# Eyelid eczema - anyone else? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2022, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809 "2022-09-02T10:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/1 "2022-09-02T10:36:14Z")
I’ve always had various allergies, with skin sensitivity and eczema as a child, but since I turned 50, the skin around my eyes is SO sensitive, and I’m currently experiencing a flare up with is driving me crazy and making me feel very down. Anyone else? Any tips on dealing with it? I’m trying to understand the cause - it could be stress, my job is nuts right now. I also live in a hard water area (my skin itches all over when I’ve had a shower), and am considering getting a water softener installed. Anyone else got experience with a water softener and how it helps their skin? This post is just a reach out really, I appreciate everyone’s experiences with eczema is different and what works for some won’t work for others, ---
**Author:** ![Joeu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joeu/32/2911_2.png) [@Joeu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joeu)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/2 "2022-09-02T16:04:19Z")
I’ve had eyelid skin issues my whole life (literally–my mother tells me that in my first months of life, she took me to the doctor to find out if something was wrong with my eyes, because as soon as I could control my hands, I was constantly using them to rub my eyes). I’ve tried I think everything – tea tree oil wipes, three-times daily swabbing with baby shampoo, lotions, ointments, drops, pads, gels, compresses. Traditional medicine, non-traditional, herbal, harsh medicines, whatever. All I can say is that to date (60 or so years) nothing has really helped. My eyelids itch. They’re often crusty (glued shut in the morning). The very margin–right where the eyelashes grow out–is the worst. But it’s the whole eyelid area. So I hope somebody has a magic cure! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/3 "2022-09-04T01:59:34Z")
Uck I have eczema, but I only had a bad outbreak in my childhood, and once in my 20s. Since then, I only get small patches. Cortisone cream never worked more than temporarily for me any patch I treated would pop right back up. Also, Mom was warned against putting cortisone cream near her eyes because it thins your slin. My go-to treatment would probably not be good for you either. I use a clay mask and leave it on for a while after it dries. That doesn’t sound like a good idea to be doing near your eyes either. Back in the days when news feeds hadn’t been taken over by algorithms, I read Reuters health news everyday. One article said that the Europeans used B-12 cream for eczema. I couldn’t find it, and never had a bad enough outbreak to search for it. I still want to know how well it works ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/4 "2022-09-04T21:06:46Z")
Oh yeah! I had it, really bad, wanted to tear them off bad. Some things would work for a bit. FML ointment, cold milk compress, washing with baby shampoo and using baby oil, original chapstick, and Vaseline to moisturize. The only thing that has absolutely worked is dupixent. It is a wonder drug. I haven’t had a breakout anywhere since I started it about 3 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/5 "2022-09-04T21:41:25Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Also, Mom was warned against putting cortisone cream near her eyes because it thins your slin. Easy to remember since it rhymes. 🙃 My sister was given a compress that she heats in the microwave and puts on her eyes for 10 minutes or so. Supposed to stimulate oils in the skin in her eyelids. I’m not sure what her exact diagnosis was or if it was just “You’re getting old. It sucks.” ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/6 "2022-09-04T22:06:23Z")
Oy, that was supposed to be skin. Don’t know what a slin is, but I’m guessing it should be plump ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/7 "2022-09-05T07:41:24Z")
And did it work? I have a cooling eye mask I keep in the freezer and put on when it’s driving me crazy. Gives me temporary relief but that’s it, and not very practical if I don’t have time to lie down and close my eyes for 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/8 "2022-09-05T14:45:27Z")
I’ll ask her. But hers is hot, not cold. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/9 "2022-09-05T15:27:12Z")
I had hellish sore eyelids through most of my thirties; in my case, it seemed to clear up when I stopped smoking (started vaping…). But my mum is seemingly afflicted despite not smoking for thirty years. The other week she recommended some cream she’d got from her doctor, and gave me a sample tube: ‘Toleriane Dermallergo Yeux’, manufactured by La Roche-Posay. Works for her. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/10 "2022-09-05T15:30:02Z")
