Does anyone have trouble with facial Rashes?

[SassieCat]

I know that SJS has a butterfly rash that can appear on the face but my question is about a rash that appears red and flakey.  Not in a butterfly shape.  It's mostly on each side of my nose, each side of my mouth, occasionally on my forehead and chin.  I get a flakey rash that appears on my scalp too.  Is this related to SJS and if so, what do you do for it?

SassieCat

[Epson]

What you are describing sounds like it could be Rosacea, or it could be from SS.  I'm lucky, I have both and a dozen other rashes that no one can figure out what they are from.  Your scalp may have seborrheic dermatitis, unfortunately I have that too.

[SassieCat]

Hi,

It's not Rosacea as my nose is not red, just beside the nostril's get a rash.  I get it whenever I don't feel well, have a flare up or get really stressed out. 

I used to use a harsh abrasive facial cleaner to exfoliate it and then let it clear up.  I am noticing that it is appearing more often and the healing time is a lot longer.

SC

[Billydude]

I'd also guess Rosecea.   Just ask your doc to refer you to a dermatologist.   It might also be excema.
Steve

[eyeamdry]

Your nose doesn't have to be red for it to be rosacea.     Lucy

[navydad]

My face will just flush,, get beet red and my wife will comment that I look llike I hve been in the sun for hours,, but I havent been,, I cant tolerate the sun anymore

[jonnell]

My little girl who is 4 gets facial rashes.  She has sjs.  The sun, stress and flouresent lights make it worse.  I dont know if anyone else notices that flouresent lights bother them.  But we cant even go into Walmart because she breaks out in hives.  Jonnell and Jenna

[Abbasgirl]

Me...I get that and my primary doc doesn't know what it is...he says it's sun sensitivity or it's the disease causing it.

It takes forever for it to completely go away for me. Does yours take a long time to go away? I can't wear foundation...that shows it off big time no matter how I try to scrub off the flakiness. I don't get it on my scalp but years ago I used to. Now it just appears on both sides of my nose under the eyes, sometimes down my cheeks. As I speak I have one working on going away. I did get out in the sun a lot last week, but it didn't seem like I was out long. I get it sometimes near the corners of my mouth but not too bad. Sometimes it will show up on my forehead and chin too but not always.

I told one of my rheumys that I get this rash and was told it could be Lupus...that it doesn't have to be in the butterfly shape or remain only on the cheeks and over the nose. He got to see it at one visit and said it does seem to be Lupus related. Another rheumy told me the opposite. So... I haven't a clue. Wasn't that helpful? lol. Sorry. Just want you to know I'm in the same boat with you with no sure diagnosis of anything yet. We were pretty sure it was Sjogren's and/or Lupus, but now...I'm a walking enigma again.

Jonnell, I had no idea flourescent lights could cause it too. That is very interesting! We don't have any in my home but the doc's office does. I hate going to walmart...now I have a good reason to get out of it when I need to...the lights make me sick  Lol! Thanks.

[dbab]

Both my rheumy and dermy say that any of the connective tissue diseases can cause rashes.  It's specific rashes that may point you in one direction or another, and even then maybe not.  If you have the SSA antibody than you will have increased sun sensitivity anyway and will most likely develop rashes.  Since that antibody can be in Sjogrens or Lupus, it can be hard to determine which one is causing the rashes.

[SassieCat]

Yes, my Rheumy saw it a couple of times, each time she looked at it and said it looked like I had SjS.  I had an appointment once with her about  9 months before my old Rheumy retired and at first glance she said she wanted to run tests on me for SjS.  Then when she became my primary RA she ran the tests and told me everything came back positive for SjS. 

I've heard somewhere before and I don't remember if it was from RA but florescent lights can aggravate it.  I used to work in an office and the florescent lights on never really bothered me though other than the sound of high pitched squealling they used to make.

When I am in the sun, even driving in the car, my face gets a real pink flush to it.  RA said I needed to be careful while in the sun and use sunblock every time I am exposed to the sun. 

