Dry, Flaky, Red, Itchy patches on face
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Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:29 pm

I recently developed two patches on my face that are itchy, red, dry, flaky, and most of all embarassing. One is by my mouth and the other is under my eyebrown and on my eyelid. I occasionally get a patch around my eye during the winter months, but that, I thought, was mostly just because of the dry air and weather. I have always applied an SPF moisturizer daily and this only seems to make these patches more irritated. Does anyone know what I can do to help these heal/what they are? Like I mentioned earlier, they are embarassing, and of course classes/social life is starting in a couple days. Sad

free skin care · Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:37 am

It sounds like eczema, but I'm no doctor. IS there a student health service where a doctor can take a look at it? (I am assuming that student health care is a lot better than it was back in the days when I was at university, when the health clinic was fine for colds and upset stomachs but little else.)

Whatever it is, you need to be careful not to further irritate the area while it is inflamed. Here are some suggestions--leave off the moisturizer, it probably contains a lot of ingredients, some of which may be contributing to irritation. Substitute instead a single ingredient emollient like emu oil, jojoba oil, camellia oil, or even good old petroleum jelly. Aquaphor is a good, cheap soothing oitment based on petroleum jelly that a lot of people swear by.

Second, you might consider an over the counter cortisone cream.

Whatever you do, try to keep as many irritants away from the area as possible--face cleansers, makeup, and skincare products may all contribute to inflammation--until the area calms down.

free skin care · Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:08 pm

I suggest the dr as well, and in the meantime apply Neosporin, or polysporin. It is an oil base that has antibiotics in it. Anything else could dry or iritate those areas.

free skin care · Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:42 pm

It might be fungal. In this case any antifungal cream should help, such as lamisil.

free skin care · Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:58 pm

mpstat wrote:

It might be fungal. In this case any antifungal cream should help, such as lamisil.

Or Nizoral shampoo...you can find it with the dandruff shampoos.

free skin care · Fri Aug 22, 2008 3:59 pm

I get eczema and what you have described sounds very much like this. Taking Omega 3,6,9 capsules helps with dry skin and eczema. Emu Oil directly applied will also help heal it, another good one is paw paw ointment. Many health shops have creams etc specifically for eczema and may also be able to tell you if this is what you have, or if it is in fact something else.

The sunscreen will definitely irritate as will moisturiser Sad

free skin care · Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:51 pm

Hi Breezy,
I get exactly the same things you are talking about and the only thing that works for me is a product by Mario Badescu called Control Cream. It is a light green cream that is thick, but not greasy or oily. It is the ONLY thing that allows me to have "normal" skin. Whenever I try to switch to something else, I get the same itchy, red patches after about 3 days. This is also the only thing that will soothe those patches as well. For me, it stops the itching almost instantly. Although it is a thick cream, I have never had a problem with it breaking me out or clogging my pores.
I hate to be dependent on something, but it really is the only thing that works for me.

HTH,
Ali

BTW... you can find Mario Badescu atwww.mariobadescu.com and at Nordstrom.com

Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:00 am

This just started on my face a few weeks ago. The itching is driving me crazy. I thought at first it might be the new detergent I was using.
I've tried the Neosporin, but only once. I am going to try all the suggestions I've seen posted.
I had exzema as a child, I hope it's not coming back as I have no access to the cure I had as a child. My father was a bactirologist and he took me to his lab and covered my arms with ultraviolet cream. He said he killed the germ. I did use the ultra violet light at a nail salon on my niece's arms and it worked, but I can't go in there andstick my head under one. LOL.
Anyway thanks for all the info.

free skin care · Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:51 am

Yeah it sounds like Eczema. Try a OTC hydrocortisone like Benedryl, or PCA pHaze 11. If all else fails, go see a doctor.
Good luck!

Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:14 am

fat_swan wrote:

Yeah it sounds like Eczema. Try a OTC hydrocortisone like Benedryl, or PCA pHaze 11. If all else fails, go see a doctor.
Good luck!

Thanks Fat_Swan, I got some hydrocortisone cream, but it didn't stop the itch, so I tried Neosporin cream yesterday and I was able to sleep last night. I'll keep it up and see what happens.

free skin care · Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:41 am

You might want to get it checked out if its really persistent. But I occasionally get dry patches and use OTC cortisone ointment for 3 days maximum (it should not it be used continually).

Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:54 pm

GirlieGirl wrote:

You might want to get it checked out if its really persistent. But I occasionally get dry patches and use OTC cortisone ointment for 3 days maximum (it should not it be used continually).

