★★★★☆
I have had POD for nearly a year now... And it all started when I started University. After a lot of research I now strongly believe that POD is caused by a yeast overgrowth. My rubbish student diet, coupled with a lot of alcohol, hardly any sleep and exam stress resulted in a yeast imbalance in my system. For other people this can show up as rashes on arms/legs, or oral thrush, but for me it showed up as this horrendous rash which nobody knows enough about!
It started as a tiny bit of redness around one side of my nose, and spread to the other side of my nose. Thankfully, mine never got as bad as some of the pictures I have seen on the internet. When I was in University the rash remained as the tiniest bits of redness with no obvious papules/pustules around my nose, which I could easily cover with makeup. However, whenever I returned home the rash would spread. The first time I returned home the rash spread to the corner of my mouth, then when I returned to University it retreated back to my nose without me changing anything. The second time I returned home for 3 months at summer, the rash spread further from my nose down my naso-labial folds, some pustules and papules again on my chin and at the corner of my mouth, and this time I started seeing flaky skin on my eyes! At first I thought it must be a fluoride issue and a difference in fluoride content in the water supply between home and University. So I bought fluoride-free toothpaste, didn't use mouthwash etc... And nothing changed. I then checked the fluoride content of both of my homes and realised that at University my water was artifically fluoridated as was moderately hard... And at home my water was soft with naturally low fluoride. Surely if this is a fluoride problem then it should get worse at University????
Then I started looking deeper into earth clinic and did some research. And BINGO! What are the most popular cures on Earth clinic for POD? ACV (Apple cider vinegar), Grapefruit seed extract, oregano oil, genetian violet. Some people have even used Vicks vaporub, acidophilus etc. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE USED TO TREAT YEAST/FUNGAL INFECTIONS! Apple cider vinegar, GSE and oregano oil are popular treatments for candida. Genetian violet has been used historically to treat fungal infections from babies wearing diapers. Vicks vaporub contains thyme and camphor - know antifungal ingredients and further research has shown people using Vaporub to treat toenail fungal infection and athlete's foot. That's when I began to realise that this was most likely what causes POD if fluoride/changing to SLS-free products hasn't worked for you.
After coming to the conclusion of yeast causing this my theory between my rash spreading at home and University is partly to do with water. Soft water (home) is acidic, hard water (University) is alkaline. Yeast thrives in an acidic environment, so thrives in my home water. Also, I believe that when I was at home with a healthier diet and no alcohol, the yeast was beginning to die. When yeast dies it releases toxins, often making symptoms appear worse - called "die off". I interpreted this as just my POD getting worse. POD is a symptom - not the CAUSE. There is something bigger going on with our bodies!
The reason why mostly women get this? We have naturally more yeast in our body compared to men due to yeast naturally inhabiting the vagina.
I then found a very helpful post on earth clinic by Nolan (link here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/perioral-dermatitis6.html#GF) which has confirmed all of my suspicions and I highly recommend anyone suffering from POD reads it.
So now I am treating myself for yeast. I am on a low sugar diet (but nothing as extreme as the anti-candida diet which says no sugar in any form), I am just not eating anything processed or high-carb, eating lots of veg, taking probiotics. I am also drinking ACV and oregano oil, eating garlic and applying oregano oil topically. When I am back in University and cooking for myself I will be going on a paleo diet - no grains, which I hope can help to heal my gut further after the abuse I have put my body through with a poor diet and alcohol consumption. My theory is that your skin is your body's largest organ and so your body is trying to rid itself of yeast through the skin - in the form of POD.
After only trying this regime for the past week (and my ACV has only just arrived today) my POD seems to be clearing - it is definitely less red, papules are getting flaky and drying up, no longer anything on my chin and no sign of anything spreading anywhere further. I am going to do an update after following the regime for a while, but please, if ridding youself of fluoride and SLS products hasn't done anything- - take a look at your lifestyle and see if you are a candidate for yeast overgrowth.
Dietary Changes
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