HELP! Did hair removal cream scar my face or is this a skin disease?

CharlieMay

In December I seem to wake up with this weird rash above my lip, I thought at first it might be adult acne or something to do with the pill but two months on and various doctor appointments, prescription topical creams, oral anti-biotic and antiviral later it is still there.

Let me try and explain what it looks like, there are about fifty small red bumps the doctor describes them as vesicles (apparently another word for blisters) they do not look like spots even though I thought at first there might be.
They do not itch, weep or contain any sort of weird pus, you can not squeeze them like spots but the doctor did stick a pin in them to see what happened and just clear fluid and blood was there but they don't go away after you do this. (Hurts but):(

The only thing I used on my face before this was a hair removal cream ( not sure if I can say the brand, it's begins with an N ) but everything seemed fine at the time and the days after I used it and I had used it a good few times last year. The only thing that ever happened a couple of times was above my lip was a bit red and I cooled it with a wet wash cloth. Could it have been the cream?

So I just wondered if anyone has any input, my doctor doesn't know if I have some sort of skin disease or if it is a reaction from the cream that didn't happen straight away.

I would gladly try anything you think may get rid of it or if you have ever had a rash like this from hair removal cream or in general and have any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

The doctor is gonna send me to a specialist if it doesn't go away but that could be another month or more.
He at first thought it was infected hair follicle's but now he is not so sure at all.

Thanks in advice for any helpful comments.

Jelly2

CharlieMay wrote: »

In December I seem to wake up with this weird rash above my lip, I thought at first it might be adult acne or something to do with the pill but two months on and various doctor appointments, prescription topical creams, oral anti-biotic and antiviral later it is still there.

Let me try and explain what it looks like, there are about fifty small red bumps the doctor describes them as vesicles (apparently another word for blisters) they do not look like spots even though I thought at first there might be.
They do not itch, weep or contain any sort of weird pus, you can not squeeze them like spots but the doctor did stick a pin in them to see what happened and just clear fluid and blood was there but they don't go away after you do this. (Hurts but):(

The only thing I used on my face before this was a hair removal cream ( not sure if I can say the brand, it's begins with an N ) but everything seemed fine at the time and the days after I used it and I had used it a good few times last year. The only thing that ever happened a couple of times was above my lip was a bit red and I cooled it with a wet wash cloth. Could it have been the cream?

So I just wondered if anyone has any input, my doctor doesn't know if I have some sort of skin disease or if it is a reaction from the cream that didn't happen straight away.

I would gladly try anything you think may get rid of it or if you have ever had a rash like this from hair removal cream or in general and have any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

The doctor is gonna send me to a specialist if it doesn't go away but that could be another month or more.
He at first thought it was infected hair follicle's but now he is not so sure at all.

Thanks in advice for any helpful comments.

I don't know if your rash is the same as the one I got a few years ago, but it sounds very similar. It turned out to be caused by a bacteria that usually lives quietly inside the nose, but occasionally comes out onto external skin and causes a rash. Not very nice. I must have been to the doctor four or five times to try to have it identified. In the end, it was the third course of antibiotics which got rid of it, but the doctor first tried steroid cream. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the rash, bacteria or successful antibiotic! But I strongly sympathise with you, as it was a horrible rash and I was incredibly self-conscious for ages.

CharlieMay

Oh Jelly2 thanks a lot for that, I actually mentioned to the doctor that I had a sinus type infection for 10-12 days about three weeks before but he dismissed it and I felt a bit silly then and I do seem to have one at the tip and inside my nose also.

That's really helpful thank you, I will mention it to him again.

The Lovely Muffin

Hi OP,

I have never used a hair removal cream on my face but in the past I used to use Veet hair removal cream (these two http://www.veet.co.za/packs/cream_pump.png ) and I found after I used them, my legs would break out in horrible, sore, red bumps/spots, so I had to stop using them, now I get waxed instead.

