What's up with my face?
July 19, 2013 3:49 PM Subscribe
The skin under my eyebrows and between them is gross and flaky. Occasionally the flakiness will travel a bit upward, but that is rare. What should I be doing about this? Recommendations for (mens?) facial scrub or moisturizer or whatever appreciated as well.
If it matters, I get dandruff as well and use OTC pyrithione zinc shampoo.
If it matters, I get dandruff as well and use OTC pyrithione zinc shampoo.
Cut out sugar. Then moisturize the area with, for example, coconut or jojoba oil. Try applying vinegar first, then oil. Vinegar, jojoba and coconut all have anti-fungal properties. The dandruff indicates candida, which is fungal. Best way to control candida is to control your sugar intake. Try this first, and then if after six weeks or less, this doesn't help, then keep it up, but add in Zeolite Pure powder, which is an internal detoxifier that works wonders for all sorts of conditions. You can also mix Zeolite into a poultice to spread onto the area. If no results from the Zeolite within a week, then search for other solutions. Based on my experience, I would try a combination of these steps first. Mind you, I'm a naturalist. I attempt to seek remedies that aid my body to heal itself naturally rather than run to the doctor. I have seen, more often than not, doctors are clueless.
posted by zagyzebra at 4:06 PM on July 19, 2013
posted by zagyzebra at 4:06 PM on July 19, 2013
My dermatologist gave me a steroid cream that took care of this quickly.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 4:08 PM on July 19, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 4:08 PM on July 19, 2013 [1 favorite]
zagy: Do you have a link for that? The Mayo Clinic says "there are no clinical trials that document the efficacy of a candida cleanse diet for treating any recognized medical condition.", if you know otherwise I would love to read it.
posted by Cosine at 4:16 PM on July 19, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by Cosine at 4:16 PM on July 19, 2013 [11 favorites]
My dermatologist gave me a steroid cream that took care of this quickly.
I use desonide for occasional flare-ups and it always resolves them within 12-24 hours. Definitely recommend seeing a dermatologist.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:43 PM on July 19, 2013
I use desonide for occasional flare-ups and it always resolves them within 12-24 hours. Definitely recommend seeing a dermatologist.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:43 PM on July 19, 2013
My personal experience with dandruff and flaky patches in my eyebrows and goatee was that prescription liquid drops of clobetasol proprionate were like a magic bullet. It's powerful stuff so I only use it every couple of weeks.
But that's me... if there was a one-size answer, half the dermatologists outside Arizona would be out of business tomorrow.
posted by Kakkerlak at 4:47 PM on July 19, 2013
But that's me... if there was a one-size answer, half the dermatologists outside Arizona would be out of business tomorrow.
posted by Kakkerlak at 4:47 PM on July 19, 2013
My eyebrow eczema is stress related, but I deal with the symptoms by gentle exfoliation, shit tons of moisturiser and occasionally a medicated cream of some sort. But stress is my main trigger for it. My brother-in-law gets it too and he's had success with his partner's exfoliating facewash and his kid's moisturiser.
I did get to skin thinning point with medicated stuff so I've stopped using it and just deal with the flaking. As long as I exfoliate and moisturise, with occasional antiseptic cream if it's super red/broken, it's not too bad.
posted by geek anachronism at 4:55 PM on July 19, 2013
I did get to skin thinning point with medicated stuff so I've stopped using it and just deal with the flaking. As long as I exfoliate and moisturise, with occasional antiseptic cream if it's super red/broken, it's not too bad.
posted by geek anachronism at 4:55 PM on July 19, 2013
Re: moisturizer. The eucerin pro extremely dry skin lotion is pretty damn amazing. A little bit greasy, but works freaking miracles. I put it on at night after washing my face, maybe an hour before bed. You only need a little. Obvs, prescription stuff might get to the root of the problem, but for just treating the symptom/not looking like a freak, it's awesome
m.eucerinus.com/product/single/id/5 (sorry, on phone)
posted by atomicstone at 5:07 PM on July 19, 2013
m.eucerinus.com/product/single/id/5 (sorry, on phone)
posted by atomicstone at 5:07 PM on July 19, 2013
Cosine - I don't have a link, although there is a multitude of information about the havoc sugar wreaks on the human system. This I know from first-hand experience. As for the candida diets, I honestly feel they are extreme, and impossible to keep for the long-term, although I know many who claim complete healing as a result of 6 months on the candida diet. I, myself, would probably never have the fortitude to make it through 6 months on such restrictive diets. Simply, monitor your sugar intake. That's key to good health, along with exercise and sleep. Mind you, I am no fanatic or saint. But it's probably wise to balance out a lot of sugar, if you do succumb, with a high protein meal. Definitely not more carbs. Eat the darkest chocolate if you're a chocoholic. Substitute stevia for sugar. Just common sense stuff, really.
