in NJ, which has nasty pollen saturated air in spring time. So I think mine is more like a seasonal allergy.
I get rash on my face only. When I feel some tightness around my lips and eyes area, then I know it is starting. It starts from tender area (eyes and mouth) of my face and takes a week to fully break out all over my face with pink rashes. It is very itch and dry.
Last year, I went to an allergy doctor and tested for allergies but found none and she had no idea what the problem was. I have never had any allergies in my life and I am very active and healthy and I drink water about a gallon a day.
Many people in this thread seems to have breakouts on/off for an extended period of time. I only get for two weeks around April.
Today I felt dry around my lips and I looked in the mirror and saw my eye areas are wrinkly. It was pretty bad last year. I think it is getting a little worse every year. I would like to know if anyone with similar symptoms as mine has found some cures or root of the cause of the rash.
Its been four weeks since I discovered that I am allergic to acrylic. I have had reactions to drinking from a plastic glass (moderate), using a plastic fork (moderate), and drinking from a plastic water bottle (mild), I have been taking the biotin and the good multivitamin and am happy to report I am pretty much back to normal - even the rash on the top of hands is gone.
I also live in NJ, and we are supposed to having the worst allergy season ever because of all the rain. Since what we get is classified as dermatitis, is there something that is blooming now you are coming in contact with outside?
I also live in NJ, and we are supposed to having the worst allergy season ever because of all the rain. Since what we get is classified as dermatitis, is there something that is blooming now you are coming in contact with outside?
Well, it is someone encouraging to not feel alone on this quest for healing this strange thing we all have going on. I am a 39 year old female and have been dealing with this for a couple of years. Started off around my mouth and corners of lips and has spread to this eyelid phenomenon. I have been through the same doctor's as the rest of you..... general doc, allergist, dermatologists, endocrinologist, etc. I am now with a ND (Naturopathic doc) who is really trying to help me get at the bottom of this. It COULD be alergy related as I do have many different allergies. One thing to kee in mind is that regular allergists only test for IgE allergies which are the kind that give you an immediate reaction. The ND said that testing for IgG food allergies (through a blood test) is important in a case like this as it indicates a "delayed reaction". If it is food allergy related, it is definitely due to a delayed allergy since it is so hard to detect and trace to any specific food. Delayed allergies can take days before showing up in a rash, etc. I was allergic to corn and have read about corn allergies having a symptom of rashes around the eyes. Here is the US, corn is in EVERYTHING! High fructose corn syrup is everywhere - even in beer! Start reading labels (ofcourse alcohol is not required to list ingredients which is crazy) and you will see corn derivatives in everything - many things that you don't even know are corn can be corn - mannitol, maltodextrin, citric acid, sucrose, anything "vegetable source" etc. etc. etc. So, I think a "delayed" (IgG reaction) corn allergy could be to blame.
I also think this could be hormonal and the ND is running all kinds of test on my thyroid and andrenal glands. The regular docs tell me my thyroid is not low but the ND said she is shocked they said that b/c it is very low in her opinion and needs more specific testing. An earlier post talks about how facial rash is a symptom of a thyroid disease, "Hoshimoto's Disease". My ND says she is very suspicious that this could be the cause too. Also, has anyone else noticed that it is primarily women in their 30's and 40's who seem to have this problem? Just when hormones are going crazy and depleting? Apparently, my progesterone was very very depressed which can lead to all kinds of immune problems and an increase in allergies. Too may years of birth control, 2 pregnancies, and lots of stress add to this picture. Of course, younger women, older women, and men can have these same adrenal/hormonal issues.
I am trying to strengthen my adrenals with some herbs, etc. to see if this helps. I also need to focus on my reaction to stress as anyone with excema can tell you - there is definitely a stress/rash relationship (which leads me back to a possible adrenal issue). If your adrenals are fatigued then your body can not balance the natural cortisol that it produces which is a natural antihistimine to fight allergies, rashes, handle stress, etc. Stress and cortisol production work hand in hand. I am really thinking adrenal fatigue could be the source of our problems. Google "adrenal fatigue" or adrenal exhaustion and read up on it. There are adrenal saliva tests you can order off the internet and do from home.