I can't say whether or not you have a skin condition or a bad reaction to the product you used, but I would go back to your doctor and get that referral, it could be something simple or something serious, only your GP and the specialist can tell you, especially as medical advice is not allowed to be given on Boards.

Best of luck, I hope you are feeling better soon.

vicecreamsundae

hey OP, no idea what your rash is, but would very strongly suggest going to a dermatologist or at least a different doctor. why is he making you wait another couple months before referring you elsewhere? I just wouldn't waste any more money on seeing someone who is blatantly clueless about it.

Hope it clears up soon for you!!

MadamX

Sounds like impetigo. Usually treated with topical antibiotic cream sometimes requiring oral antibiotics also if it's a bad case. Very contagious, so make sure you do not share towels, cups, or anything at all that may cause it to be passed on. Surprised though that your doctor has not recognised it as impetigo, and I'm only going on your description, but it does sound very like it. If that's what it is you won't need a dermatology referral but if your own doctor is not being helpful I'd try another GP. I've had it and, while it's not pleasant, it's very curable.

Hope that's been of some help.

hug0

This sounds very like what I have except I have the bumps pretty much all over my face. Let me know if you have any luck with your doctor. Ive an appointment tomorrow.

Mine do not look as bad as impetigo unless there's different strains of it.

CharlieMay

Hey thanks all, I must upload a picture it would be good for the future if anyone else ever gets this.

It doesn't look like impetigo but thanks a lot for the suggestion, it would be great if it was that as I know a few people who had it and it seems pretty straight forward to clear.

It doesn't seem to be contagious as I live with someone and they don't have it and also it seems to be contained around one part of my face but sure you never know it could be a new strain of impetigo or some other known skin disease, I'm hoping it turns out to be something simple and just that the GP has never seen it.

Doctor gave me a letter to go to a dermatologist now but he said to go private as I could be waiting up to six months public, apparently it is very expensive just for the consult so he said if the dermatologist wants me to go for more tests to get a list of whatever he wants and come back to him and he will arrange for me to get them public.

(My GP has not charged me for anything except for my first initial visit and I have been back five times now). He said I have been spending so much on medicine and stuff and that it wouldn't be fair as he hasn't been able to help really.

Oh my swab sample came back clear so no bacterial infection on my face or anything, my GP gave me another letter to go for blood tests while I am waiting on my dermatology appointment, he said it could be a few weeks even for private.

I rang around a few of the numbers today and some I can't get in contact with and for one I have to send my letter in and then the dermatologist prioritises it by how bad he thinks it is, I really hope they don't leave me waiting long as I can't hide my face and make-up does nothing actually a friend thinks it is more noticeable with make-up. I'm only going to work because I have to other then that I don't want to be out people keep looking at me and people I know keep asking what's wrong.

P.S. I'm not looking for medical advice just suggestions really and then I say them back to my GP, the GP said it couldn't hurt to try the internet just in case anyone had a anything similar.

Hopefully the dermatologist will be able to name it and cure it and if anyone searches something similar in the future they will find this and be able to tell their GP and save them a lot of months of having this awful thing on their face and money too!

Also just for now until I upload a pic of me it looks similar to this picture of shingles rash on a persons tummy. But this is NOT me and NOT my actual rash.

http://www.google.ie/imgres?q=shingles+face&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=824&tbm=isch&tbnid=C3N3c72wEm3S3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/shingles.html&docid=WD4drzN41WiigM&imgurl=http://www.daviddarling.info/images/shingles_rash.jpg&w=512&h=333&ei=DRMxT_SHFojK0QXB_uGaBw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=124&sig=104344411776141586053&page=1&tbnh=127&tbnw=178&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0&tx=85&ty=113

Thanks again all who commented

CharlieMay

hug0 wrote: »

This sounds very like what I have except I have the bumps pretty much all over my face. Let me know if you have any luck with your doctor. Ive an appointment tomorrow.

Mine do not look as bad as impetigo unless there's different strains of it.

Hi, hope your doc app went well!