When I was really ill in December, my nose was streaming due to back-to-back colds and Swedish winter weather. All the nose-blowing made my proboscis large (well, largeR), red, and very sore. It had sores, was weeping, and very painful. The doctor declared it to be bacterial. The pharmacist said it was more likely viral. The medicine I was given made it worse. The next diagnosis was that it was fungal.
After 2 months I was re-diagnosed by a dermatologist with infected perioral dermatitis, and given antibiotics. Turns out, the heavy barrier creams I was using to reduce the scaling, itchiness and dryness were making it worse.
I have been lucky in that I have had few skin problems in my life. I had a couple of bouts of eczema as a child, a few pimples as a teenager, and rosacea in my twenties. I have had a couple of allergies to mascara (Diorshow* and anything by Maybelline) and a terrible bout of pityriasis rosea**. So I am not really used to dealing with skin problems. The worst thing that happened to me was being given a heavy steroid cream for my rosacea, which then caused paradoxical withdrawal rashes after I stopped using it. After that I have stayed as far away from corticosteroids as I can. I am going to be so careful with the cream I am using now. I never want steroid rebound withdrawal again.
* I bought Diorshow mascara and the allergic reaction was spectacular. My eyes were swollen almost completely shut, looked like red balloons, and the rash went up to my eyebrows and down to my nose. The Dior sales assistant who sold me the mascara would not give me a refund [‘what allergic reaction? I can’t see anything!) so me and my hideous visage hung around the Dior makeup counter for about 20 minutes. People looked at me in horror and scuttled off. I received my refund.
** I was covered from head to toe in this awful rash in the middle of summer. Luckily it did not creep further than my neck, but I was covered in it everywhere else. The dermatologies, who had the lovely name of Doctor Proctor, told me to derobe so he could see. He took one look at me and said ‘my, that certainly is extensive’ With pityriasis rosea, there is nothing they can do, and it can take months to go away. And reoccur. It arrives with a so-called scout spot, usually on the leg, before the other little spot bastards arrive to cover you from head to toe. I have never had it since but my heart is going to sink if and when I ever see a scout spot again.
