How To Get Rid Of Eczema On Your Eyelids

Importance Of Eczema Treatment

There is growing evidence that allergens introduced into the body through the skin can lead to the later development of food allergy, asthma and hay fever. Aggressively treating eczema in children and taking steps to restore normal skin barrier function may lower the risk of future development of these conditions.

Eyelid Eczema & Its Treatment

When you hear about eczema and even psoriasis, most people relate it to those drug commercials on TV. While some may experience results with drugs as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis, the best route is to handle it naturally. For many, the idea of a natural remedy to a skin condition is laughable. The reputation of natural treatments has a long history of quirky personalities and lifestyles attaches to it, but not anymore.

Natural treatments and natural skin care are now a current and trending choice in both the medical and beauty industries. Years of research, studies, and development in plant extracts has created a new depth to natural that had never been tapped into before. For eczema on the face, especially eyelid eczema, natural treatments are much easier and less hazardous to apply.

Putting heavy eczema-specific creams, ointments, and lotions on your eyelids would make it difficult to keep your eyes open and avoid irritating them. Natural treatments can be more lightweight, but also absorb better, with ingredients meant and known to help relieve skin issues like eczema.

What natural ingredients actually help eczema? Are there such natural products that can treat eczema?

The answer is yes and here are five types of natural ingredients known for treating eczema:

Otc Treatments For Eye Eczema

There are plenty of over-the-counter and off-the-shelf treatments for eczema available at pharmacies.

If you develop eczema due to an allergic reaction, antihistamines can help you manage the itching and swelling.

Corticosteroids can also treat eczema itching, but using them around your eyes is risky .

Consult your doctor before trying any OTC treatment .

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Use A Tailored Skincare Routine

Talking of skincare, its worth looking at your entire routine – not just your eye products – to help ease the itch. Fragrances, detergents and preservatives can all trigger an eczema flare-up or contact dermatitis, so it makes sense to pare back your skincare regime to gentle products that are tailored to sensitive skin. Not sure where to start? Book in for a free online skincare consultation with our experts and theyll chat through the formulas and ingredients to look out for. Whether youre searching for the best eye cream for eczema or gentle make-up removers that wont irritate your skin further, shop our range of skincare products for eczema-prone skin – theyre all independently patch tested for your peace of mind.

Judy Johnson

Pai’s Content Editor and a beauty journalist specialising in sensitive skin.

What Is Eyelid Eczema Exactly

Atopic dermatitis, which is the umbrella term people are usually referring to when they say eczema, is a chronic condition that happens due to a problem with your skins protective barrier, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you have atopic dermatitis, your top layer of skin doesnt retain adequate moisture or protect you as well as it should against things like irritants and allergens.

Eyelid eczema often pops up in people who already deal with eczema on another part of their body . Other types of eczema that tend to impact the eyelids include:

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Diagnosis & Treatment Options

Eczema is not a contagious condition. There is also no cure for it.

There are many treatment options that can help to manage eczema breakouts, reducing their severity and frequency. Eczema treatment is focused on repairing damaged skin and alleviating uncomfortable symptoms.

Current treatment options include:

• Topical corticosteroid creams and ointments. Anti-inflammatory creams target skin itchiness and inflammation.
• Systemic corticosteroids. Prescription corticosteroids can be swallowed or injected when topical creams are not effective enough.
• Antibiotics. These are prescribed when a bacterial skin infection is also present.
• Antifungal/antiviral medications. These are used to treat fungal or viral infections related to eczema.
• Antihistamines. These reduce itchiness and improve sleep.
• Topical calcineurin inhibitors. These are used to decrease inflammation of the immune system that is causing flareups.
• Skin barrier-repairing moisturizers. These help to keep moisture in and repair the skin.
• . Ultraviolet A or B light waves can be used to treat moderate eczema.
• Wet wrap therapy. This treatment is used for severe eczema. Three lukewarm baths per day are given, followed by the application of topical medications and moisturizers. The skin is then wrapped in wet gauze.

Try To Reduce The Damage From Scratching

Eczema is often itchy, and it can be very tempting to scratch the affected areas of skin.

But scratching usually damages the skin, which can itself cause more eczema to occur.

The skin eventually thickens into leathery areas as a result of chronic scratching.

Deep scratching also causes bleeding and increases the risk of your skin becoming infected or scarred.

Try to reduce scratching whenever possible. You could try gently rubbing your skin with your fingers instead.

If your baby has atopic eczema, anti-scratch mittens may stop them scratching their skin.

Keep your nails short and clean to minimise damage to the skin from unintentional scratching.

Keep your skin covered with light clothing to reduce damage from habitual scratching.

