A rash on one or both eyelids is usually a sign of dermatitis.
Most eyelid rashes are easy to treat.
However, a rash can become an ongoing problem if its because of allergies.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Also, eyelid rashes may signal a serious underlying health condition needing prompt medical attention.
Even so, there are characteristics common to all of these skin conditions.
Irritants and allergens include many possible chemicals and environmental substances and activities.
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.
In severe cases, the affected area may be extremely red and swollen.
Atopic Dermatitis
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.
The intensely itchy, inflammatory rash often occurs in people with asthma and hay fever.
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.
What is eyelid eczema?
Eczema is a catch-all term for a group of inflammatory skin conditions.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
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.
Seborrheic dermatitis is thought to be brought on by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
The trigger is an inflammatory reaction to excessMalasseziayeast, which thrives near oil glands.
This organism normally lives on the skins surface but when it overgrows, a fungal infection develops.
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.
The rash due to seborrheic dermatitis is different from contact and atopic dermatitis.
You’ll develop:
Blepharitis
Blepharitisrefers to inflamed eyelids.
This condition has three causes.You may have an overgrowth of bacteria on your eyelids, leading to dandruff-like flakes.
You could have an overgrowth of tiny mites (Demodex) living in the eyelash follicle.
Or, you might have clogged oil glands caused bymeibomian gland dysfunction.
This condition makes your eyelids red, swollen, irritated, and itchy.
Blepharitis can also affect your eyes and vision, causing itching, watering, and sensitivity to light.
Cellulitis
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.
Other symptoms include difficulty moving the eye, blurry or double vision, or a bulging eye.
The infection may cause a fever and fatigue.
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.
Apatch testcan help determine if your symptoms are sparked by an allergen.
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.
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.
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.
For example:
Summary
Eyelid rashes are most often triggered by irritant or allergic dermatitis.
Treatments may include home remedies, topical ointments, and short-term corticosteroids.
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