[Scottietottie]

Hi Sassiecat 

I find these days I need sunblock when I'm in the car too! Summer wear - long sleeves - a big hat - sunglasses and sunblock!    (I'm not particularly fair and used to get a really dark tan)

Take care - Scottie 

[dbab]

They use fluorescent lighting at work but here they have the protective shields on them so I have not had an experience with that kind of lighting.  I have heard that they can be bad for a lot of people but I know that everyone is different.  I have to avoid the sun at all costs.  I wear sunscreen everyday on my face, chest, and arms even on cloudy days because you can still be exposed to UVA and UVB.  I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer 85 SPF with Helioplex which is supposed to protect you from both UVA and UVB.  Because I constantly wash my hands, I also use Neutrogena Age Shield hand cream SPF30 with helioplex.  Both products recommended by my dermy.

I get butterfly, discoid, and SCLE rashes.  I use my sunscreen faithfully because those rashes sure can be ugly. 

[SassieCat]

I'll have to try those products out.  I'm really fair skinned (got that from my mother who was redhead).  When I'm in the sun I get freckles everywhere and I burn easily.  My summer tan looked like everyone else in winter. lol 

I do agree, the rash is not a very appealing look.  I even had a coworker once mention to someone that they thought I was on drugs!  Really made me mad! 

[cinmac]

Hi there,

My very first big flare I got the classic butterfly rash, and have never had it since.  I also have rosacea-mostly in the ocular form, which I guess sometimes goes with sicca, but this rash didn't respomd to metrocreme and came just as I got really sick so doc felt it was a symptom of the disease. Maybe a dermatologist could determine the difference.  My eye doc has me on minocycline to keep eyelid inflammation down so in my case,if it is rosacea, that probably is helping with the rash too.  If your skin doc says you have it, be sure to let your opthomologist know too. Rosacea and SS is what they call "a very unfortunate combination", but antibiotics often help.

Also, don't know what youre on for meds but some cause extreme sun sensitivity.  Maybe its just me but I think the auto immune stuff had made me even more apt to burn as well so I agree with the others-use a full spectrum sun screen and lots of it.  I look like Casper the ghost, but I can live with it.

Take care.

[Rostradamus]

The "Butterfly Rash" is a classic lupus symptom. Special,huh . Doctors can contradict each other while you endlessly test. Yes I get all this and more. Uv-b will flare these conditions, and it is in fluorecent lighting if not SPECIALY SHEILDED. I shop with a hat on and the Neutrogena ultra sheer sun block designed to block UV-b as well. Abbasgirl is right Lupus is also simular,very. Lupus often has HIGH ANA results. Test when you are flared, not at your doctors convenience,. A skin biopsy can help determine lupus. I'm very photo sensitive,and was called by the lab head when my direct ANA came up 393.  She wanted to know if I was being tested for Lupus. I told her of autoimmune attack of my eyes and Sjogren's being my primary concern. So high ANA, Buttrefly rash, are Lupus assosiated. I've studied that in Sjogren's with Lupus people are often highly photo sensitive. My symptoms also include sensitve eyes dropping fatigue, mouth and tongue sores , difficulty swallowing,  and occassioal night sweats.  The rash starts red small bumbs and blisters, in a couple of days the become pimple like , then true pimples later. It is not Rosacea , the staphloccocus is typicaly everywhere. Our pores are tight ,skin is dry and Sjogren's is an inflamitory systemic disease. Blistering at any irritation isn't hard to understand, primarily the lymphatic system. Also why sores blisters and such heal slowly. More lympm action than healing blood, and in the meantime the white cells are busy plagueimg us ,only fighting off true infection part time. It uses body healing resources. I just remembered; Lupus causes the antiphospholid syndrome, I'm hoping to verify if I have it with. It can be difinitive for Lupus.  Any way  my case may be severe but ther are women here with a lot more skin answers than I .I hope to learn their tricks, my danruf starts at the back of my head and goes to my chin. Maybe Chamomile bath oils? Take pictures as these flares go through there changes, if the doctor doen't see the starting rash they often go for the easy  or common answer. This is not easy and we are not common.Keep a diary and note symptoms, mark onsets, etc. on a calendar.  "And God bless us everyone " as Tiny Tim would say.