What Is Psoriasis on Eyelids and How to Treat It?

Imagine you have a major event tomorrow: a presentation, your best friend’s wedding, or a party where you want to slay. You are very excited and think you should use your homemade aloe vera mask at night to get that extra glow going for you in the morning.

You look in the mirror and… yikes!

Your eyelids have a weird rash on them that looks like dry, cracked skin as if you haven’t moisturized them in ages!

Now, you can either go into panic mode and have a full meltdown right there and then in front of your mirror.

OR you can run a quick Google search and come across this article that can tell you what exactly this rash on your eyelids is and how you can treat it at home or whether you should pay a visit to a doctor or not.

So, let’s get started!

What is Psoriasis on Eyelids?

That rash on your eyelids is called psoriasis, which is an autoimmune disease.

What is an autoimmune disease?

It is a disease where your immune system goes into a self-destructive mode and thinks attacking itself would be a great idea.

If you have ever known someone who has had a kidney transplant, you would know that in order to prevent the person’s immune system from attacking the kidney, the patient is given tons of immunosuppressants to avoid the immune system going haywire on the transplanted organ.

But that is normal.

What isn’t normal is your immune system attacking your normal cells out of the blue.

Usually, such a condition occurs due to various reasons:

• Vitamin D deficiency
• Chemical exposure
• Too much exposure to clean surroundings
• Smoking
• Genetics
• Gut bacteria

When this happens, your body produces a lot of skin cells that eventually form patches on your skin, such as plaques. And that’s what you call psoriasis.

Although psoriasis on eyelids is a known condition, only 10% of people globally have reported suffering from it.

This makes it rare.

Normally, people experience psoriasis symptoms on their knees, scalp, elbows, and lower back. In conclusion, psoriasis occurs mostly near certain joints.

Psoriasis on Eyelids Causes

There’s little information about what causes psoriasis on your body, let alone psoriasis on eyelids.

However, because it’s an autoimmune disease, one can find out its cause by observing a couple of things:

• Your immune system
• Genetics

If you have an immune system disorder while noticing symptoms of psoriasis on your eyelids, you should know what to fix first.

It’s probably your body attacking itself as a means of defense resulting in eyelid psoriasis.

Secondly, if psoriasis runs in your family, it is very likely that it has passed on in your genes too.

But there’s no need to worry.

There are tons of treatment options that you can take to help you get rid of this disease. We’ll discuss them in a bit.

What Can Trigger Psoriasis on Eyelids?

While your immune system and genes are the major culprits of triggering psoriasis on your eyelids, some environmental triggers can also cause symptoms to appear.

These are:

• Stress
• Sunburn
• Allergies
• Obesity
• Illness, such as throat Infections or HIV
• Medications, such as lithium or beta-blockers
• Skin injuries, such as bug bites or other wounds
• Changes in the weather, such as deceased humidity or exposure to less light

Scales will start to form around the eyes that might start to itch and feel red and swollen. However, psoriasis on eyelids can look different on different skin tones.

How Does Eyelid Psoriasis Look Like?

Psoriasis on eyelids can look like thick scales that can be itchy and painful. Their color can vary for different skin tones.

• For fair skin tones: psoriasis is pink or red.
• For medium skin tones: psoriasis is silvery-white or salmon-pink
• For dark skin tones: psoriasis is gray or violet.

What Are The Symptoms of Eyelid Psoriasis?

Symptoms of psoriasis around eyelids are the same as symptoms of psoriasis on other parts of your body. But eyelid psoriasis is more uncomfortable and harder to endure because of its sensitive location.

If you think you have psoriasis, here are a list of symptoms that can confirm your doubts:

• Swollen eyes
• Irritation
• Dry, cracked skin
• Bleeding
• Inflammation
• Red plaques around the eyes
• Trouble opening or closing your eyelids
• Dry eyes
• Itchy eyes
• Pain when moving your eyelids
• Skin discoloration
• Scales or crusting on your eyelashes
• Eyelashes rubbing on your eyes
• Eyelids turning up or down

A warning: If you keep rubbing your itchy eyes, you can permanently impair your vision, or other complications might arise. Try to keep rubbing to a minimum and use moisturizing creams instead to get rid of itchiness.

When to Get a Diagnosis?

Many people choose to treat their symptoms at home if they are bearable. However, you should definitely see a doctor if you find:

• New, uncommon psoriasis symptoms on your eyelids
• That your medication isn’t working
• That your medication is worsening psoriasis around your eyelids

A doctor will come up with a treatment plan after assessing why your symptoms haven’t been improving. The treatment options will vary depending on your medical history, the type of psoriasis you have, and how severe your symptoms are.

