How To Get Rid Of Xanthomas On Eyelids

Eyelid xanthomas are soft, flat or slightly raised yellow patches on the eyelids, usually near the inner corners. Doctors call them xanthelasma. They’re harmless and painless, but they rarely fade by themselves, and many people want them gone. This guide explains every way to remove them, at a clinic or at home, and what to steer clear of.

How Do You Get Rid Of Xanthomas On The Eyelids?

At a clinic, a surgeon or dermatologist can remove them with a small operation, laser, freezing or a chemical peel. At home, a cosmetic product made for them, such as Xanthel®, is the gentle route, usually applied just once. Kitchen remedies won’t shift them, and a cholesterol check with your GP is worthwhile whichever route you choose.

A xanthoma is a build-up of fat-filled cells in the skin. On the eyelids it’s called xanthelasma, the most common type of all. Our guide to xanthoma and xanthelasma explains how the eyelid type differs from xanthomas elsewhere on the body, which need a doctor’s check. Eyelid ones are the type Xanthel® is made for.

Removing Eyelid Xanthomas At A Clinic

Surgery cuts the patch out under local anaesthetic and closes the skin with fine stitches. It suits large, thick or firm patches and those that have come back, but it leaves a fine scar and needs a week or two to heal; our guide to surgery or Xanthel® explains recovery.

Laser breaks the patch down with focused light, usually over one to three sessions, and freezing destroys small, flat patches with intense cold. Both heal in one to three weeks and can leave lighter or darker skin. See laser or Xanthel® and cryotherapy or Xanthel® for what to expect from each. A chemical peel is another clinic choice for flatter patches, usually over two to four sessions. Most clinic routes are done privately, so ask for a written quote that covers every session and follow-up.

Removing Eyelid Xanthomas At Home

If you’d rather avoid a clinic, a cosmetic product made for eyelid patches is the gentle route. Xanthel® is made to order for your skin type and tone and applied in two minutes or less, usually just once. Steer clear of garlic, acids, plasma pens and anything sharp; our guide to every xanthelasma home remedy explains what’s safe and what isn’t. Email us a photo first and we’ll tell you honestly whether Xanthel® suits your patches.

What Causes Xanthomas On Eyelids?

They form when cells in the skin fill up with fats, including cholesterol. About half of people with them have raised cholesterol; the rest have normal levels, and family history, age and being a woman in midlife all play a part. Our guide on what causes yellow patches on eyelids explains the reasons, and our page on yellow eyelids high cholesterol covers what a raised reading means. A simple blood test with your GP is worthwhile either way. The patches themselves don’t hurt, itch or affect your eyesight, and they aren’t contagious.

Which Option Is Right For You?

It depends on your patches, your skin tone and how you feel about clinics. Large, firm patches often suit surgery; smaller, softer ones can suit laser, freezing or an at-home option. Our page of xanthelasma removal options compares them, and our pictures of xanthelasma of eyelid help you compare them with your own.