I tried steroid creams in the past for certain dermatologic conditions (especially around the eyes) and found that they'd go away and then come back with a vengeance. So by necessity, I abandoned conventional wisdom and sought alternative treatments. Worked for me.
posted by zagyzebra at 5:12 PM on July 19, 2013
I tried steroid creams in the past for certain dermatologic conditions (especially around the eyes) and found that they'd go away and then come back with a vengeance. So by necessity, I abandoned conventional wisdom and sought alternative treatments. Worked for me.
posted by zagyzebra at 5:12 PM on July 19, 2013
If you get dandruff too, you probably have dry skin. I started to get this problem in my late teens/early twenties, not just in the eyebrow area but beneath my eyes as well, and what solved it for me was using a gentler cleanser and heavier moisturiser. Palmer's Cocoa Butter showed me the quickest results in fixing the problem areas - I use their regular SPF 15 during the day, and concentrated version at night. Because it's only one patch of your skin and presumably the rest is fine, you could probably get away with buying a single tube of the concentrate and applying as needed in the morning.
If you're looking at switching up your general skin routine to prevent it, have you tried Cetaphil? Both cleanser and moisturiser work really well for me, it's packaging is gender neutral and it's easily available at most drugstores.
posted by saturnine at 5:33 PM on July 19, 2013
If you're looking at switching up your general skin routine to prevent it, have you tried Cetaphil? Both cleanser and moisturiser work really well for me, it's packaging is gender neutral and it's easily available at most drugstores.
posted by saturnine at 5:33 PM on July 19, 2013
This happened to me. I know it sounds kind of weird but after trying a bunch of things rec'd online, one thing worked like a freakin' charm and I don't know why: baby shampoo. Johnson's Baby Shampoo, the yellow one. Or a generic. Wash your eyelid and surrounding area with baby shampoo and warm water twice a day.
A moisturizer couldn't even get through to my eyelid until I did the baby shampoo thing for a couple days (may have been a week-I forget). After the clear up I just got serious about Cetaphil face moisturizer every day. No problems since. Good luck! Hope this helps you too.
posted by manicure12 at 6:58 PM on July 19, 2013
A moisturizer couldn't even get through to my eyelid until I did the baby shampoo thing for a couple days (may have been a week-I forget). After the clear up I just got serious about Cetaphil face moisturizer every day. No problems since. Good luck! Hope this helps you too.
posted by manicure12 at 6:58 PM on July 19, 2013
Try using some of the dandruff shampoo on your eyebrow area. If the flakiness is caused by the same thing as the dandruff, it may help. Of course, don't get it in our eyes.
posted by soelo at 8:24 PM on July 19, 2013
posted by soelo at 8:24 PM on July 19, 2013
Before anything else, make sure you absolutely rinse all soap off that part of your face completely. It's pretty easy to leave traces of soap in and under your brows and it can cause your skin to react.
posted by zadcat at 8:56 PM on July 19, 2013
posted by zadcat at 8:56 PM on July 19, 2013
I get this too sometimes, and what helps a lot is - apple cider vinegar. Apply nightly, using a q-tip. Clears it up in a few days.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:05 PM on July 19, 2013
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:05 PM on July 19, 2013
I had this issue, too. I think my doc called it seborrheic dandruff. I started using baking soda instead of soap or any kind of face wash. I use it instead of shampoo, too. The flaky skin on my eyebrows is virtually gone and my dandruff is quite a bit better. I also use Alba Botanica Aloe and Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer which is nice and light.
posted by Beti at 11:48 PM on July 19, 2013
posted by Beti at 11:48 PM on July 19, 2013
If it's seborrheic dermatitis (which sounds quite possible) I highly recommend a kind of soap called Noble Formula. It's a non-drying face soap, active ingredient pyrithione zinc, and it works really well in my experience.
--------------
Re: whether sugar could be a culprit:
--"In some patients who have both diminished tolerance for sugar and eczema, it has been noted that [the eczema] has cleared up rapidly following the institution of diets of low carbohydrate content" and
--Male patients [with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis] had higher content of refined sugar in their diet than reference men (P=0.014).
Neither of those studies showed that cutting out sugar cures dandruff or seb derm, but they do imply a connection between skin problems and glucose consumption/intolerance, so I would say yeah, potentially sugar intake or glucose tolerance could factor into your skin health. See also: Is there a dandruff diet?
posted by feets at 4:10 AM on July 20, 2013
--------------
Re: whether sugar could be a culprit:
--"In some patients who have both diminished tolerance for sugar and eczema, it has been noted that [the eczema] has cleared up rapidly following the institution of diets of low carbohydrate content" and
--Male patients [with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis] had higher content of refined sugar in their diet than reference men (P=0.014).