How Does Your Doctor Diagnose Eyelid Psoriasis?

To confirm whether you really have eyelid psoriasis, your doctor will conduct a physical exam.

Usually, an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) or a dermatologist (skin specialist) conducts the physical examination.

During this exam, your doctor will observe your symptoms and recommend tests that can confirm whether you have eyelid psoriasis. In many cases, it is a skin biopsy in which the doctor removes a sample of skin tissue from your eyelids and examines it under a microscope.

This will confirm whether you have eyelid psoriasis or some other disease, such as eczema.

What Treatment Options Are Available?

There are multiple options to consider when it comes to treating psoriasis on your eyelids. Initially, your doctor might give you topical steroids and some over-the-counter medicine to control your symptoms faster.

In the long run, they can guide you on taking care of your diet and lifestyle and use home remedies to get rid of psoriasis altogether.

Here are a few treatment methods your doctor can prescribe for you:

• Over-the-counter topicals: these can soothe your itchy skin and get rid of the plaques. Some examples of topicals include coal tar, shampoos, salicylic acid, lotions, bath solutions, jojoba, and aloe vera.
• Topical steroids: these help slow down rapid skin cell production and reduce inflammation. Examples are retinoids, calcineurin inhibitors, and corticosteroids.
• Non-steroid topicals: these are best for controlling the plaques. Examples include vitamins A, anthralin, and synthetic vitamin D3.
• Oral medicine: such as apremilast (Otezla) or secukinumab (Cosentyx) to heal any lesions around your eyelids.
• Home remedies: such as bandaging your eyelids using a wet cloth to soothe the itching.

Now let’s look at some of these treatments in detail.

Topical Treatment

Your doctor can prescribe over-the-counter topicals or topical steroids, such as ointments that contain corticosteroids.

Steroids are a common form of treatment for every type of psoriasis because of their anti-inflammatory properties. Your doctor can also prescribe specially formulated topical steroids to apply around your eyes.

Some common topical treatments that can be recommended include:

• Pimecrolimus (such as Elidel cream)
• Tacrolimus (like Protopic ointment)

However, using these creams too much can cause severe damage to your eyes and can result in cataracts or glaucoma. It is best to try to apply these creams under the supervision of your doctor or only a specific amount as prescribed for a specific time.

Systemic Treatment

If topical treatment didn’t work for you or you weren’t able to tolerate it, your doctor can start systemic treatment.

In this, you take prescription drugs orally to treat your eyelid psoriasis. Some examples of systemic treatment include:

• Methotrexate
• Oral retinoids
• Cyclosporine

But the downside is: these drugs can have serious side effects. This is also the reason why your doctor will only prescribe them for a short period to control your severe psoriasis symptoms after which they’ll switch you to another form of treatment.

Some of the side effects you can experience if you continue to stay on systemic medication include:

• High blood pressure
• Headache
• High cholesterol
• Decreased kidney function
• Excessive hair growth
• Nausea
• Skin sensitivity
• Mouth sores
• Fatigue

Biologic Treatment

What is a biologic treatment, you ask? It is a new form of medication produced from living cells that target specific aspects of your immune system. Some common forms of biologics are:

• Vaccines
• Gene therapies
• Cell therapies
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Therapeutic proteins

Biologic treatment is best for people suffering from:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

The only way to administer biologic medication is via injection or infusion.

Home Remedies

We have saved the best for the last! Home remedies are best to keep eyelid psoriasis at bay and aid in the long-term treatment plan.

Many people who are suffering from mild psoriasis on eyelids tend to treat it at home.

Some of the most common home remedies you can try are:

• Using only cold water to wash your face or body
• Avoiding hot water so your body won’t dry out further
• Meditation to relieve stress
• Acupuncture to reduce inflammation and swelling
• Using moisturizers daily to prevent your skin from drying out
• Using coal tar or hydrocortisone to reduce itchiness, skin flakes, and swelling

First, wash your face with soap or cleanser made especially for sensitive skin. Only use cold water to wash it off!

Next, apply a heavy cream or moisturizer all around your eyes. You can use the medicated creams prescribed to you by the doctor but don’t overdo them!

If your eyelids feel sore or swollen, take a warm compress and place it on your eyes for relief. And I repeat, don’t rub your eye!

Skincare Routine For Psoriasis on Eyelids

So what if your psoriasis is genetic? There are tons of ways you can manage it at home! And what’s better than following a skincare routine that can relieve your symptoms and save you the trouble of paying regular visits to your doc?

Let’s get right into it!

