Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsContact DermatitisAtopic DermatitisSeborrheic DermatitisBlepharitisCellulitisAutoimmune CausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs and Symptoms
Contact Dermatitis
Atopic Dermatitis
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Blepharitis
Cellulitis
Autoimmune Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
A rash on one or both eyelids is usually a sign of dermatitis. Many common environmental irritants, allergens, and daily activities can trigger the red, swollen, itchy skin of a dermatitis rash.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Common Signs and Symptoms of an Eyelid Rash
Eight common symptoms of eyelid dermatitis include:
Contact dermatitisoccurs when your skin touches an irritant or allergen. Irritants and allergens include many possible chemicals and environmental substances and activities.
The rash can also develop due to physical irritation like rubbing your eyes or exposure to extreme heat, cold, or humidity.
Everyday irritants include:
Allergens and other irritants can end up in your eyes when you touch them and then touch your eyes, or when you are exposed to them during outdoor activities like swimming or working in dusty or windy conditions.
Appearance
Contact dermatitiscauses an inflammatory response to the irritant or allergen. The rash can affect the upper lid, lower lid, or both. It can occur on one or both eyelids.
The rash is red, scaly, and often swollen. You may have itching, burning, or stinging.The skin of the affected eyelid may turn thick and leathery (lichenification). In severe cases, the affected area may be extremely red and swollen.
Atopic dermatitisdevelops when a genetic alteration affects theimmune system. As a result, the immune system becomes overactive, causing inflammation that damages the skin’s protectivebarrier.
Though the condition usually develops in young infants, it can appear at any age and is a chronic condition that lasts throughout adulthood.
Atopic dermatitis can develop anywhere on the body, including skin folds, neck, knees, elbows, wrists, face, eyelids, and the skin around your eyes.
The National Eczema Association reports that 85% of people with atopic dermatitis struggle with severe daily itching (pruritus).
The rash typically causes small, raised bumps that may ooze and then form a crust. The skin may be dry, red, scaly, and swollen. The skin under the rash may darken.
If you scratch the rash, it may bleed and lead to thick, hard skin.Excessive rubbing may cause eyelashes and eyebrows to fall out.
What is eyelid eczema?Eczema is a catch-all term for a group of inflammatory skin conditions. There are seven different types of eczema, including three that can cause rashes on your eyelids: contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, andseborrheicdermatitis.Of these, “eczema” is typically used to mean atopic dermatitis, the most common type.
What is eyelid eczema?
Eczema is a catch-all term for a group of inflammatory skin conditions. There are seven different types of eczema, including three that can cause rashes on your eyelids: contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, andseborrheicdermatitis.Of these, “eczema” is typically used to mean atopic dermatitis, the most common type.
Seborrheic dermatitiscauses the skin to become flaky and inflamed. It is most common on the scalp but can also affect any body area with oil-producing glands.
Numerous oil glands (meibomianglands) are located along the edge of your eyelids. These glands produce the oil that’s essential for tears. However, they can also lead to an eyelid rash in the form of seborrheic dermatitis.
Like other types of eczema responsible for eyelid rashes, seborrheic dermatitis flares up in response to triggers. A few of the most common triggers include stress, hormonal changes, detergents, and cold weather.
This condition makes your eyelids red, swollen, irritated, and itchy. Though it doesn’t cause a classic rash, it often results in crusty white flakes on the red swollen skin, which looks like a rash.
Blepharitis can also affect your eyes and vision, causing itching, watering, and sensitivity to light.
Like blepharitis,cellulitisdoesn’t cause a typical rash on your eyelids. However, it’s a common bacterial skin infection that can affect your eyes. Without prompt treatment, it can spread quickly and cause severe complications.
The infection may or may not start in your eyes. It can begin in the sinuses, an insect bite, or skin wound and spread to the eyelids.
Preseptal cellulitisonly develops in the eyelid but can spread and cause orbital cellulitis. Orbital cellulitis, an infection in the eye socket, may affect the optic nerve, causing blindness. It can also spread into the brain.
