Eyelid eczema-help please!

[SameToo]

I have had what the dr diagnosed as eczema on my eyelid since Xmas. It is red and itchy and has made my eyelid swell 😭 I’ve used the steroid cream prescribed for the 10 days allowed and it’s done nothing!

Has anyone successfully gotten rid of this and how? Or is it here forever!!

Avoid make up while you have the flair, find a moisturiser that you skin tolerates, your GP can help with this (Dermol is good). Be very careful when washing your hair, shampoo and conditioner can aggravate the condition. Steroid creams thin the skin, ask your GP about Protopic which has revolutionised my facial eczema. Try to resist the temptation to rub or scratch, keep some medical moisturiser with you and dab that on instead. Good luck!
There are online forums to discuss eczema you might find helpful.

You don’t happen to wear contact lenses do you? My dh had that problem for months and after several GP/dermatologist appointments and steroid creams nothing helped. His optician told him to use disposable lenses and that sorted it. Appeared to have become allergic to the lens cleaner.

I had to avoid hair washing while trying to get rid of it as well as the shampoo along with cold weather was making it worse.

Now when I get it I use Vaseline which seems to settle it although I’m years down the line and catch it as soon as it starts. If it gets really bad I have to get steroid cream but I’ll look into what @Lentil63 has recommended.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich. Worked for me when nothing else did (including steroids).

Use it as often as you can to clear it up then use every day twice a day so your eyelid is permanently moisturised. I only need it once a day now but I've not had eczema there in over 12 months.

I have a similar thing but not sure if it's eczema or a make up allergy. Have tried loads of hypoallergenic make up in the past but I still get itchy eyes. Have always used hydrocortisone cream but I know it's not good to use long term. Have also read about Bletheritis (I think I spelt that right!) So am very confused. Keep us posted if you find something that works as I hate not being able to wear eye makeup

I've had it since I was 7 and now I'm 37. I use emollient cream twice a day every day. Funnily enough as I was diagnosed young, I've not been back to the GP to ask for steroid cream. I was told back then I could not have any on the eyelids.

May look at the protopic that someone has mentioned above. Sadly for me, it has proven to be a lifetime thing.

Go back and ask for stronger steroid cream.

I used to get terrible eye area eczema. I eventually was lucky to see a locum who said they now prefer to go in hard and fast with a strong steroid to use to zap it in a couple of days, rather than a weak one for weeks.

I can't remember what steroid cream she prescribed but it does see it off in less than 3 days.

Eye eczema has led to the premature ageing of the skin around my eyes. But mainly, when it flares up, it's so very uncomfortable. Go back to the doctor, see a different one if you can.

It's been about 3 years since mine last flared up. I hope it passes for you too.

Thank you all. I haven’t worn any make up since it started. I am definitely guilty of scratching it. I will try not to. I don’t wear contacts or really use much facial stuff. I will have to try not washing my hair. I usually dye my eyelashes. Once it’s calmed down for a few months will I be able to do that again?

I have this. Use Vaseline.

Really think you should go back to the Dr, there are stronger steroids or protopic (immunosuppressant) if the one you have hasn't helped - if you're scratching it it could get infected and it's not somewhere you want an infection. Once it's calmed down then a really basic moisturiser would hopefully help keep it at bay.

Could it be the cream itself?

When I get an eczema flare I find that any of the therapeutic cream formulations actually make it worse. I always ask for my medications to be prescribed in ointment form, rather than cream. The greasy ointments soothe my skin, and they do not cause any problems.

When my skin is not irritated creams are generally fine, as long as they do not contain any of the substances I am allergic to.

If I catch a reaction early enough, before it has become a proper flare-up, and also after a flare has calmed down, my skin remains dry and tender for a while. During this phase I do not use any manufactured moisturisers as they just irritate my skin more. Instead, I use cold-pressed organic coconut fat. Just the tiniest scraping covers my whole face, so for eyelids I would just rub my finger-tip on the solidified fat. The coconut fat is very soothing and does not cause any blocked pores, spots or shininess. If it does make my face shiny, then I've put too much on and I rub it off with my forearms.

You can also use coconut fat or a great ointment as a barrier to protect your eyelids from the shampoo/conditioner when washing your hair.

I get eyelid eczema and I also was given steroid cream by the doctors that didn't work for me. I used Aveeno initially which worked for several years but now doesn't seem to cut it. I happened upon this in Sainsburys www.boots.com/health-pharmacy/medicines-treatments/skin-problems/eczema-treatment/epaderm-cream-50g-10179939. It's cheap and comes in a smaller bottle so great if you just need a bit. Works great for me.

