Holiday-induced skin disorders

From festively scented candles to eggnog and pumpkin pie, cinnamon is the most popular spice of the holiday season. Normally touted for its many health benefits (reducing the impact of diabetes, high cholesterol and even lymphoma and leukemia), cinnamon – surprisingly -- also has a dark side.

The good, the bad and the ugly
People often believe that if a little is good, more is better – but there is a danger in taking too much, or the wrong kind of cinnamon. Some people experience medical and skin-related reactions to even the scent of cinnamon. In severe cases, cinnamon exposure triggers dangerous swelling in the throat, but more commonly can trigger an itchy, burning rash on the face called “perioral dermatitis.”

This reaction seems most common among young women 25-45 but can affect men and children as well. The rash looks like acne around the mouth area and can cause itchiness or a mild burning sensation. If untreated it can linger months or years, and can reoccur.

Consult our office to diagnose these somewhat mysterious symptoms. The primary treatment is typically an oral antibiotic.

Perioral Dermatitis Recovery Tips:

1. Stop all face creams, lotions, cosmetics, and sunscreens being used unless by doctor’s orders.
2. Wash the face with warm water alone while the rash is present.
3. Avoid using any topical steroids on your face.
4. Avoid substances such as alcohol or spicy foods that dilate dermal blood vessels.
5. Stop any dental products with fluoride and anti-tartar ingredients until the rash has resolved.

Proceed with caution
The ‘tolerable’ or recommended daily intake of cinnamon is often exceeded during the holiday season, or by health enthusiasts taking too much of this popular spice as a nutritional supplement.

When reintroducing cinnamon in food preparation or capsule form, purchase the authentic “Ceylon” version that is tan in color and typically more expensive. The ‘imposter’ version is called “cassia” cinnamon and contains the potentially harmful coumarin, an anti-coagulant substance that, in improper quantities, can cause liver and skin inflammation.

Reactions can be somewhat random. Those with a cinnamon sensitivity can have a reaction by simply encountering the substance in common household items such as cinnamon flavored toothpaste. Oddly enough, there is documentation of one individual breaking out in a severe facial rash after chewing an entire pack of Big Red gum in one afternoon. To complicate matters, the imposter cinnamon is more prevalent – often as an ‘invisible’ additive in popular lattes, barbeque sauce, curry powders and room deodorizers.

If you have an adverse reaction to a substance or food, call our office for an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan. You can also learn more about our skin-friendly cosmetics and cleansers at MCADermatology.com.

 

---

Where Beautiful Skin Begins.

In an ongoing effort to give Memorial Clinical Associates & MCA Cosmetic Dermatology Center as much online exposure as possible, we have launched an extensive Social Marketing program.  As we continue to put the pieces into place, we need your participation. 

Can you please click to our Facebook pages and “like” it:

Please also follow us on Twitter @MemorialClinic by clicking on this link and clicking “Follow”: www.twitter.com/#!/MemorialClinic

We will be constantly updating our pages with interesting articles and other useful information, so make sure you check our pages regularly!  We strongly encourage you to “comment” or “like” an entry on Facebook, and “reply” or “retweet” an entry on Twitter.  It should only take you a second, but it will greatly help propel our efforts forward!

Lastly, if you are pleased with our service, we would greatly appreciate it if you could write us a great review on Google.  Please click HEREto post a review on our Google places page, or click HERE to write a testimonial on our Cast Page.

Again, thank you for your help, and we hope to see you again soon!