This leads to upper Eyelid Rash or lower Eyelid Rash. Pictures, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Eyelid Rash – Pictures, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Shavit Gavish February 15, 2011 Skin, Hair and Nails. Are your eyelids itchy and swollen? Watch out, you may be suffering from an Eyelid Rash. Read on to know all about Eyelid Rashes, its.
Dry skin on your eyelids can cause your eyelids to be flaky, scaly, and rough. Symptoms that may accompany dry skin on the eyelid include irritation, redness, and itchiness, among others.
The skin on your eyelids is unique when compared to other parts of your body. The eyelid skin is thinner than other skin and there’s not a lot of fat cushioning it. Additionally, the eyelids and surrounding areas are very vascular, meaning that a lot of blood flows through vessels around the eye. Therefore, irritants or skin conditions may be more likely to affect your eyelid than other parts of your body.
There are a number of causes of dry skin on the eyelids. Symptoms vary based on the underlying condition.
The dry skin on your eyelid may be isolated and clear up with minor lifestyle changes.
Your skin may become dry because of:
- the climate you live in
- low humidity
- exposure to hot water
- advancing age
Dry climates and cold weather can cause dry skin. Rooms that do not have a lot of humidity can dry out the skin. Hot water from showers or face washing may cause dry skin. Or your skin may be getting thinner and need more care as you age, especially if you’re 40 or older.
There are other factors that cause dry skin on eyelids that may require more medical care. These underlying conditions vary in severity and outlook. Some of them include contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, or blepharitis.
Contact dermatitis
Dry skin on eyelids may be the result of contact dermatitis. This condition occurs when your skin encounters an irritating substance. This can result in dry, red, irritated, and flaky skin.
Irritants that can cause contact dermatitis include:
- hair products, including shampoo, conditioner, and styling products
- face washes
- moisturizers
- makeup
- sunscreen
- eyelash curlers or tweezers
- chlorine from a swimming pool
- dust
Products that contain fragrances, metals (like nickel), and certain chemicals may cause contact dermatitis. You may even spread contact dermatitis to your eye unknowingly. This can occur when your hands touch your eyelid after they’ve come into contact with an irritating substance, or when you brush your face against a towel or pillowcase that has an irritant on it. Even polished fingernails or jewelry brushed against the eyelid may cause contact dermatitis.
Contact dermatitis can appear at any time in your life. You may develop an allergy to a certain substance all of a sudden, even if you’ve never reacted to it before. Keep in mind that products you use may change ingredients without your knowledge. Avoid any known triggers to keep dry, irritated skin on your eyelid at bay.
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is another condition that may affect the skin of your eyelids. It may cause scaling on your skin as well as itching, redness, and oozing.
This is a condition that’s most commonly diagnosed in young children. Atopic dermatitis may appear to be contact dermatitis, so it should be diagnosed by a doctor. The condition may be caused by family history, the environment, or the immune system. The condition is chronic, but you can learn to treat flare-ups appropriately and manage the condition throughout your life.
Blepharitis
This condition occurs on the eyelid and is caused by bacteria or another health condition like rosacea. It occurs on the eyelash line or the inner edge of the eye where it meets your eyeball. Blepharitis results in scales on the eyelid as well as irritation, redness, and burning, tearing, crusting, and more.
You may learn over time what causes the dry skin on your eyelid and determine how to best manage it at home.
Here are some ways you can treat dry skin on your eyelids:
- Add moisture to your environment, such as with a humidifier. Shop from a selection of humidifiers.
- Avoid exposure to hot water by taking cooler, shorter showers and baths, and by washing your face only once a day.
- Clean your face with soaps and facial cleansers that are fragrance-free and gentle on your skin. Here are a few fragrance-free facial cleansers to try.
- Moisturize your skin using fragrance-free lotions or creams. Shop for fragrance-free lotion online.
- Try not to touch your eyes and eyelids with your fingers.
- Apply cool compresses to your eyelids to soothe dry, irritated, and itchy skin. Find cool compresses here.
- Keep your hands clean and apply warm compresses to the eye if you suspect blepharitis. Shop for warm compresses.
Preventing dry skin is an important way to avoid unwanted symptoms. For those with dermatitis, avoiding contact with substances that irritate the eyelid is essential. You should also consider wearing protective eyewear to avoid harmful particles from contacting your eyelid and eye.
You should see an eye doctor if you suspect a more serious health condition like contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, or blepharitis. Your doctor will review your symptoms and conduct a physical examination to diagnose the condition.
