My Eyelid Is Itchy and Flaky - Is This Blepharitis?

Posted By Jane (Doro, Va) on 01/04/2018

I've been thinking that I have blepharitis because my eyelid is so itchy and flaky. But now I'm not so sure. I don't have gritty feeling eyes, the eyes are not sensitive to light, I don't have crustiness at the eyelashes. My entire eyelid is flaky and itchy. When I wash it with baby shampoo or borax water, I gently buff off the scaliness, pat dry and put on castor oil. During the day at work, when the itch returns, I put on lotrimin (athletes foot cream). This started the day I had my eyes dilated--right away they itched and got very red. Could this be something else? I've got a dr appt in 2 weeks and will ask him, but this has gone on for months (8) and improves for a short time and then gets bad again. If I leave it alone, the scales/flakes get really thick and itch and I have to do something.
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Replied by Carole (Marysville, Michigan) on 04/12/2018

Jane, I had the same problem...itchy flaky eyelids. At first I thought I used too harsh of cleanser or cream. I finally went to my eye doctor and he said it was blepharitis and he told me to wash eye area with baby shampoo. Long story, short story, I started to have itchy eyebrows and losing a decent amount of hair when I shampooed and in my brush. Once again, I thought maybe it was because I was using a cheap shampoo. I started doing some reserch on my own and although I had never heard of it, I had the symptoms of Demodex mites. I decided to go to a skin doctor because besides my itch flaky eyelids and my hair loss, I started to feel as if I was being biten on my arm and legs. I was told that humans don't get Demodex; it's something dogs get. I went home with no answers and kept on researching. I won't go on and on, but feel free to contact me and I can give you more information. If you chose not to, at the least look up Demodex mites. The itchy eyelids was the beginning of a hell for me until I finally got it under control.
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Replied by Carole (Marysville, Michigan) on 04/12/2018

JANE,

The best advice I can give you is to search this site and others for Demodex Mites. There is alot of information and advice. A few things that helped me was mixing coconut oil with a few drops of tea tree oil...use on clean face and body ( don't put around eye area; it will burn like the devil. I also took FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth ( do research about this too). Hopefully you have or get this under control before it progresses to what I had.

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