Talk Health Partnership

[jass2018]

Hi,

I was advised to post here for expert advice.

I had a bad reaction to a serum I applied to the eyebrow area - first month of use was fine but the second tube flowed more freely so I think the amount applied made my skin slightly red over 2 weeks and it got more sensitive after I applied my regular facial wash which I had used 5 days after the last application of the serum and I felt some sensation and unfortunately I reapplied the serum after which caused bright red skin.

No pain, itching, blisters, cysts etc. A couple of sensations in the worst affected areas (more darker red and skin looked more affected in terms of outer layers of skin and on one of the eyebrow arches it felt/looked like swelling.

Appearance wise, flat skin but lines/small areas of irritated skin. 2/3 different levels of affected areas, easier to tell as shade of redness was different.

Over the course of the initial 6 months I was prescribed:
50/50 liquid paraffin
Betnovate cream
mometasone furoate cream ( 4 days, 2 weeks and after used sparingly probably 7-10 days at most)
prednisone
Anti-Histamines

Throughout the first 6 months I saw very very slow improvements only in colour, going from bright red initially to a lighter shade of red/pink

After 6 months I saw a dermatologist who felt using steroid creams had caused steroid induced erythema. My personal opinion is that the steroids didn't do anything good/bad and I would have had the same appearance regardless.

He said he saw a lot worse cases and felt confident (obviously couldn't guarantee) my skin would go back to normal.

Advised to apply for initial 4 week treatment:
Elidel cream at night
Glycerin and water twice daily
Aveeno cream once daily

My view is that it had no effect in speeding up the healing process.

To date, 10 months in total, the skin has improved a lot in terms of colour where it's mostly light pink whereas the worst affected areas are slowly losing that hint of redness and appear more pink than anything.

The skin has always had the same distinct appearance, e.g. lines/patches look the same but definitely a lot lighter in colour and looking more softer as if it''s trying to edge towards normal skin.

So questions are:
1. Can irritant contact dermatitis last for many months, more than a year - where the irritant has been avoided
2. Can irritated skin textures appear the same for a long time and go back to normal - my fear being the distinct lines/patches could cause scarring due to length of time but I have lots of negative thoughts.
3. If all creams and medications have not helped speed-wise, can diet play a role? If so, a recommended diet plan would be helpful

Thank you!

[Wendy Green]

Hi

In answer to your questions:

1. Irritant contact dermatitis normally disappears once the irritant is identified and avoided. In your case it sounds as though the serum damaged your skin's barrier, leaving it more sensitive and prone to irritation.

2. It would be difficult to predict whether your skin will eventually return to normal, but given that it has gradually improved over the past few months, it sounds likely it'll continue to do so.

3. Diet wise - eating a balanced, healthy diet with lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables will supply the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed for healthy skin. It may also help if you take an omega 3 6 9 oil supplement such as Boots Omega Oils 3, 6 & 9.

I'd also recommend using cosmetics and make-up designed for sensitive skin to avoid irritating your skin any further.

I hope this helps and that your skin continues to improve.

[jass2018]

Thank you for your time and response.

Just to let you know I haven't applied anything on the affected area other than the aveeno cream, glycerin & rosewater and elidel cream over the course of the last 5 months

I will look at purchasing boots omega oils and to eat more fruits - mostly eat lots of vegetable soup dishes but I know I must improve on my diet as a whole

As I mentioned the skin is gradually improving and I really do hope the worse areas get to that next stage
- some mirrors/lighting show it more clearly in regards to the skin barrier being compromised so that gets me down as I know the condition is improving but not quite there

I will see a dermatologist this Friday as it will be 4.5 months since I had my initial consultation.

Thanks.