Cellulitis causes redness, swelling, and pain in the eyelid.The swelling may only affect the eyelid or involve the tissues around the eye. Other symptoms include difficulty moving the eye, blurry or double vision, or a bulging eye. The infection may cause a fever and fatigue.
Severalautoimmune diseasescan cause swelling, discoloration, and an eyelid rash, including:
While your eyelids appear red, purple, scaly, and/or swollen, autoimmune diseases cause other symptoms throughout your body.
Sjogren’s syndrome also causes dry mouth. DLE typically causes a red, scaly rash on your face and scalp, often leading to scarring. Dermatomyositis causes muscle weakness and may lead to a rash anywhere on your body.
Autoimmune diseases are also known for causing fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain.
Diagnosing Eyelid Dermatitis
The test involves having suspected allergens applied to patches, which are placed on your skin. The patch stays on for 48 hours to see if your skin reacts.
Healthcare providers that can diagnose and treat eyelid dermatitis include a primary healthcare provider or a specialist such as an allergist or dermatologist.
Treating Eyelid Rash
An acute case of eyelid dermatitis may clear up on its own in a few days, but most people require treatment. A chronic case can take up to a month to heal with treatment.
Contact or atopic dermatitis are both commonly treated with topical creams or ointments.
Always follow a physician’s guidance to treat eyelid dermatitis.
A low-potency, over-the-counterhydrocortisone cream, such as Cortaid, may be used. However, you should only use this under the supervision of a healthcare provider and for no longer than seven days (unless your healthcare provider suggests otherwise).
Two non-steroidal eczema creams, known asElidel and Protopic, are safe on the eyelids. These can be applied twice daily until the rash is fully resolved.
If you have allergic dermatitis, treatment includes avoiding your allergens. Your healthcare provider may also recommendallergy shots(immunotherapy) to reduce your allergic reactions.
Medication
Severe cases of contact or atopic dermatitis may require a low-dose oral corticosteroid, such asprednisone. This medication is usually prescribed for no longer than one to three weeks to help relieve symptoms.
For blepharitis, antibiotics or steroid eye drops (in certain cases) may be prescribed. Oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics are given to treat eye cellulitis.
Home Remedies
Some home-based remedies may also help with a rash around the eyes, such as:
Summary
Since the skin on the eyelid is sensitive and you don’t want to risk using a remedy that might irritate your eyes, you should always see a healthcare provider for guidance on treating rashes on the eyelid. Treatments may include home remedies, topical ointments, and short-term corticosteroids.
21 SourcesVerywell 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.Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, et al.The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: a review.Clin Med Res. 2017;15(3-4):75–87. doi:10.3121/cmr.2017.1363University of Heidelberg: Dermis.Hydrophilic and hydrophobic moisturizing.US Food and Drug Administration.Allergens in CosmeticsNational Eczema Association.How to treat eyelid eczema.Harvard Medical School.Dodging skin irritations from problem plants.Oh JE, Lee HJ, Choi YW, Choi HY, Byun JY.Metal allergy in eyelid dermatitis and the evaluation of metal contents in eye shadows.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(9):1518-21. doi:10.1111/jdv.13646Bhat YJ, Zeerak S, Hassan I.Allergic contact dermatitis to eye drops.Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(6):637. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.169161National Eczema Association.Atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Society.Eczema around the eyes.National Eczema Association.What is eczema?National Eczema Association.Seborrheic dermatitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is cellulitis?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cellulitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Sjogren’s syndromeHospital for Special Surgery.Eye problems in lupus.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dermatomyositis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch Testing Can Find What’s Causing Your Rash.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hydrocortisone topicalPapier A, Strowd LC.Atopic dermatitis: a review of topical nonsteroid therapy.Drugs Context. 2018;7:212521. doi:10.7573/dic.212521Additional ReadingChisholm S, Couch S, Custer P.Etiology and management of allergic eyelid dermatitis.Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2017;33(4):248-250. doi:10.1097/iop.0000000000000723