Last, in addition to looking more indepth at my thyroid, the ND is testing for a fungal (candida) infection and parasites. I will post again when I have those results. There is definitely something going on - whether our livers are on toxic overload or what, I don't know. I am glad to say I have finally found a doc who is eager to "think outside of the box" and figure this out. I will exhaust all measures and have told her to not hold back on any potential testing. I don't care what it costs anymore - I need relief. I will post back as I rule things out and maybe I can help the rest of you in some way. I am determined to find the answer as my body is telling me something is wrong. Cortizones and prednisones only offer a temporary band-aid and probably cause more home than good.
One thing this "illness" has done has been to humble me and help me to have a greater appreciation of people from the "inside - out". I am so empathetic to all of you and to anyone with any disfigurement. Sometimes though, we stress ourselves out more worrying about what others think. Try to stay in peace and remember that it could be much worse and we shouldn't shun the world because of a facial rash (I know - easier said than done). If we all post our test results and personal histories here, it is possible that we can all determine what is going on. I wouldn't recommend anyone pay for a regular doc or dermatolgist at this point as I think this is a bit beyond them. You have to find a doc like an ND who will try to find the cause.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. Stay positive, we will find the cure after we determine the cause....
Paige
I also think this could be hormonal and the ND is running all kinds of test on my thyroid and andrenal glands. The regular docs tell me my thyroid is not low but the ND said she is shocked they said that b/c it is very low in her opinion and needs more specific testing. An earlier post talks about how facial rash is a symptom of a thyroid disease, "Hoshimoto's Disease". My ND says she is very suspicious that this could be the cause too. Also, has anyone else noticed that it is primarily women in their 30's and 40's who seem to have this problem? Just when hormones are going crazy and depleting? Apparently, my progesterone was very very depressed which can lead to all kinds of immune problems and an increase in allergies. Too may years of birth control, 2 pregnancies, and lots of stress add to this picture. Of course, younger women, older women, and men can have these same adrenal/hormonal issues.
I am trying to strengthen my adrenals with some herbs, etc. to see if this helps. I also need to focus on my reaction to stress as anyone with excema can tell you - there is definitely a stress/rash relationship (which leads me back to a possible adrenal issue). If your adrenals are fatigued then your body can not balance the natural cortisol that it produces which is a natural antihistimine to fight allergies, rashes, handle stress, etc. Stress and cortisol production work hand in hand. I am really thinking adrenal fatigue could be the source of our problems. Google "adrenal fatigue" or adrenal exhaustion and read up on it. There are adrenal saliva tests you can order off the internet and do from home.
Last, in addition to looking more indepth at my thyroid, the ND is testing for a fungal (candida) infection and parasites. I will post again when I have those results. There is definitely something going on - whether our livers are on toxic overload or what, I don't know. I am glad to say I have finally found a doc who is eager to "think outside of the box" and figure this out. I will exhaust all measures and have told her to not hold back on any potential testing. I don't care what it costs anymore - I need relief. I will post back as I rule things out and maybe I can help the rest of you in some way. I am determined to find the answer as my body is telling me something is wrong. Cortizones and prednisones only offer a temporary band-aid and probably cause more home than good.
One thing this "illness" has done has been to humble me and help me to have a greater appreciation of people from the "inside - out". I am so empathetic to all of you and to anyone with any disfigurement. Sometimes though, we stress ourselves out more worrying about what others think. Try to stay in peace and remember that it could be much worse and we shouldn't shun the world because of a facial rash (I know - easier said than done). If we all post our test results and personal histories here, it is possible that we can all determine what is going on. I wouldn't recommend anyone pay for a regular doc or dermatolgist at this point as I think this is a bit beyond them. You have to find a doc like an ND who will try to find the cause.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. Stay positive, we will find the cure after we determine the cause....