Recommended Reading: How To Prevent Eczema Breakouts

Tests For Eyelid Dermatitis

To find out what’s causing symptoms, a healthcare provider might use one or more skin tests. These tests might include:

• A skin patch test to identify allergens
• An intradermal allergy test where you’re injected with a tiny amount of an allergen to check for reactions
• A skin prick or scratch test where your skin is gently pricked with needles coated in possible allergens
• A radioallergosorbent test which checks your blood for signs of a reaction to allergens

Is Eyelid Dermatitis One Type

No, there are many forms of eyelid dermatitis.

Generally, there are two types familiar and commonly occur such as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis, in the following table you will find the difference between them in details

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What Is It Like Living With Eczema

Many people live with eczema . As many as 15 million Americans may have this skin condition. Living with it can be challenging.

There may be times when your eczema disappears. This is known as a remission period. Other times you may have a flare-up, which is when it gets worse. The goal of treatment is to prevent such flare-ups, preventing your symptoms from getting worse. Be sure to avoid triggers, moisturize, take your medicine and do anything else your healthcare provider recommends.

Will I Grow Out Of It

Yes, this is possible but you need to control and maintain the condition if you have it until hopefully, you grow out of it. Just the same as people with eczema who normally just past there teenage years start to see an improvement in their eczema the same can be said for eczema on eyelids. The best way to cure this condition is to try and eliminate the trigger points. Whats a trigger point? All eczema conditions have something that triggers a reaction and makes your condition worse. Treating eczema is all about finding those trigger points and eliminating them from your life. This can be anything from pets, allergic reactions to certain foods, Makeup, Dust, Damp and just about everything we come into contact with daily. One of the best ways is to track your day and try to spot recurring instances of flare-ups and connect them to a pattern.

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Lets say youre fine all day and you go visit a friend at their home. Later that day you start to rub and scratch your eyes. Make a diary of this as this will help you find the trigger points. Do they have pets in the home? Do they smoke? Did you eat something? All these may seem normal to most people but if you suffer from eczema they can all cause flare-ups and are called triggers.

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Home Remedies To Treat Dry Eyelids

Compresses are a quick and easy way to feel relief from eyelid dermatitis. “You can gently apply a cold or warm compress to soothe the skin,” advises Engelman. “If you have aloe vera or shea butter on hand, those ingredients can also be soothing to irritated skin.”

Green favors “whole milk compresses, three times a day,” to relieve symptoms of dry eyelids. You can create a whole milk compress by soaking a washcloth in a bowl of cold cow’s milk and then pressing it to your eyelid for several minutes. Make sure to choose a whole milk variety, as the high fat content provides natural emollients that are soothing to skin.

In addition to compresses, Engelman suggests the use of over-the-counter moisturizers to “help reduce the need to rub the eye area.” Her picks include Cetaphil Restoring Lotion, which she says is a “great drugstore moisturizer thats fragrance and paraben-free, making it ideal for sensitive skin. This lotion will help to restore moisture around the eyes and be extra gentle on the compromised area.” She also loves “La Roche-Posays Toleriane Ultra Eye Cream, which is formulated specifically for those with allergy-prone and sensitive skin.” Use for a more targeted treatment.

Peredo recommends using a “moisturizer several times a day, such as “Skinfluences Intense Moisture Balm. It is a heavier moisturizer to help soften the skin.” She also likes an occlusive like Aquaphor for treating the gentle eye area, while Green likes Vaseline for a similar effect.

Whats The Best Eyelid Eczema Treatment

If you do have eczema on your eyelids, youll want to do your best to avoid your triggers. This can range from pretty easy to completely ludicrous, depending on what specifically incites your eczema. If you cant steer clear of your triggers, or if doing so isnt enough to calm your eyelid eczema, you may need some extra help from a pro.

This is one of the hardest forms of eczema to treat with medication because of the sensitive area we are treating, Dr. Rodney says. We have to make sure your eyemeaning your eyeballis safe, as some prescriptions can lead to complications like glaucoma.

To treat any form of eczema, experts will often recommend topical corticosteroids to battle inflammation, the Mayo Clinic says, but these can be too strong on your delicate eyelid skin. If your doctor decides a corticosteroid cream is the best treatment for your case of eczema, theyll likely only prescribe it for a short period of time because it can cause thinning of your eyelids and the skin around your eyes, Cynthia Bailey, M.D., a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and president and CEO of Advanced Skin Care and Dermatology Inc., tells SELF. This treatment needs to be supervised by a physician, Dr. Bailey says.

Dr. Rodney also suggests placing a thin layer of petroleum jelly around and on your eyelids twice a day to reinforce the protective skin barrier, hydrate the dry skin, and reduce itching.