21 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.Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, et al.The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: a review.Clin Med Res. 2017;15(3-4):75–87. doi:10.3121/cmr.2017.1363University of Heidelberg: Dermis.Hydrophilic and hydrophobic moisturizing.US Food and Drug Administration.Allergens in CosmeticsNational Eczema Association.How to treat eyelid eczema.Harvard Medical School.Dodging skin irritations from problem plants.Oh JE, Lee HJ, Choi YW, Choi HY, Byun JY.Metal allergy in eyelid dermatitis and the evaluation of metal contents in eye shadows.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(9):1518-21. doi:10.1111/jdv.13646Bhat YJ, Zeerak S, Hassan I.Allergic contact dermatitis to eye drops.Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(6):637. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.169161National Eczema Association.Atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Society.Eczema around the eyes.National Eczema Association.What is eczema?National Eczema Association.Seborrheic dermatitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is cellulitis?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cellulitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Sjogren’s syndromeHospital for Special Surgery.Eye problems in lupus.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dermatomyositis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch Testing Can Find What’s Causing Your Rash.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hydrocortisone topicalPapier A, Strowd LC.Atopic dermatitis: a review of topical nonsteroid therapy.Drugs Context. 2018;7:212521. doi:10.7573/dic.212521Additional ReadingChisholm S, Couch S, Custer P.Etiology and management of allergic eyelid dermatitis.Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2017;33(4):248-250. doi:10.1097/iop.0000000000000723
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.
Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, et al.The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: a review.Clin Med Res. 2017;15(3-4):75–87. doi:10.3121/cmr.2017.1363University of Heidelberg: Dermis.Hydrophilic and hydrophobic moisturizing.US Food and Drug Administration.Allergens in CosmeticsNational Eczema Association.How to treat eyelid eczema.Harvard Medical School.Dodging skin irritations from problem plants.Oh JE, Lee HJ, Choi YW, Choi HY, Byun JY.Metal allergy in eyelid dermatitis and the evaluation of metal contents in eye shadows.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(9):1518-21. doi:10.1111/jdv.13646Bhat YJ, Zeerak S, Hassan I.Allergic contact dermatitis to eye drops.Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(6):637. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.169161National Eczema Association.Atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Society.Eczema around the eyes.National Eczema Association.What is eczema?National Eczema Association.Seborrheic dermatitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is cellulitis?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cellulitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Sjogren’s syndromeHospital for Special Surgery.Eye problems in lupus.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dermatomyositis.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch Testing Can Find What’s Causing Your Rash.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hydrocortisone topicalPapier A, Strowd LC.Atopic dermatitis: a review of topical nonsteroid therapy.Drugs Context. 2018;7:212521. doi:10.7573/dic.212521
Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, et al.The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: a review.Clin Med Res. 2017;15(3-4):75–87. doi:10.3121/cmr.2017.1363
University of Heidelberg: Dermis.Hydrophilic and hydrophobic moisturizing.
US Food and Drug Administration.Allergens in Cosmetics
National Eczema Association.How to treat eyelid eczema.
Harvard Medical School.Dodging skin irritations from problem plants.
Oh JE, Lee HJ, Choi YW, Choi HY, Byun JY.Metal allergy in eyelid dermatitis and the evaluation of metal contents in eye shadows.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(9):1518-21. doi:10.1111/jdv.13646
Bhat YJ, Zeerak S, Hassan I.Allergic contact dermatitis to eye drops.Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(6):637. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.169161
National Eczema Association.Atopic dermatitis.
National Eczema Society.Eczema around the eyes.
National Eczema Association.What is eczema?
National Eczema Association.Seborrheic dermatitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?
National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is cellulitis?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cellulitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Sjogren’s syndrome
Hospital for Special Surgery.Eye problems in lupus.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Dermatomyositis.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch Testing Can Find What’s Causing Your Rash.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Hydrocortisone topical
Papier A, Strowd LC.Atopic dermatitis: a review of topical nonsteroid therapy.Drugs Context. 2018;7:212521. doi:10.7573/dic.212521
Chisholm S, Couch S, Custer P.Etiology and management of allergic eyelid dermatitis.Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2017;33(4):248-250. doi:10.1097/iop.0000000000000723
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