Paige
Like everyone before me, I am so encouraged to find this site. I am a 41 year old female and have been struggling for 6 weeks with this unexplained face rash. I woke up one morning and the area under my eyes was so swollen, like huge pockets of inflammation. Also affected was the bridge of my nose, the side of my nose, my cheeks and my upper lip and corners of my lip (lips tingle almost all day). I wear glasses and the under the arms also swelled and cracked but thought it was just the eye swelling. All slight inflammation in these areas that all then cracked and flaked (peeled). Took about 3 days for it to go away just to start back after a few days. So, far it's happened every week, a fully cycle taking 3-4 days. Went to my doctor and all blood tests (including thyroid) came back good. She recommended an allergist. Went to my allergist who did chemical patch tests and all of the standard ones came back negative. I had also been tested for a few personal hygiene products that I brought in. I tested positive for Pantene Shampoo (2-n-1) but all others were fine, including nail polish. She gave me topical prednisone. I should add that I did food and environmental allergy testing just last year and I am allergic to weeds, trees and grasses and cats and dogs (which I have). For a year, I've been taking Claritin which totally seemed to help (even though I never had typical allergy symptoms). Was pretty good for a week so I thought I was out of the woods and then it happened again. Went back to the allergist (who then gave me oral prednisone) and she did more testing on some of my beauty products (body, hair and makeup). 13 in total. Turns out I was allergic to my handsoap (Softsoap Aloe Vera), bodysoap (Olay Deep Moisture) and toothpaste (Colgate Total). I had been using all of these, including the Pantene for years! Stopped using all of them and the inflammation still pursists, although its a little better/less severe. Now whenever I eat or drink something or use something, I can almost feel my cheeks tingle and swell just slightly and then they peel a little. I am making myself crazy and am totally stressed out. Clearly the stress isn't helping, I do believe there is a connetion here. While I think my stress level has been good the past several months, we did just get done building a new house 6 months ago and that was overwhelmingly stressful. Maybe it's all just catching up? One more point, I have GERD (acid reflux problem) and have been taking a prescription for Nexium for just about a year (which totally helps me!). Someone said it may be GI related and there sure does seem to be a correlation between GI problems and allergies so who knows. I'm going to try the B-Complex route immeidately.
Keep posting everyone. It's so helpful.
Keep posting everyone. It's so helpful.
I live in Phoenix AZ,
I moved into a apartment with my b/f and after four days I woke up with red small itchy bumps all over my arms, chest, and stomach. I took some zytec d and after three days the itch was so bad I went to the doctor. I was given steroids and no improvment. I back to the doc and he said maybe a chemical in the apartment. I was released from lease. I moved into a new apartment complex and rash is still there so bad, now painful and hot to touch and spreading now on hands, feet, knees and parts of my face. Have been tested for everything and the doctors have no idea what is wrong with me. I have done the following:
1. switched to sensitive skin all products and laundry soap
2. using aveeno oatmeal and lotions to help with itch
3. Bought chemical/gas air purfier and try to open windows when not a 110 outside.
Any ideas docs have no idea!
I did have bisopy done and she said it was an allergic reaction to something but to what ?
I moved into a apartment with my b/f and after four days I woke up with red small itchy bumps all over my arms, chest, and stomach. I took some zytec d and after three days the itch was so bad I went to the doctor. I was given steroids and no improvment. I back to the doc and he said maybe a chemical in the apartment. I was released from lease. I moved into a new apartment complex and rash is still there so bad, now painful and hot to touch and spreading now on hands, feet, knees and parts of my face. Have been tested for everything and the doctors have no idea what is wrong with me. I have done the following:
1. switched to sensitive skin all products and laundry soap
2. using aveeno oatmeal and lotions to help with itch
3. Bought chemical/gas air purfier and try to open windows when not a 110 outside.
Any ideas docs have no idea!
I did have bisopy done and she said it was an allergic reaction to something but to what ?
I am a 41 year old female. About 2 years ago I developed a rash on my right eyelid and my eyelid was puffy. It was annoying but I could deal with it & cover it with make up. Sometimes it was worse than other times. About 2 months ago it spread to two spots on each side of my nose where it looked like I just too my sunglasses off but I was not wearing them. My rash was also on my forehead now. It is very itchy & bothersome. I happened to run into my doctor Halloween. I showed her my rash & asked what I could do. She told me to wash my face & hair with dandrift shampoo. I started this on sunday night & my rash on my eyelid is 95% better already & my forehead is starting to look better as well as the spots on my nose. I went to see my doctor today just to have her look closer. She feels it is a fungus we are dealing with. There is something in dandrift shampoo that kills it even when used on your face. She explained to me it's like cradle cap that babies get but in adults it doesn't start on the scalp but on the eyelids and forehead. She gave me a cream to use as well but said I should see improvement 100% in 3-4 weeks. She said it is a slow one to get rid of. Again I am seeing improvement so I wanted to post this in case it can help someone else!!