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An Eye For Warning Signs Can Save Your Eyesight

If you have AD, its important to play close attention to your eyes. When an eye problem lasts more than a few days, make an appointment to see your dermatologist or eye doctor.

You should also have eye exams as often as your eye doctor recommends. Ophthalmologists are the experts at diagnosing eye disease. Caught early, the eye diseases linked to AD are highly treatable.

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ReferencesHeiting G. Eye problems and diseases. AllAboutVision.com. Website last accessed January 31, 2018.

Leung DYM, Eichenfield LF, et al. Atopic dermatitis. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatricks dermatology in general medicine. McGraw Hill Medical, USA, 2008:152.

Thyssen JP, Toft PB, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and risk of selected ocular disease in adults with atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017 77:280-6.

All content solely developed by the American Academy of Dermatology

What Else Could It Be

When you are dealing with eyelid eczema, you will visit the doctor often. Together, you will determine whether your skin is improving or degrading, and you will work on a treatment plan that can help you feel better. Sometimes, you will need to change course.

Typically, medicated creams bring relief within about three weeks, and when they do, you stop using them. Then, you will talk to your doctor if the issue comes back. If it does, something else might be triggering your outbreaks.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology points out that skin creams and moisturizers often trigger eczema. They can contain:

• Perfumes
• Chemicals
• Preservatives

If you’ve switched to an over-the-counter cream to prevent the next outbreak, that solution could be causing your current misery.

You may also be triggered by something in your environment. Researchers say up to 74 percent of cases of eyelid eczema are caused by contact dermatitis, and for some patients, it can take up to seven years to get the right diagnosis.

Your doctor can suggest allergen testing. The results can help you pinpoint the issues that spark your symptoms, and you could be surprised by what you find out. Patients have been diagnosed with sensitivities to nail polish remover, for example, but only their eyelids swelled with exposure.

Work with your doctor and be persistent as you search for your trigger. Once you find it, you will have the information you need to protect yourself against further outbreaks.

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Contact Vs Atopic Dermatitis

Eyelid dermatitis most commonly presents in two key varieties:

Contact dermatitis

In contact dermatitis, substances liquid, solid or gas can trigger contact dermatitis in the eyelids simply by touching them. Contact is most commonly made through:

• Irritants Substances that trigger a change in the surface of the skin

• Allergens Substances that set off an allergic reaction in the bodys immune system

Atopic dermatitis

The most common form of eczema, atopic dermatitis does not require direct contact with allergens or irritants. Instead, its most likely the result of genetics and/or immune system dysfunction. When some substances get inside the body, they can trigger an allergic reaction that shows up on the skin in the form of dermatitis symptoms.

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Signs You Have Eczema On Your Eyes

When you have eyelid eczema, youll experience several symptoms and areas of discomfort, some of which will keep getting worse until you start managing the condition. A reddish rash on the eyelids can get itchy and uncomfortable.

Youll experience such discomfort on the affected skin area, which can be on both eyes upper and lower eyelids. The condition doesnt have to affect all eyelids, however.

Some patients will have the itchy, reddish rushes only on the upper or lower eyelids.

Because the itching is usually persistent and chronic, youll keep feeling the urge to scratch, which can eventually cause the eyelid skin to become thicker and leathery. From the constant scratching and rubbing, there will be scaling on the skin.

Some long, narrow cracks will present themselves, and the lashes may begin to crust with time. A burning sensation and pain can accompany these issues.

If you also experience these symptoms and discomforts on other parts of the body like the face or neck, you most probably have eczema.

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How To Treat Eczema On Eyelids With Natural Remedies

The area of the eyelids is a very delicated zone that can experience swelling, redness and other conditions. One of this conditions is eczema, usually provoked by excessive dryness in this area of the face. Eczema on the eyelids is a very unpleasant condition that you’ll have to treat quickly. In this OneHowTo article we explain you in detail how to treat eczema on the eyelids with natural remedies, so your discomfort will be reduced.

First, we suggest that you visit your doctor or specialist as he or she can determine your true condition. Sometimes your problem might not be an eczema but a temporary dry skin. If the dryness on your eyelids is caused by a serious eczema, the doctor will be able to prescribe you some ointment or medication to solve your problem.

If you want to get rid of dryness on your eyelids it is important that you constantly hydrate the area. The eczema is caused by dehydration and dry skin, so it is crucial to keep your skin moisturized. You can use a moisturizer specific for this area and your skin type, which will help combat the dryness faster. Also, you should bear in mind that hydration does not only happen on the outside. To be perfectly hydrated you also need to drink plenty of water.

A very effective remedy for eczema and dry skin in hemp oil, learn its benefits and how to use it through our article on how to treat eczema with hempseed oil.