Hailey Bieber is the latest celebrity opening up about her skin-care struggles—because, yes, even famous people have them.
This transparency trend when it comes to beauty is really great because it's starting to dispel the mindset that everyone else has perfect skin and you're the only one struggling with issues. From social media filters to influencers and celebs who always appear in some version of makeup (often done by professionals), we've all fallen into that trap.
Bieber revealed on Instagram that she has perioral dermatitis. “Perioral dermatitis is a condition where you develop red bumps and pus pimples, primarily around your mouth,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital. “Think of it as a cousin to rosacea. It's thought to be caused by extra inflammation in your skin caused by outside influences like using topical cortisone creams, long-term use of heavy, occlusive skin-care products, or even perhaps a reaction to toothpaste.”
The model shared a photo of her latest flare-up, a spot on her cheek that she said is on day three “so it's calmed down a lot.”
“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,” she wrote. “It gets triggered by different things and usually shows up on my cheeks, around my mouth or sometimes around and under my eyes. Some things I noticed that trigger it: trying a new product, a product that's too harsh, weather, masks, sometimes certain SPF.”
“That's why for my skin personally I go for super gentle anti-inflammatory products that will help soothe my skin and won't trigger a dermatitis breakout!” Bieber continued. “It also took me getting the proper diagnosis from a dermatologist after stubbornly trying to treat it myself. Sometimes it gets so irritated only a prescription cream will calm it down. Self diagnosing is a no-no.”
According to Zeichner, she has the right idea. “Perioral dermatitis seems to pop up quickly, but unfortunately goes away slowly,” he says. “I usually have patients pull back from an extensive skin-care routine and instead return back to the basics: gentle skin cleansers, fragrance-free moisturizers, and a mineral sunscreen. You should never use cortisone cream, which may be labeled as an anti-itch cream, because it can make matters worse. If the bumps are not going away, you can visit your dermatologist for prescription help.”
Here's to more of this kind of transparency.