What all of you may be experiencing is a mite infestation in and around the eye area. It is called Demodex and, it happens at night as the mite spread thus the tingling sensations. I am a male in my 40s who has suffered with this as well and, it got so bad that it spread to my whole face. I researched about this and, one of the tell tale signs is a white powdery appearance on the eyelids and lashes. Look on the ends and near root of lashes and note if you see white powder like debris. If so, you have Demodex mites.
Only one product I found kills them and you can find it at ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowedThere's an Asian doctor who has both creams and shampoo to rid this c**p and, after a month or two, I cleared it up on my face and scalp. There's pictures on that site along woth testimonials. Again, it usually starts around the eye area and migrates outward into scalp and cheek area where it is warm and moisture is present. It causes facial swelling, redness, tingling sensations and like bugs crawling on skin. Mainly at night as, when it is dark, the mites move around looking for food. These mites feed on matter at the hair follicle level mainly. They burrough inside hair shafts and pile ontop of one another. They secrete a chemical which irritates the skin thus it itches and swells. Around the eyes the skin becomes tender and swollen.
Again, it can be reversed by using a special face cream and Anti Demodex shampoo for a while.
CM
Only one product I found kills them and you can find it at ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowedThere's an Asian doctor who has both creams and shampoo to rid this c**p and, after a month or two, I cleared it up on my face and scalp. There's pictures on that site along woth testimonials. Again, it usually starts around the eye area and migrates outward into scalp and cheek area where it is warm and moisture is present. It causes facial swelling, redness, tingling sensations and like bugs crawling on skin. Mainly at night as, when it is dark, the mites move around looking for food. These mites feed on matter at the hair follicle level mainly. They burrough inside hair shafts and pile ontop of one another. They secrete a chemical which irritates the skin thus it itches and swells. Around the eyes the skin becomes tender and swollen.
Again, it can be reversed by using a special face cream and Anti Demodex shampoo for a while.
CM
I had the itchy problems back in Dec.10, had, and still don't have a job or insurance. I have had eczema on my hands so much, I treated it as that. It only got worse. I tried about everything people told me to until after about a month, it seemed to go away on its' own. Well ,here I am again, not even two months after it went away and it seems to be starting all over again! It starts with a little on the hands, then eyelids, neck, in the bend of one arm. If it gets as bad as it did last time, the upper and lower areas around my eyes will make me look like an 80 yr. old monster(I'm 53). I guess I will go into confinement again, until I eventually lose my house. Then I guess I can get the State to help me, maybe? Any ideas? I have even thought of gasoline and a match. This has made me more depressed than anything I've ever dealt with!