Neither of those studies showed that cutting out sugar cures dandruff or seb derm, but they do imply a connection between skin problems and glucose consumption/intolerance, so I would say yeah, potentially sugar intake or glucose tolerance could factor into your skin health. See also: Is there a dandruff diet?
posted by feets at 4:10 AM on July 20, 2013
Gentle exfoliation and a heavy moisturizer (at night) usually take care of this issue for me. I do have dry scalp, but any sort of medicated or OTC dandruff product for that just makes everything red and irritated, and that goes double for my face. I've found that for me the eyebrow-area stuff is aggravated by some ingredient in facial moisturizer with sunscreen, so I've had to quit using any product on my face that uses much besides zinc oxide for the sunscreen element. Situation much, much improved, and I usually only get a flare-up now and again in the winter when everything's drier anyway. Now, I am a fair, fair lady, so this may not end up being an issue for you, product-wise, but just FYI when you're considering moisturizers.
posted by percolatrix at 8:11 AM on July 20, 2013
posted by percolatrix at 8:11 AM on July 20, 2013
It does sound like seborrheic dermatitis, in which case products containing zinc, ketozonale and similar ingredients will fix it. See a dermatologist if you can, or try using your dandruff shampoo.
If it's seb derm then cortisone cream and other steroids won't help, nor will extra-good moisturizers. Seb derm is a fungal problem -- it's not the same as eczema or simple dry skin. Scalpicin and similar products may help, but beware of irritating ingredients such as alcohol: they will cause flaking due to dryness, and so you will end up just substituting one problem with another one.
It could also be rosacea, in which case you need a completely different type of product. If zinc-based products don't help that argues for rosacea, in which case see a dermatologist. Rosacea requires prescription based treatment.
If you see a dermatologist try to find one who specializes in this kind of skin condition. Misdiagnosis is common, so you don't want someone who specializes in e.g., burns. Key words to look for would be seb derm, rosacea and psoriasis.
I wouldn't bother with lifestyle changes until you get diagnosed -- it's too hard to tell if they're working. Start with your dandruff stuff and if that doesn't work then get yourself a proper diagnosis. Good luck!
posted by Susan PG at 10:38 AM on July 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
If it's seb derm then cortisone cream and other steroids won't help, nor will extra-good moisturizers. Seb derm is a fungal problem -- it's not the same as eczema or simple dry skin. Scalpicin and similar products may help, but beware of irritating ingredients such as alcohol: they will cause flaking due to dryness, and so you will end up just substituting one problem with another one.
It could also be rosacea, in which case you need a completely different type of product. If zinc-based products don't help that argues for rosacea, in which case see a dermatologist. Rosacea requires prescription based treatment.
If you see a dermatologist try to find one who specializes in this kind of skin condition. Misdiagnosis is common, so you don't want someone who specializes in e.g., burns. Key words to look for would be seb derm, rosacea and psoriasis.
I wouldn't bother with lifestyle changes until you get diagnosed -- it's too hard to tell if they're working. Start with your dandruff stuff and if that doesn't work then get yourself a proper diagnosis. Good luck!
posted by Susan PG at 10:38 AM on July 20, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mr. gudrun has something similar, and keeps it under control by using a bit of his dandruff shampoo on that area in the shower. He does not put the shampoo directly on the spot but just spreads some of the lather on and rubs it in after he has lathered up his hair. He alternates using for dandruff shampoo Selsun Blue, Neutrogena T-Gel and Nizoral (Nizoral has Ketoconazole which helps treat seborrheic dermatitis). He also periodically uses a tea tree oil shampoo. He uses Dove unscented sensitive skin bar soap, and every so often uses a Body Shop Tea Tree skin clearing facial wash. He does not exfoliate other than what comes off when you use a normal wash cloth and soap on your skin (facial scrubs and such things just irritate his skin and make the problem worse.)
For the moisturizer part of the question Cetaphil is good, or Eucerin; Mr. gudrun is using Moisturel Dry skin sensitive formula basically because I use it but it seems to be fairly effective.
posted by gudrun at 12:22 PM on July 20, 2013
For the moisturizer part of the question Cetaphil is good, or Eucerin; Mr. gudrun is using Moisturel Dry skin sensitive formula basically because I use it but it seems to be fairly effective.
posted by gudrun at 12:22 PM on July 20, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brilliantine at 3:54 PM on July 19, 2013