i thought it was something else originally, but when it suddenly disappeared after i identified and corrected my zinc deficiency (never to return, to date) that's when i realized what it had been.
just throwing that out there for you to think about.
in zinc deficiency,
Skin findings include:
•Red and inflamed patches of dry and scaly skin, particularly around body openings such as the mouth, anus, and eyes, and the skin on elbows, knees, hands, and feet. It may look like atopic dermatitis.
•Patches evolve into crusted, blistered, pus-filled and eroded lesions.
•There is usually a sharp demarcation between the affected area and normal skin.
•Skin around nails becomes inflamed (paronychia) and there may be nail ridging.
•Diffuse hair loss on the scalp, eyebrows and, eyelashes. (JL - i had this too, lost a lot of eyelashes)
•Secondary infection with Candida albicans or Staphylococcus aureus (JL - check.. and, check)
•Red glossy tongue and mouth ulcers
•Impaired wound healing