Bastarding dry sore skin on eyelids - how to sooth and calm?

[tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]

Bastarding dry sore skin on eyelids - how to sooth and calm?

So for about 12 months now, having never had sensitive skin, my eyelids are taking it in turns to suddenly go a tiny bit dry then BAM overnight really puffed, sore and even drier. Occasionally it happens under my eye but I think certainly since November I’ve had sore eyes more often than not.

No allergies apart from hay fever which I’ve managed all my life.

In the early days I found after a few days they would settle then for a few days after a tiny bit of Skin Food helped them heal and moustused very gently.

Now anything I put on my eye lid sends it mad. I barely wear any make up and only occasionally a Decleor eye cream under eyes which touch wood that seems ok.

A few weeks ago after yet another flare up on my right eyeI saw a gp who diagnosed blephatitis and antibiotic cream shifted it.

I’ve since binned all eye makeup up just in case snd was happily wearing just mascara for work last week no problems and removing it/cleaning my eyes with Blephasol which certainly on one eye seems to have cleared it.

Yesterday this was my left eye (right on pic) I accidentally dabbed a tiny bit of eye cream on it Saturday night, idiot I am,

I don’t think it’s blephatitis again as it’s not originating from the lash line.

As I say I barely use any products now so can’t pinpoint any irritant there.

No skin irritation anywhere else even on my face.

Beautician hasn’t changed wax or brow tint either.

Any suggestions of how to calm and gently moisturise it without sending it to Defcon 1 every time?!

I know it’s vain but it’s really getting me down and my eyes have aged horribly. I started thyroxine and HRT shortly before symptoms started so wonder whether there’s a connection there.

Checking in to note the replies, I have this too, it's super annoying!

I would be wary of applying steroids on the lids without a proper diagnosis. My GP misdiagnosed perioral dermatitis - which looked like your irritation except around the mouth and chin - for eczema and prescribed steroids which helped while I was using them and led to ever worsening flare ups the moment I stopped. Only seeing a dermatologist privately helped get the right treatment. This might be a similar condition, periocular dermatitis - or might be something entirely different of course.

After futile attempts to get a proper diagnosis or a referral to a specialist from the NHS on several different occasions I just bite the bullet and pay to see a specialist privately. In the instance with perioral dermatitis the fee for a derm consultation could have more than recouped the money I ended up wasting on creams and treatments and would have saved me months of distress and low self-esteem caused by the condition if I had seen them earlier.

I also had this. And then it spread. So within six months my whole face was swollen and itchy. It was awful, I was so down by the end of it. I feel your frustration. It really becomes so preoccupying and I felt utterly minging.

I went to a private dermatologist who diagnosed two different types of eczema. It was £140 for a half hour consultation. She prescribed me protopic steroid cream for my face and eyes which I used daily for 5 weeks and now only once a week for maintenance. If it flares up I use more frequently. She also prescribed Dermacool 5% moisturiser which is menthol. It's horrific when it goes on, so minty and cold but it's got natural anti itch properties that are amazing. Made my eyes stream, but got easier with use. I've now bought 2% version from Amazon which is way less minty so much easier to use, & works really well if I use it 2-3 x a day. Takes the itch out. Dr said moisturising preventatively was crucial.

I've used steroid cream since childhood around my lips and have no ill effects re skin thinning. No longer need it. But I think more modern steroid like protopic are safer re skin thinning.

She also gave me three different antihistamines to take, including a sedating one for night to stop me clawing my eyes and face in my sleep. I was on 5 a day for 5 weeks, now I take 2 a day and ramp it up if it flares.

It was miraculous for me, I could see and feel a difference within 24 hours. Made me cry with relief. It was worth every penny. She said, it's in your blood, it's your immune system, take the drugs 😆 She was right.

6 months later, and I've still not had my initial NHS dermatology appointment.

Your post is so similar to what I could have written myself. Problems since November, blepharitis diagnosed back then etc. Bathing my eyes with a hot flannel for 10 mins a few times a day helped and Vaseline for the dryness. Finally after over 2 months it’s better. I frequently looked like I had been in a fight. The doctor originally tried to just say blepharitis still but when I sent her the photos she realised it was different and suggested it looked like an allergy. That’s when I started to realise I may be using something to trigger it. I had tried all sorts to moisturise it but all products I was used to. I stopped and only used Vaseline. I noticed it improve on the weekend. When the doctor suggested an allergy I worked out that it seems it was a cleaning spray at work that was triggering it, despite me normally being absolutely fine with bleach products. I hope you get to the bottom of it as it’s horrible to suffer with and it really affected my self esteem, at work especially

Ah thank you Hollie, I did try sudocreme, it didn't help me. It actually felt like it was burning as the skin is so sore x

OH MY GOODNESS! I've been suffering the same thing!! And I've realised what it is... (for me)...

The house is too dry with heating etc etc, basically air conditioning of any sort, in cars, in shops etc etc.

