Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsAllergic DermatitisIrritant DermatitisAtopic DermatitisSeborrheic DermatitisRisk FactorsDiagnosisTreatmentCopingFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Allergic Dermatitis
Irritant Dermatitis
Atopic Dermatitis
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping
FAQ
Treatment of eyelid dermatitis depends on the cause, but typically involves topical medications, such as steroid creams. Oral medications, including steroids and antihistamines, may also be needed to clear up therash.
This article discusses eyelid dermatitis, including its symptoms, types, and causes. It also explains how eyelid dermatitis is diagnosed and treated.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealand and © Raimo Suhonenwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Symptoms of Eyelid Dermatitis
Generally speaking, symptoms of eyelid dermatitis can include:
Eyelid dermatitis can lead to stress, sleeping trouble, and decreased quality of life.It can also raise your risk for other eye conditions, such asconjunctivitis (pink eye)and keratitis (inflammation of thecornea, the clear outer layer of the eye).
If you rub your eyes long enough, you can actually change the shape of your cornea. This condition is called keratoconus and it can lead to loss of vision.
See your doctor if you notice any of the following problems:
Try Not to ItchIt can be tempting to scratch itchy skin that occurs witheczema. However, scratching can lead to bleeding, which opens the door forinfection. This can be dangerous when it involves your eyes.
Try Not to Itch
It can be tempting to scratch itchy skin that occurs witheczema. However, scratching can lead to bleeding, which opens the door forinfection. This can be dangerous when it involves your eyes.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitishappens when you’re exposed to a substance that your body is hypersensitive or allergic to. Your eyelids may become red in places. They may itch or sting.
Causes
If yourskin barrierdoesn’t work properly, too much of an allergen can seep into your body. That makes it more likely you’ll have allergic contact dermatitis. Your genetic background has a lot to do with how well your skin barrier works.
Irritant Contact Dermatitis
Irritant contact dermatitisoccurs when your skin has a negative reaction to something that touches it, such as soap or a cosmetic product.
This form of eyelid dermatitis can be painful but is temporary. Your symptoms should go away soon after you remove the irritant.
Self-Care and Skin Care With Perioral Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis often runs in families. You might have a genetic difference that makes you more prone to the condition.With this difference, your body doesn’t produce enough of a protein called filaggrin which helps to keep your skin strong.
If you have other allergies, such as hay fever, you are also more likely to develop eczema around the eyes or other parts of your body. Weather conditions, such as dry air or large temperature changes, can also trigger flare-ups.
The 8 Best Lotions for Atopic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitisis the same skin condition that causes dandruff in adults and cradle cap in babies. It’s part of your body’s immune reaction to a type of yeast that is normally found on the skin.
This condition is often triggered during times when there’s a lot of hormonal activity in your body. Birth, puberty, and adulthood from ages 30-60 are peak periods.
Sometimes another health condition makes it more likely that you’ll get this type of eyelid dermatitis.Some of the conditions linked to it include:
How to Manage Eczema on the Face
Risk Factors for Eyelid Dermatitis
You may be more likely to develop eyelid dermatitis if you have certain risk factors, including:
Diagnosing Eyelid Dermatitis
Your primary care doctor may be the first person to diagnose your condition. You may need a specialist, such as a dermatologist or an allergist, to find the underlying cause.
Your healthcare provider will examine your eyes, ask questions about your symptoms, and take your medical history.
Skin Patch Test
Skin Prick Test
An allergist can also lightly scratch your skin with tiny needles that have been exposed to different allergens. After about half an hour, the allergist checks your skin to see which scratches show signs of inflammation or allergic reaction.
Intradermal Test
For some allergens, the best test involves injecting a small amount of the possible allergen into your skin. Within a few minutes, your skin may show signs of an allergic reaction or immune response.
Radioallergosorbent (RAST) Test
A RAST test checks a blood sample for antibodies that show you are having an allergic reaction to a specific substance. When your body responds to an allergen, it producesimmunoglobulins, which are proteins that target specific allergens.
Using this test, an allergist can tell which substances are causing the reaction. It takes longer to get blood test results back from the lab, but some people prefer them because there is no chance of an allergic reaction.
