Asymmetrical Dermatitis – Fact or Fiction

Asymmetrical Dermatitis is a common diagnosis for a skin disorder that appears on one side of a person or animal.  Fact, Fiction or catchall diagnosis?

A couple of years back I was attending an event at Capitol Drug Store in West Hollywood (WeHo) California. A mom stopped by because she heard I was going to be there as a part of my book tour. She showed me her little boy’s face. His left cheek was inflamed. She said she had waited weeks to see the dermatologist and he said it was asymmetrical dermatitis. He was given a bunch of creams and ointments to take that included steroids and antibiotics. One was Prednisone. She Googled the prescriptions and was horrified by the side-effects. She asked me my thoughts.

Rather than commenting on the birthday basket from the dermatologist, I asked, “Does your son sleep on his left side?” Yes, she said! “Do you wash his bedding with Tide with Bleach.” the look on her face was astonishing, and she answered, yes! I walked her to the back of the store an showed her a laundry detergent brand named BioKleen.

I asked her to wash everything in BioKleen and send me an email in a couple of weeks. Astonishingly (not) the asymmetrical dermatitis was gone.

Not my first time at this rodeo.