I have been using a cream called Xailin... lots on before bed and touch ups during the day and my eyes are much better now!
No makeup for a little while...

But almost good as new🥰

P.s this pic is of a flare up, happened every morning I woke up.

Yeah it's bloody awful, mine then goes all scaly and starts flaking. That looks terrible and I'm embarrassed to go out. Then the soreness starts all over again with the redness.
I might actually get a bit of money out by and get a private consultation. It's driving me mad that all of a sudden I look 10 years older and my inner lizard is daring to come through.
Will keep an eye on this post to see if we find anything that works.
I'm off to put the vaseline on now 🤣

Thanks ab, I've not ruled out seeing a private derm. Know what you mean about the cost ...

Gosh mama yours sounds really awful. I'm glad it's starting to get better

Interesting she said it was an immune system thing too.

Gaaaaa. I need to do some work. This horrible think is really preoccupying me

Crikey, yes just like mine after a bad flare up.
So glad it's on the mend.
PS your skin otherwise btw looks great

Solidarity to my greasy/flaky sisters

I have this, I had my thyroid removed due to a suspicious lump/family history 5.5 years ago.
Mine is dry eyes (believe it or not!) caused by menopause.
Solved initially with eyes drops - Hycosan - however on my 2nd optician emergency appointment (I have had periorbital cellulitis so was concerned about that) he said I need Xailin Ointment in the eye overnight and as a consequence of using this, my eyelids are now healed.
I get free prescriptions as all Thyroxine patients do so the Xailin is on prescription.

I’ve had this on and off for years but since Christmas it’s been almost constant.

Used to wear eye makeup daily pre Covid and now I hardly ever do as my eyelids get so sore.

Tried a few things, Aquaphor kept in the fridge helps cool it down but still keeps coming back, seems to be worse first thing in the morning.

Bought the new Kiehls Ultra Intense cream last week and was hoping it would be a miracle worker but been using it 3 days now and still sore and itchy.

Thiink I will add in Antihistamines next.

This is what I used when I had Blepharitis and it hasn't come back since.

Careful with this - the ingredients aren't as strictly monitored as more regulated brands and the last time I bought it, there was a slick of mold on it.

Try putting something okay based on it, I get something like this but above my lip and I use the Ultra Repair Cream by First Aod Beauty, it's very healing and calming

I have dry itchy red eyelids/up towards eyebrows sometimes (although nothing like as sore-looking and inflamed as the photo above) and Aveeno sorted it out. I just use the 'very dry skin' body lotion because that's what I have to hand, but I think any sort of Aveeno is worth a try if you think it might be eczema related (rather than an infection).

I think mine is a combo of menopause and experimenting with eyeshadow (which I never usually wear) from my Christmas advent calendar stash. But I am a bit prone to very dry/itchy skin patches, hence having Aveeno on tap.

I think I'm at the point where I'm paranoid to put anything on them

I'm not convinced it's blephiaritis - although my clear eye remains so since using Blephasol but this could just be due to the formulation generally being kind especially when removing my mascara last week - unsure equally if it's eczema. If I was able to get a gp appointment Sod's law it will have cleared up!

It's started it's dry flaky phase now so fingers crossed I'm a few days away from a clear eye for a short while at least.

I'll try either the Eucerin or Aveeno and have it on hand ready. Then process of elimination and if in a few months it's not sorted im going to look into a dermo appt I think.

Thanks again everyone. I feel better knowing this actually seems quite common x

Adex Gel cleared this straight up for me. It has anti inflammatory in it.

I've had all kinds if issues with my skin over the last few years, really since I hit my mid forties. It started with chellitis, I can no longer wear lipstick at all without a horrible reaction.Irritation and redness around my mouth and then on my eyelids. There's an excellent peridontal dermititis group on Facebook which might help,even if thats not what you have. Whats worked for me is zero therapy, washing my face with just water, ditching exfoliaters, serums etc. I use a basic cerave moisturiser, mineral spf and use a sulphur mask a couple of times a week. I realised the more I moisturised my face the drier it felt! I'm now trying to heal my skin barrier.I would avoid hydrocortisone its a temporary fix that supresses the immune response but doesn't fix the underlying problem.

Had exactly this. Treated it as blepharitis for months, until optician told me it was dry eye due to straining eyes, not blinking enough and basically needing glasses. Had eye drops for a couple of weeks and my first glasses, and have never had it again. See your optician!

I get this as does my 4 year old. We use olive oil to cleanse and diprobase to moisturise when it’s bad. Mine has actually been ok for a couple of years using LRP toleriane cleanser and eye cream but I was trying to use up some other products and within weeks had flared back up again so I’m back to the toleriane.

I'm making a note of everyone's remedies as I have had four bouts in just over a year and saw the eye consultant privately each time who gives me several weeks of antibiotics to take and steroid cream to put over eyelid. I hadn't even thought about the effect on my skin!
I wish I knew what I was allergic to every time. Agree it's very demoralizing, especially as I look awful without eye makeup!