I had really bad eyelid eczema and I was given every cream/had allergy testing/tried loads of creams and emollients and it turned out to be stress related. I found yoga twice a week helped a little, but moving job got rid of it entirely and I've never seen it again!

Watch your not allergic to ppd (hair dye) if your dying your eyelashes!! My eyes were terrible due to hair dye/toner etc

I use vaseline. I moisturise thoroughly before a shower, the aim being to prevent the drying effect of the water, but maybe it also protects from the shampoo. At the end of the shower I wash my eyelids with baby shampoo. A pharmacist told me that eyelid hygiene is really important with eczema. I also wash with baby shampoo if I exercise or get at all sweaty for any reason. I found that doing this consistently has really made a difference.
I think some foods make my eczema worse, including tomatoes and spicy foods.

Plastic surgeon I worked with years ago, said vaseline. I also use blephasol.

Blephasol works well. I’m currently having good results with Cerave eye cream. I find that something works for a while on it then it breaks through again. It’s worse in winter and if I’m run down. If I catch it just as it’s starting to flare up then washing twice a day with soap and water can keep it at bay, bizarrely. It’s worth a trip to the doctor because I’ve also had an infection on my eyelids which cleared up very quickly with fucidin (although I think that infection is what kicked off the eczema in the first place).

Are you sure its not demodex mites, blepharitis? Steroid cream will make that worse.

@SameToo

Thank you all. I haven’t worn any make up since it started. I am definitely guilty of scratching it. I will try not to. I don’t wear contacts or really use much facial stuff. I will have to try not washing my hair. I usually dye my eyelashes. Once it’s calmed down for a few months will I be able to do that again?

You may be able to dye your lashes again but watch to see if it flares again when you do. One thing I forgot to mention which eventually really helped was a referral to a dermatologist and patch testing. The results showed I was severely allergic to Hydrocortisone which I’d been slapping on my face for years to try and calm the eczema! The Dr also prescribed a very high dose antihistamine which has helped. You have to be really persistent and push for a dermatologist referral.

How difficult was it to get a referral to a dermatologist?

Thank you all. I’m really hoping it goes away. I’ve had a lot of allergies flair up since lockdown like gluten, dairy and spicy foods so it may well be tied to that. I’m very fed up.

@Photosymphysis

Go back and ask for stronger steroid cream.

I used to get terrible eye area eczema. I eventually was lucky to see a locum who said they now prefer to go in hard and fast with a strong steroid to use to zap it in a couple of days, rather than a weak one for weeks.

I can't remember what steroid cream she prescribed but it does see it off in less than 3 days.

Eye eczema has led to the premature ageing of the skin around my eyes. But mainly, when it flares up, it's so very uncomfortable. Go back to the doctor, see a different one if you can.

It's been about 3 years since mine last flared up. I hope it passes for you too.

Yes this, but you might need to see a derm rather than a GP to get it. You could consider paying privately.

A stronger steroid will take it down. Then moisturise the living daylights out of it. Bobbi Brown xtra eye cream is the bomb for me - much more moisturising than any alternative - but join eczema boards and look on MN for other suggestions.

If you have a dry house with central heating also consider a humidifyer.

A PP recently mentioned their GP told them to put on vaseline as a barrier cream to protect eyelids in the shower, which is worth trying, but vaseline is not good enough as a moisturiser.

You need to get it down and then give it lots of time to settle before you (gingerly) go back to make-up - when you do pick safe brands like clinique and go very easy.

Dying your lashes - give it a good year to go down before you try that again. It might well have been the trigger.

I occasionally still have eye eczema flare ups, and have sometimes had to use strong steroids, but I don't have premature ageing around my eyes - and am now well into middle age. The chances are you'll get it under control.

Thank you @Luredbyapomegranate it keeps flaring up and really hurts. Plus my eyelid is swollen so looks awful too. What moisturiser would you recommend? I’ve been using Vaseline on it so maybe need to switch.

I got eczema when I was going through bullying at work, even though it’s been almost 3 years since I left (tribunal settled just before Christmas) I battled this bloody eczema!

I used the otc steroid when it flares up, but actually if I don’t wear the tinted moisturiser I wear as makeup (Nivea day moisturiser) it gets worse.

Go back to doc, but make sure your moisturising and protecting it.

I’m a swimmer too so it is a it of a battle.

With all the above from others trial what works for you and see if you can get a referral

My eyelid is now almost back to normal, just gets a bit dry so I tend to put my day cream/makeup most days bizarrely

When I've had this, the only thing that clears it is using olive oil as a moisturizer- it soothes and clears the redness and crusty/flakiness