That sounds like a Bruder mask – either commercial or a DIY version: > **[Bruder Moist Heat Eye Compress - Bruder Healthcare Company](https://bruder.com/eye-care/dry-eye/bruder-mask/)** > > Our patented Moist Heat Eye Compress opens oil glands & allows natural oils to flow back into the eye relieving discomfort from aging, contact lenses & more. And they tend to be prescribed for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: > **[What Is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction?](https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/meibomian-gland-dysfunction)** > > One of the leading causes of dry eyes is trouble with the tiny oil glands in your eyelids. Learn more about this condition and what you can do for it. Also – as a practical matter – it’s good to get confirmation whether you’re dealing with eczema, rosacea, or blepharitis (to name just a couple): > **[Blepharitis | National Eye Institute](https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/blepharitis)** > > Blepharitis is a common condition that causes inflammation of the eyelids. Read about its causes, symptoms, and treatment and other conditions that can occur because of it. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/11 "2022-09-05T16:05:38Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > Toleriane Dermallergo Yeux I’m a sucker for a new cream recommendation - the majority don’t work or make things worse but I keep the faith that something will work so I’ll give this a go, thank you ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/12 "2022-09-05T16:25:33Z")
If there’s any part of my skin that’s uncovered and exposed to air. Eczema has has happened. I’ve had it since infancy. One of my earliest memories are my Mommy putting stinky cream on my face. Nothing really helps. For myself I’ve found any cream with lanolin makes me itch. I should of known I’m allergic to wool. Go figure! My humble recommendation is ‘Bio-oil’ and Allegra every day. Bio oil is expensive but it last a long time. A drop on each eye lid and rub it around and try to leave the eye alone as much as you can. YMMV good luck ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/13 "2022-09-05T16:52:13Z")
Thanks for this! My sister can never remember specifics. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/14 "2022-09-07T12:50:47Z")
Well, it arrived today and I’ve had it on for about an hour. No stinging or watery eyes as a result so far, which I take as a huge leap forward compared to most creams, particularly as my eyes felt particularly sore this morning. Crossing all I have. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/15 "2022-09-07T12:52:45Z")
Thank you, I’ll keep this in mind if the above recommendation doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/16 "2022-09-07T22:30:12Z")
If you haven’t talked to a doctor about it, please do. There are so many products and environmental factors that a person can be allergic to that it’s best to start with a dermatologist. I do recommend LaRoche Posay as a great, affordable, place to start. CereVe and Aveeno are good brands too. I had severe eczema throughout puberty. Now, it’s psoriasis and rosacea that are my nightmares. A good dermatologist is very helpful. Though corticosteroids help me a great deal, the effect wears off over long-term use. Doctors have changed recommendations to use for two weeks on and then go two weeks without on a cycle. This has worked well to control and even clean up patches of bad skin. But now, fall’s here and dry winter is on the horizon. The fun never stops, she said sarcastically. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/17 "2022-09-08T06:47:59Z")
Thanks Carnut, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next week. I’m tentatively starting to use LaRoche, it’s only day 2 and I probably expect too much but I’m very alive to every twinge and itch when I put it on. I didn’t get on with CereVe, and have defaulted to Aveeno for years, which I find doesn’t aggravate, but doesn’t cure either! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/18 "2022-09-08T22:17:31Z")
Agreed on Aveeno, but it’s the most affordable of the three I listed and I know from experience that “not aggravating” is a win of sorts. Best of luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2022, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/19 "2022-09-09T00:45:45Z")
Have you had the shingles vaccine? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809/20 "2022-09-12T23:24:20Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > My sister was given a compress that she heats in the microwave and puts on her eyes for 10 minutes or so. Supposed to stimulate oils in the skin in her eyelids. Very rarely, I’ve had a little spot of what might be eczema near the corner of one eye. Luckily it has always resolved without treatment. The hot mask for the eyes sounds like what my husband was told to do - for something called [meibomian gland dysfunction](https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/meibomian-gland-dysfunction). There are glands in the edges of the eyelids that secrete an oily substance. My husband kept waking up feeling like he had a corneal abrasion. He finally got to see an eye doctor within an hour or two of this happening, and that’s when he was diagnosed. The heat supposedly helps soften the secretions and unplug the glands. I don’t think it would do anything for eczema. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelid-eczema-anyone-else/970809.md?page=2)