For contact dermatitis, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter or prescription topical corticosteroid to treat the dry skin. Your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid as well as an antihistamine or other topical ointment or moisturizer to clear up atopic dermatitis. Treatment for blepharitis may include:
- practicing good hygiene and removing crusts from the eye
- cleaning the eyelids with baby shampoo
- using prescription topical or oral antibiotics
You should also see a doctor if:
- your eyelids have been dry for an extended time
- the condition is getting worse
- you’re concerned it might be related to a larger health issue
- you have other accompanying symptoms that concern you
There’s no reason to panic if you have dry skin on your eyelids. There are many different reasons the condition occurs, and many instances of dry skin on the eyelids can be treated at home and prevented in the future.
Underlying health conditions causing dry eyelids should be treated by your doctor, as well as dry eyelids that persist or get worse with time.
You probably notice a bit of eyelid swelling when you glance at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning. However, sometimes the swelling doesn't go away as your body wakes up from sleep. Most of us will experience swollen eyelids some time in our lives. Swollen eyelids usually cause a bit of anxiety as the cause is sometimes unknown and people around us can see it.
Most causes of swollen eyelids are not serious. However, you should always consult with your eye doctor or family doctor to rule out more serious health problems associated with swollen eyelids. Here are a few common ones.
Eye Allergies
The most common cause of eyelid swelling is eye allergies. Eye allergies sometimes cause significant discomfort, often interrupting daily activities with annoying symptoms such as eyelid irritation and swelling.
Eye allergies develop when the immune system overreacts to a certain allergen. When exposed to the allergen, cells in the eyes release histamines and other chemicals in an effort to protect the eyes, causing blood vessels inside the eyes to swell, and the eyes to become itchy, red and watery.
![Lower eyelid redness and swelling Lower eyelid redness and swelling](/uploads/1/2/5/0/125039837/344980682.jpg)
Prescription medications are highly effective in relieving symptoms. Antihistamines often reduce eyelid swelling caused by allergies rather quickly.
Eye Styes and Chalazion
A stye is caused by an inflammation and bacterial infection of the oil-producing glands in the eyelid. Styes are sometimes itchy and tender to the touch. Styes usually appear as a reddish bump on the eyelid. When a stye first develops, the eye may feel bruised and may feel sensitive to light. A chalazion develops when one of these glands becomes blocked. The gland develops into a hard lump and may result in redness and swelling of the eyelid.
If you develop a stye, apply warm, wet compresses for five to 10 minutes,a few times a day. This will usually make your eye feel more comfortable and may also help to open any blocked pores so that drainage can occur and the stye will start to heal.
Pink Eye
Pink eye or conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a clear mucus membrane that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye. Conjunctivitis is usually caused by allergies, bacteria or viruses. Patients may wake up to find one or both eyes stuck together with mucus when they wake up in the morning. The eyelids may become swollen, and the eyes may become red, itchy, and irritated.
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a more serious cause of eyelid swelling. There are two main types of cellulitis that eye doctors concern themselves with when a patient comes in with eyelid swelling: preceptal cellulitis and orbital cellulitis.
Preceptal cellulitis is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Patients usually have redness and pain in addition to swelling. It usually occurs in one eye. Orbital cellulitis can also be caused by bacteria in the form of a sinus infection that invades the area around the bones that make up the eye socket. People with orbital cellulitis may have a bulging eye and pain when moving their eyes back and forth.
How to Spot and Treat Cellulitis Before It Becomes a Problem
Graves' Disease
People with Graves' disease or other thyroid problems often suffer from eyelid swelling. Graves' disease can cause proptosis or bulging of the eyes. Although it can affect one eye more, it usually affects both eyes. Sometimes Graves' disease can cause reduced eye movements or double vision. Hypothyroidism can also cause both eyes to be somewhat swollen or puffy.
Herpes Infection
Eye herpes is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear dome that covers the front part of your eye. Eye herpes (also called ocular herpes) can produce painful sores on the eyelid or eye surface and cause inflammation of the cornea as well as eyelid swelling.
Symptoms of eye herpes often mimic those associated with conjunctivitis.
While a mild amount of facial swelling is normal when we wake up in the morning, severe eyelid swelling is not. It is not uncommon for herpes to become an eye disease.
Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Sowka, Joseph W., Andrew S Gurwood and Alan G Kabat. The Handbook of Ocular Disease Management, Twelfth Edition, 15 April 2010, Supplement to Review of Optometry.