Well ladies, it looks like the Neosporin is working (knock wood). No itching since yesterday and I just covered my entire face with it just in case.
Will keep you posted on the outcome.

free skin care · Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:17 pm

I have something that is AWESOME for this! It's called Alcortin A, and unfortunately it's only available by prescription so you have to ask your derm for a prescrip the next time you see them and then just keep it in the medicine cabinet for times like this, but man does it work wonders!!! Basically it's a hydrocortisone cream that also has anti-bacterial AND anti-fungal ingredients, as well as skin-soothing aloe peptides and skin healing biopeptides. It covers all the bases, so whether you're dealing with eczema, irritation, an allergic reaction, or even something fungal this knocks it right out and heals the skin in record time. It's absolutely fabulous for eczema, cracks on the hands from cold weather, etc. Actually, the first time it was ever prescribed to me was when I had been fighting a really large blemish and had picked at it so much that my poor skin was bruised and swollen. I was instructed to stop all other acne treatments and just use this to heal it up, and I was amazed how quickly this stuff healed my damaged skin. Here's the website for it:
http://www.alcortin.com/index.php
I would definitely recommend for anyone who deals with acne, patches of itchy skin, or eczema to request a prescription for this stuff because it is seriously awesome!

Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:07 pm

i know this is an old post, but right now i have this problem with the skin on my face.
the problem you have could be eczema or a type of dermatitis, which is just inflammation of the skin. it could also be a systemic issue, or something going on inside your body. you want to use natural oils to moisturize the irritated areas of skin. hydroxi-cortisone is not recommended for use because it is a synthetic moisturizer and soaks through your skin into your system. also stay away from petroleum jelly, or Vaseline, because it sits on top of the skin, and can also cause skin to age prematurely. jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil, oil of oregano, tea tree oil, and aloe vera gel are natural solutions and are your best option for relieving the skin.

free skin care · Tue Dec 01, 2009 2:58 pm

i started getting similar stuff and i have added more EFA's to my diet and using yu-be cream it has helped a bit. i also had exzcema as a child

Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:11 am

I have a rash on my face mine is sore red scabby and itchy. I was diagnosed with herpes simplex 3 which is caused by the chicken pox virus that once you have had chiken pox you always carrythe virus in your system and can be brought on by a variety of things stress being one of them and it has to be taken care of by prescription drug... I was prescribed 2 pills and a special mouth wash. It's serious enough that it can spread on your face and go into your throat causing more serious problems definitely see a doctor to make sure of what it is. Treating it yourself can cause it to spread. I hope this was helpful.

Thu May 17, 2012 8:10 pm

6 months ago, i applied skin bleach cream on my face to bleach the tiny hairs. My bad luck, my face turn to dark and burn. Until now, i couldn't get rid the dark patch on my face. Although its not obvious but I'm not comfortable. One of my friend recommended another facial cream and i tried to applied the night cream. Once after i applied it on my face, i feel itchy and i could see red patches on my face. Sad

Immediately, i stop using all this facial cream. Now, i don't know what to do in order to get back my original colour.Seems my neck and my ears much more brighter than my face..Please advice Crying or Very sad

~Jessica~

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 9:55 am

I had eczema on the back of my neck. It was scaly, red, itchy. Some days would look and feel better, other days it would be more irritated and itchy. I had it for years before finally booking myself to see a dermatologist. I'm so glad I did. The derm took one look at it and said it's eczema and gave me a topical medication to apply to it. I used the topical cream for about a week and right away it worked. It's been a year and the eczema hasn't come back.

Mon May 28, 2012 12:05 pm

My face started itching around the chin area and became red and held heat over time from rubbing it. For a week it was red and felt raised and was flaking. I cleaned it with Olay face cloths and had several facial creams that I used regularly but nothing was helping. I was talking to someone about it and their son had recently suffered from eczema and the dermatologist recommended cortisone cream for the itch and Aquaphor to clear up the redness. I no longer had the itch so I just used the Aquaphor. It cleared up in 2 days. I couldn't believe it, 2 DAYS. If you suffer from redness on your face try this stuff. Even if you have flaky skin it helps prevent that. It's like a miracle cream, can't believe I haven't found it before.

free skin care · Mon May 28, 2012 12:15 pm

nedjobean wrote:

My face started itching around the chin area and became red and held heat over time from rubbing it. For a week it was red and felt raised and was flaking. I cleaned it with Olay face cloths and had several facial creams that I used regularly but nothing was helping. I was talking to someone about it and their son had recently suffered from eczema and the dermatologist recommended cortisone cream for the itch and Aquaphor to clear up the redness. I no longer had the itch so I just used the Aquaphor. It cleared up in 2 days. I couldn't believe it, 2 DAYS. If you suffer from redness on your face try this stuff. Even if you have flaky skin it helps prevent that. It's like a miracle cream, can't believe I haven't found it before.

yes, i think that's what my derm prescribed me. It literally cleared up super fast!! I couldn't believe I went on for years with this irritation before doing something about it

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