Hailey Beiber is one of the biggest beauty and fashion icons of 2020, but just like all of us, she also has her own skin struggles. Today, the model got up close and personal with her Instagram followers to share a skin condition she’s been battling behind the scenes, and we sought New York dermatologist Jody Levine, MD to tell us more.
“Since I like to be as transparent as possible about my skin: I have something called perioral dermatitis, which I’ve had for a few years now,” says the 24-year-old on her story. “It gets triggered by different things and usually shows up on my cheeks, around my mouth or sometimes around and under my eyes.”
Hailey notes that her personal flare-ups are triggered by many factors including trying new products, laundry detergents, masks or certain SPFs, and Dr. Levine adds that perioral dermatitis outbreaks can also stem from birth control pills, excessive drooling, fluorinated toothpaste or using a steroid cream around the mouth. “There is a relationship between perioral dermatitis and rosacea, so the same triggers for rosacea can cause this outbreak as well,” Dr. Levine adds.
While Beiber explains that using anti-inflammatory products helps to soothe her skin and prevent further breakouts, she stresses the importance of visiting a board-certified dermatologist to take a look at your symptoms if you think you have the condition.
“Perioral dermatitis usually begins with an appearance of red bumps or a rash surrounding the mouth and in the nasolabial folds—the area underneath and around your nostrils,” says Dr. Levine. “The bumps may contain pus or fluid and may be scaly. Sometimes, they can also be accompanied by burning or itching.” In terms of susceptibility, she notes that women are at a higher risk for the condition as it often stems from a hormonal imbalance, use of birth control, wearing makeup or rosasea. “Those with susceptibility to perioral dermatitis also include those with oily skin,” she adds.
“It took me getting a proper diagnosis from a dermatologist after stubbornly trying to treat it myself. Sometimes it gets so irritated that only a prescription cream will calm it down. Self diagnosing is a no-no,” says Bieber, and Dr. Levine couldn’t agree more.