Red rash around the eyes can be the result of many conditions. You may be ageing and your skin is getting thinner around your eyes.
You may have come into contact with a substance that causes an allergic reaction or irritation. Or you may have a serious condition that should be managed and treated by your doctor.
Sometimes the condition can be treated at home, while other times it requires medical intervention.
In this article, we discuss the causes, symptoms and home remedies to treat this red rash around eyes. Also it prevention and when to see a doctor.
Causes Of Red Rash Around Eyes
Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) – This is one of the most common types of rashes, which results in skin irritation, dryness, peeling, and often bleeding, Eczema is chronic in nature.
Not only does it affect the skin around eyes, but that of hands, scalp, feet and neck too. Though non-contagious, Eczema’s appearance makes it impossible to ignore.
Allergic Reaction – This may be the result of your body’s hypersensitivity to a foreign substance that you might have come in contact with or have consumed orally. An allergic reaction will show up with itchiness, dryness, and inflammations.
Symptoms
There can be a multitude of symptoms for rashes around your eyes.
- Redness around the eyes is one, to begin with.
- Your skin will develop a rash at the corner of your eyes. Most often this will turn itchy.
- You may see the formation of little lumps or swell around the affected idea.
- At times the skin of the affected area turns flaky and starts to peal out.
Rash Around Eyes Home Remedies
In case of rash around eyes, don’t panic. There is enough you can do with things in your kitchen that will alleviate eye rash in almost no time.
Cold Compress
What you need:
- An Ice pack or, few cubes of ice wrapped in a soft cloth.
How to do:
- Place the pack gently on the affected area and dab.
- Continue for 5 to 7 minutes.
How it works: The coldness of ice reduces the inflammation caused by the rash. Redness and swelling are also reduced by cold compression.
How frequent to use: Twice a day till cured.
Saline for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- A tube of saline solution for eyes.
How to do:
- Add a few drops of the solution in your eyes
- Keep them shut for 10 minutes.
How it works: They clean the eyes of any infection or bacteria that might have led to the rash.
How frequent to use: Every morning and evening after washing eyes with cold water.
Cucumber Slices for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- Sliced cucumber
- Clean water
How to do:
- Slice up cucumbers and soak them in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Lie down, close your eyes and place these slices on your eyes.
- Keep them till they feel cool and then switch with a fresh slice.
How it works: Cucumber soothes the inflammation caused by eye rashes. It also hydrates and nourishes the affected skin and speeds up the healing process.
How frequent to use: Twice daily.
Humidifier for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need: A Humidifier of your choice
How to do:
Place it in a position central to your living or bedroom – wherever you spend the most time.
How it works: Eczema, a form of eye rash can be the result of extremely dry weather. The humidifier adds the required moisture in your air so your skin stayed well hydrated.
How frequent to use: Keep it on as long as the eye rash is cured.
Baby Shampoo for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- A bottle of baby shampoo
- Clean soft tissues
- Clean water
How to do:
- Take a dab of shampoo on your fingertips and wet it with water.
- Form some foam and gently in circular motions clean the rash for about 2 minutes and rinse off.
- Dab it dry with soft tissues.
How it works: Baby shampoo wouldn’t make you tear up. So you can clean your rash without irritating it further
How frequent to use: Every morning.
Aloe Vera for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- Half teaspoon of aloe vera pulp
- Coldwater
- Cotton balls
How to do:
- Dilute the aloe vera pulp in water
- Dip the cotton balls in this solution and dab it on the affected area.
- Continue for about 10 times.
How it works: Aloe vera with its astringent properties soothes the inflammation and reduces the rash.
How frequent to use: Once a day.
Potato for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- Potato
How to do:
- Cut out slices of potatoes and place them on your eyes.
- Let them be for 5 minutes
- Change to the next fresh slice.
How it works: The root vegetable has astringents that lessen pain, inflammation, or any kind of burning sensation.
How frequent to use: Once a day.
Chamomile
What you need:
- A teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers
- A bowl of hot water
- Few cotton pads
How to do:
- Add the dried flowers to the hot water and let the two form a solution
- Soak cotton balls in this solution when it cools down.
- Dab the cotton on the affected area.
- Repeat for 5 to 6 times
- Rinse off with running water.
How it works: Chamomile, with its antioxidants and healing compounds, works effectively in alleviating any kind of inflammation.
How frequent to use: Once a day till cured.
Witch Hazel for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- 1 cup witch hazel solution
- Cotton pads
How to do:
- Soak the cotton balls in the solution
- Dab on the rash.
- Repeat 5-7 times and rinse off.
How it works:
Witch hazel is a known remedy of inflammation. It reduces swelling, redness and kills bacteria.
How frequent to use: Apply this solution twice daily.
Castor Oil for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- 2-3 drops of castor oil
- 1 tsp of coconut oil
- 1 drop of any essential oil
How to do:
- Mix the three oils evenly.
- With your fingertips apply this solution on the rash
- Leave it for 20 minutes and then rinse off with a gentle face wash.
How it works: Castor oil reduces swelling and inflammation like magic.
How frequent to use: Twice daily.
Rose Water for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- 1 bowl of Rosewater
- Cotton ball
How to do:
- Soak the cotton in rose water and squeeze out the excess water back into the bowl
- Place the cotton on the rash
- Repeat for 5 times, try not to use 1 cotton ball more than twice.
How it works:
Rosewater soothes the rashes and stimulates blood flow.
How frequent to use: 2-3 times daily will help you heal the rashes.
Frozen Peas for Red Rash Around Eyes
What you need:
- A packet of frozen peas
- A clean and soft towel
How to do:
- Wrap the packet of frozen peas in a towel and press them on the affected area.
- Keep it for 10 minutes.
How it works:
Frozen peas or any kind of frozen vegetable constrict the blood flow in the local blood vessels and reduce swelling.
How frequent to use: Twice a day should work.
Prevention and Precautions
But don’t we all know that prevention is always better than cure. So here are some easy precautions that you may follow to avoid rashes around eyes, to begin with.
- We all love our mascaras and eyeliners and hold on to them for as long as possible. But we suggest you keep a track of the expiry date of your eye make-ups and get rid of them as soon as they reach the deadline.
- Many of us wear contact lenses, even if we don’t need power, wearing coloured contact lenses have gained a special place in fashion.
It might get too draining to care for them after a long day of work, but it’s mandatory to clean them thoroughly and change the solution regularly to avoid rashes in and around eyes.
- Apply an eye cream every night to protect skin from dryness that often results in rashes and flakiness. If you don’t have an eye cream, a mild face cream will also do the trick.
- Before you switch to a new brand of eye make-up, we suggest you run a patch test on your hands. Any reaction would at least take 24 hours to show up, so wait for a day before placing confidence on any new product.
- If you are prone to allergies, especially pollen allergies, stay away from gardens or wear your shades before you visit places that might have floral decorations. Stay away from sniffing flowers too – we know they are attractive, but you have to stay away.
- For people with sensitive skin, we would advise not to swim in public swimming pools for a longer duration.
- Lose the habit of touching your eyes constantly. In a day’s work, we place our hands in infinite places that carry invisible but harmful germs. They might not irritate your palms much, but eyes are very sensitive.
When To Consult a Doctor?
Eyes are one of the most sensitive organs of the human body and taking chances with its health is not one of the wisest things to do. If the rash around the eyes spreads too close to the eyes, you must be alarmed.
Visit your doctor immediately. Again, if the rash has grown so severe that you experience bleeding on its surface, you must book an appointment with your eye specialist without further delay.
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