It has been said that eyes are the windows to the soul. They show your emotions and tell a lot about you. Other people look into your eyes to make meaningful connection with you; in fact one study has shown that eye contact can cause complete strangers experience romantic feelings for each other.
Quite obviously, you want to get that part just right, but what if one day you wake up to find dry scaly skin around your eye area? Cracked, irritated, peeling, red, scaly, wrinkled skin as if it were 100 years old? If you aren’t even sure whether it’s just dryness or rash, or maybe even both?
It is one of the most uncomfortable and unattractive things that could happen to your face, but what causes this and how to treat it? Will it heal on its own, should you use some type of home remedy or there is no solution but to call your dermatologist?
Causes of dry skin around eyes and treatment
There are several things that could potentially go wrong and the treatment will depend on the root cause of dry skin. It could be as simple as irritation caused by cheap, low quality makeup or allergic reaction caused by a new product you used and it could be as serious as eczema or number of other annoying skin conditions.
If you are sure that it is only dry skin, i.e. there no rash, scaling or itchiness and there is no similar symptoms on other parts of your face and body, you can use a moisturizer specifically designed for eye area or even simple olive oil. Long term, you need to eliminate habits that got you there in the first place and develop new ones that will help keep things under control:
- becoming picky about your facial cleansers, eye makeup and moisturizing products applied on eye area,
- protecting fragile skin around your eyes from cold winter wind or other drying elements such as air conditioners,
- drinking more water along with consuming more essential fatty acids and choline (here is why),
- adopting a healthier diet.
However if area around your eyes is not just dry but also feels itchy or looks red or scaly, if it’s irritated or you can spot some type of rash or if you noticed your eyelashes falling out we are afraid there is no other solution but to book an appointment with good dermatologist. DO NOT use any home remedies you find on the Internet. While we are fans of home remedies and DIY beauty treatments here, this time we are talking about your eyes. You don’t want your condition to worsen or to get swollen eyelids in addition to unattractive skin.
Your doctor will likely consider following conditions:
- eyelid dermatitis,
- atopic dermatitis,
- eborrheic dermatitis,
- blepharitis,
- psoriasis,
- rosacea,
- eczema.
While you are waiting for your appointment wash your eyes, eyelids and area around eyes with gentle baby shampoo, keep it dry and avoid using any makeup. You can use sunglasses or tinted eyeglasses to feel more confident around others. Once again, no Internet home remedies please.