I thought I would share my story with you - dont worry, it has a happy ending (to date!!). About 2 years ago I had 'red eye' and the skin round both eyes, the bridge of my nose and around the eye area was also red, very swollen, hot, flakey, dry and kind of hard. I looked like the elephant woman, especially in the mornings when my eyes were just little slits, it was totally horrendous. I have always been an 'itchy and allergic' kinda girl, having problems with pollen, dust, animal fur etc, but this didnt respond to antihistamine, like my other itchies!! My GP gave me a steroid cream to use on teh skin which, hurray! cleared it up within a week. When I stopped using it though it came back even worse than before. She referred me to the eye doctor who said if I carried on using the steroid cream I would go blind and get cataracts (thanks for that, Mrs GP!!) and I could only let it settle down by itself. So, I stuck my sunglasses on and hibernated for 2 months. There is absolutely no way I could have gone to work...After a couple of months, the swelling reduced and the skin peeled off in great hard flakes - quite satisfying to pick at, even though I know I shouldnt! Anyway, 18 months later, my eyelids started itching a bit and then would go red and dry and then flake off. They would be ok for a couple of days, then the cycle would start again, but got a bit worse. Eventually, after 8 months or so, it was at the point where my face would be prickling and itching like crazy, which would then turn into a red, swollen, dry and unbearably itchy eye lids and eye area, almost like a pair of big red sunglasses on my face. My GP gave me anti biotics, anti histamines, oral steroids (which I refused to take), and suggested that I was allergic to my make up, which I thought was abit patronising but I wont go into my anger issues here!!! The dermatologist did patch tests and found I was allergic to nickel (I knew that already) so I was no further forward. This was so distressing and I really had resigned myself to living with this for the rest of my life. I lost it one night when my face was really bad and there was a party that I didnt feel i could turn up to, and I was hysterical on teh phone to my mum. I have sooooo much more empathy for people with facial disfigurements now than i did before. I didnt realise until I experienced this just how important my face is to me!!! I am not particularly good looking and have never considered myself vain but this was just a total head mashing experience. Anyway, I tried lots of things, like:
cold water compresses, ice compresses, antihistamines with different ingredients, throwing away all my lovely feather pillows and duvets and replacing with hypoallergenic bedding, doing a massive spring clean and employing a weekly cleaner, using only diprobase ointment to cleanse and moisturise my face, not touching my face, sleeping sitting up (dont laugh!! My face was always much worse in the mornings and I thought it could have somethign to do with being horizontal?!!), using skin vitamin supplement thingys, not drinking alcohol or caffiene, cleaning up my diet totally, not using make up whenever possible...the list goes on. Anyway, nothing worked. At my wits end I looked on the internet (I dont like googling symptoms because I think that way madness lies, however...) and found this forum and noted that someone had suggested clinique clarifying lotion number 2. I had some in the cupboard which I hadnt used in ages because I thought it was too astringent and drying and I had been focusing on moisturing my face. I thought I would give it a go, and little by little my face improved. It is about a month ago that I started using CLINIQUE CLARIFYING LOTION NUMBER 2 and my eye area is now 95% improved. I still have a little red bit on the bridge of my nose which goes after a couple of hours, but that is it!! I love looking in the mirror because I look so lovely compared to before!!! I am so grateful about this. I know it could be a complete coincidence, but i kind of feel like it isnt. It feels like the lotion is killing something on my skin, maybe a bacteria or somethign that the bacteria are producing...totally unscientific I know, but that is what it feels like. I just wanted to share this with people and I hope to Buddha and God that it gives other people the same result that I have seen (and no, I dont work for Clinique!!). I wish you all the best of luck, Eesha xxxxxxx
cold water compresses, ice compresses, antihistamines with different ingredients, throwing away all my lovely feather pillows and duvets and replacing with hypoallergenic bedding, doing a massive spring clean and employing a weekly cleaner, using only diprobase ointment to cleanse and moisturise my face, not touching my face, sleeping sitting up (dont laugh!! My face was always much worse in the mornings and I thought it could have somethign to do with being horizontal?!!), using skin vitamin supplement thingys, not drinking alcohol or caffiene, cleaning up my diet totally, not using make up whenever possible...the list goes on. Anyway, nothing worked. At my wits end I looked on the internet (I dont like googling symptoms because I think that way madness lies, however...) and found this forum and noted that someone had suggested clinique clarifying lotion number 2. I had some in the cupboard which I hadnt used in ages because I thought it was too astringent and drying and I had been focusing on moisturing my face. I thought I would give it a go, and little by little my face improved. It is about a month ago that I started using CLINIQUE CLARIFYING LOTION NUMBER 2 and my eye area is now 95% improved. I still have a little red bit on the bridge of my nose which goes after a couple of hours, but that is it!! I love looking in the mirror because I look so lovely compared to before!!! I am so grateful about this. I know it could be a complete coincidence, but i kind of feel like it isnt. It feels like the lotion is killing something on my skin, maybe a bacteria or somethign that the bacteria are producing...totally unscientific I know, but that is what it feels like. I just wanted to share this with people and I hope to Buddha and God that it gives other people the same result that I have seen (and no, I dont work for Clinique!!). I wish you all the best of luck, Eesha xxxxxxx
hi Gramma D a lot of your symptoms seem to match up with mine....did u ever figure out what was going on? Thanks