Perioral dermatitis experience and digital medicine

You plan a surprising amount in life. Vacations, projects, collaborations, tax deadlines – everything gets a permanent place in the calendar – somehow. Even for people like me, structure actually gives security and you rely on the fact that things can be organized. What you don’t plan for is a sore chin that suddenly decides to demand attention.

When a small redness becomes a real issue

Mine Perioral dermatitis experience started unspectacularly. A slight redness around the mouth, a few small nodules, a feeling of tension. At first I thought of a reaction to a product, then of hormones, then of this reassuring “It will regulate itself again”. It didn’t regulate itself.

At some point it became clear that this wasn’t a pimple that would disappear after three days. It remained visible and therefore present. Yes, that concerns me. Not dramatically, but enough to make me take a closer look. The face is the first thing others notice. If something is out of balance there, it feels more immediate than a stain on your sleeve.

At the same time, of course, I know that this is an acute, temporary problem. There are people who live permanently with visible skin diseases and that is a completely different dimension. Nevertheless, I can say that it is annoying.

Digital does not automatically mean well thought out.

Dermatologist appointment between theory and reality

The logical step was a dermatologist appointment. In my region, however, this now feels like an organizational gamble. Either you have been a patient for years and get an appointment at some point, or you hear on the phone that no one is currently being admitted.

An acute problem does not fit into the schedule. No one knows months in advance when the skin will decide to freak out. This leads to a system that produces gaps. Some secure appointments in advance, others don’t even get in. This is not an individual failure, but a structural problem. Specialists are overloaded and acute issues cannot be planned. And hey, which illness you know in advance, i.e. before you even notice symptoms. That’s not just the case with the skin.

If the digital recipe gets stuck in the system

The problem arose in the next step. The prescribed medication was not available in the connected online pharmacy. The pharmacy couldn’t supply it. In a properly thought-out digital process, such a prescription would have to be released again so that it can be redeemed elsewhere.

However, the prescription remained marked in the system as redeemed or no longer available. It was used up for the app even though I actually didn’t receive anything. This meant I couldn’t simply submit it to another pharmacy because it was already digitally considered used.

I had to contact support. It’s not a live chat, but a messaging system where you write and wait for a response. The process continued throughout the day, and in the end it was 9:30 p.m. before I received a second prescription that actually worked.

Where digitalization reaches its limits

In the end, the problem was solved, but the process showed quite clearly where this digital solution has its weaknesses. The diagnosis, which I had actually suspected beforehand, came quickly. However, the path from prescription to actual medication was not. It wasn’t so much a matter of waiting a few hours, but rather that the process wasn’t properly thought through at a crucial point. If a pharmacy cannot deliver a prescription, then that prescription must be available again in the system. Everything else doesn’t feel like a modern solution, but rather like a digital dead end.

If the health insurance company is left out

And then there is the financial point. I have health insurance, completely normal. However, my health insurance company didn’t notice anything about my perioral dermatitis because this entire process completely bypassed them. I paid privately to get medical clarity promptly, even though an insurance system actually exists for exactly that.

An acute skin reaction is not a luxury problem. If fast digital channels only work for an additional fee and run parallel to regular care, a kind of side track is created in the healthcare system. Anyone who is willing or able to pay extra will receive a response more quickly. If you don’t want to or can’t do that, wait. This doesn’t really feel like an improvement, but more like a shift in responsibility – and that leaves an uneasy feeling to say the least.

Between reduction and patience

The diagnosis itself didn’t surprise me. Perioral dermatitis was my suspicion from the start. Medically, the recommendation is clear: less care, no experiments, patience. The skin does not soothe through additional products, but through reduction.

However, patience is not one of my greatest strengths. That’s probably the most unpleasant part of the whole thing: the feeling of not being able to accelerate anything.

Brown all over (almost) as a calm frame

And then my outfit comes into play. If the face isn’t cooperating (the photos were taken before the whole thing happened), the rest can at least appear confident. I’m wearing a dark brown velvet dress, a dark brown blazer over it and knee-high dark brown boots. A consistent brown all-over look that would be completely monochrome without the red turtleneck.

The red turtleneck creates a conscious contrast and brings depth to the outfit. Maybe it distracts from the face a little. The blazer gives the look structure and frame and appears controlled and calm. In such moments, for me, fashion is not just surface, but also attitude.

What remains now

For me at the moment it’s time to reduce. Less care, no experiments, patience. And I actually try not to wear makeup at all. This is difficult for me because I just like wearing makeup and I think good makeup is like armor. But maybe that’s exactly what’s best for my skin right now. There’s nothing more I can do at the moment except wait and give my skin and myself time.

I’m very interested in how you experience this. How do you get specialist appointments? So, no matter what discipline. Have you had any experience with digital offerings? And how do you deal with visible, acute skin issues?

Thank you for reading along and taking your time. This is not a given and I am always happy about it. I wish you a nice and relaxing Sunday.

THANK YOU 🖤

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