Start with a pH-Balanced Cleanser

We all know how satisfying it feels to wash your face with a cleanser that leaves it squeaky clean! But most of such cleansers have drying alcohols and high levels of active ingredients that strip your face of its natural oils!

This can turn your face into a nightmare and can trigger psoriasis all over your face if not only your eyelids!

Dump the over-active cleansers and invest in pH-balanced, moisturizing ones instead.

Opt for cleansers that contain natural ingredients like oat milk, argon oil, and marula oil, instead of a lot of chemicals. For example, salicylic acid is good for the skin but too much of it can dry it out and trigger psoriasis.

Use Retinol for Irritation

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and is part of a group of drugs called retinoids. You have probably heard a lot about retinol as an anti-aging product in ads.

The skincare products that contain retinol are milder in comparison to retinoids that your dermatologist prescribes, such as tretinoin. A common one is tazarotene, however, you can find gentler retinol serums to keep psoriasis symptoms at bay in the long run.

Retinol is great for fighting acne as well as getting rid of irritation due to psoriasis on eyelids.

Use BHA and Niacinamide Moderately

It’s natural to use BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) in your skincare routine if you struggle with acne and oily skin. However, too many actives can disrupt your skin’s natural barrier and trigger eyelid psoriasis!

To prevent this, go for skincare products that have a small amount of BHA or natural BHA, such as willow bark extract. This will gently exfoliate your skin while also keeping your skin free from acne.

On the other hand, niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for soothing irritation around the eyes and getting rid of plaque.

Mineral Sunscreen

One of the things that can trigger psoriasis on eyelids is exposure to direct sunlight which can cause sunburn. So, while soaking up some vitamin D is great, try to use sunscreen so you don’t get a damaged skin barrier.

How to Take Care of Your Diet to Prevent Eyelid Psoriasis?

You are what you eat. If you think you’ll take your medication and heal your psoriasis once and for all, you’re wrong.

This disease doesn’t have a known cause, which means you can trigger it with your bad lifestyle choices and unhealthy eating habits.

As psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, a healthy immune system equals less chance of having to deal with psoriasis on eyelids or anywhere in general.

Here’s how to bring your diet back on track:

Cut down on alcohol

Consuming a lot of alcohol can trigger psoriasis in many people. If you have to, try to limit it to one glass per day and no more than that.

According to studies, people who drink a lot of alcohol usually don’t respond well to psoriasis treatments either.

For example, doctors recommend completely staying away from alcohol if you’re taking medications like acitretin and methotrexate.

If you were meaning to quit alcohol but couldn’t, here’s another reason to do so!

Consume Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Medication won’t work if you don’t couple it with healthy eating habits. Anti-inflammatory foods in the diet are must-haves for people suffering from psoriasis on eyelids or anywhere on the body!

Here are some foods you can add into your diet:

• Leafy-green vegetables
• Fruits like cherries and berries
• Herbs rich in antioxidants, such as sage, ginger, thyme, and cumin
• Fish, such as salmon and sardines because they’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• Healthy fats, such as seeds, olive oil, and nuts

Try to avoid inflammatory foods, such as:

• Dairy
• Red meat
• Processed foods
• Refines sugars

Lose Weight

You may be wondering how losing weight can reduce your chances of triggering psoriasis around eyelids.

But obesity and psoriasis are more related than you think!

Your cells produce cytokines to communicate with your tissues. These are small molecules that are like hormones and travel into your bloodstream to get to all parts of your body.

Now here’s the catch.

If you’re struggling with obesity, your fat cells produce adipokines instead of cytokines. These aren’t normal and can trigger inflammation which is a prerequisite to eyelid psoriasis.

Now that you know how being fat can lead to a ton of issues that can make your life miserable, jump on that treadmill that has gathered dust sitting in the corner of your room and run for at least 30 minutes every day.

Cut down fat, limit carbs, and eat healthy food instead of junk or fast food.

Your gut flora defines whether you’ll face a plethora of issues in your life or have a long, healthy life instead.

Take care of it!

Come up with a proper diet plan or talk to your dietitian or nutritionist to make you one.

A healthy diet can bring a positive impact on every aspect of your life. It lowers the risk of psoriasis, diabetes, and heart disease and gives you the time you need to focus on your goals!

Conclusion

If you’ve got psoriasis on eyelids, you don’t have to worry! With regular treatment, while also taking care of your diet, it will go away fast, and your lifestyle choices will decide whether it will come back or not.

Eating healthy, exercising regularly to lose weight, and consistently following a skincare routine will go a long way in keeping eyelid psoriasis at bay!