Patch Testing for Contact Dermatitis
How to Treat Eyelid Dermatitis
The best treatment for eyelid dermatitis is to avoid the trigger for your symptoms. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible.
Eyelid dermatitis flare-ups are often treated with topical medications (applied directly to your skin). Your healthcare provider might prescribe a steroid cream to decrease inflammation. The potency of the cream will be low because the skin around your eyes is fragile compared to other parts of your body. In severe cases, your doctor might also prescribe oral steroid medication.
Topicalcalcineurininhibitorsare another type of ointment or cream used to treat eyelid dermatitis.These medications block the action of chemicals in your immune system. They are safer for your eyelid skin than steroid creams. But they can make your eyes sensitive to light.
How Eczema Is Treated
Complications
Outlook
In both cases, topical medications can ease symptoms and treat infections. How well the treatment works depends partly on how soon you seek medical care.
Even if you don’t know the exact cause of your symptoms, there are steps you can take to help prevent a flare-up and keep symptoms from getting worse:
Emotions and Dermatitis
Summary
To find out exactly what’s causing the inflammation of your eyelids, your healthcare provider might need to ask questions about products you use or are exposed to on the job. You might also need blood or skin allergy tests.
You can clean your eyelids daily and avoid using products with harsh ingredients to lower your risk. It’s also good to limit makeup, use gloves when cleaning, lower stress, and eliminate foods that worsen your symptoms.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe key is to identify the trigger. Once you know the specific cause of your flare-up, you can eliminate it if possible. You can then target treatments to your symptoms for faster relief.It depends on what’s causing your symptoms. Some causes, like atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis, are lifelong conditions. There are effective treatments to clear up your symptoms, though. And you may also be able to prevent new flare-ups.Metals such as nickel and gold, shellacs that help skincare products stick to your skin, fragrances, antibiotic creams, acrylates in artificial nails, and surfactants in shampoos have all been known to cause eyelid dermatitis.Other ingredients may be causing your symptoms.You can use warm, wet compresses to cleanse your eyelids and cool compresses to ease discomfort. You can wash your hands thoroughly with a gentle cleanser before touching your eyes. You can take steps to lower stress, which has been known to make flares worse. Don’t use honey, oils, or any other natural product on your eyelids without talking about it with your healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key is to identify the trigger. Once you know the specific cause of your flare-up, you can eliminate it if possible. You can then target treatments to your symptoms for faster relief.
It depends on what’s causing your symptoms. Some causes, like atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis, are lifelong conditions. There are effective treatments to clear up your symptoms, though. And you may also be able to prevent new flare-ups.
Metals such as nickel and gold, shellacs that help skincare products stick to your skin, fragrances, antibiotic creams, acrylates in artificial nails, and surfactants in shampoos have all been known to cause eyelid dermatitis.Other ingredients may be causing your symptoms.
You can use warm, wet compresses to cleanse your eyelids and cool compresses to ease discomfort. You can wash your hands thoroughly with a gentle cleanser before touching your eyes. You can take steps to lower stress, which has been known to make flares worse. Don’t use honey, oils, or any other natural product on your eyelids without talking about it with your healthcare provider.
Coping With Eczema
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Eczema Association.What is eczema?
National Eczema Society.About atopic eczema.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Adults with eczema should watch for eye problems.
National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.
Borda LJ, Wikramanayake TC.Seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff: A comprehensive review.J Clin Investig Dermatol. 2015;3(2):10.13188/2373-1044.1000019. doi:10.13188/2373-1044.1000019
National Eczema Association.Seborrheic dermatitis.
Lurati AR.Occupational risk assessment and irritant contact dermatitis.Workplace Health Saf.2015;63(2):81-7. doi:10.1177/2165079914565351
Pasadyn SR, Knabel D, Fernandez AP, Warren CB.Cutaneous adverse effects of biologic medications.Cleve Clin J Med. 2020;87(5):288-299. doi:10.3949/ccjm.87a.19119
National Eczema Society.Topical calcineurin inhibitors.
National Eczema Society.Eczema around the eyes.
Huang CX, Yiannias JA, Killian JM, Shen JF.Seven common allergen groups causing eyelid dermatitis: Education and avoidance strategies.Clin Ophthalmol. 2021;15:1477-1490. https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S297754
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