How should my husband treat psoriasis of his eyelids?
MAY 05, 2022
Question:
My 64-year-old husband was recently diagnosed with psoriasis. He has had itchy bumps on several areas of his body and skin. His eyelids and the skin below his eyebrow are itchy, red, and slightly swollen. The dermatologist who is treating him has done nothing to help his eyes. He has been using Vaseline, but do you have any other suggestions?
Answer:
Ask your husband’s dermatologist about the use of low-dose Tacrolimus ointment on the eyelids. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of skin irritation including psoriasis. Also, your husband may be able to use a topical steroid cream in the short term to improve his symptoms, under the supervision of a physician. Certainly, sensitive skin moisturizers are useful.
If your husband has been placed on an oral psoriasis treatment such as Cosentyx or Otzela, the lesions around his eyes will likely improve over time as well.
Please beware that certain remedies to treat atopic dermatitis, such as dupilumab, can have side effects such as dry eye, itchy eyes, inflammation of the whites of the eye (conjunctivitis), inflammation of the cornea (keratitis), swelling of the eyelids (blepharitis) and infection.
This question was originally answered on September 1, 2018.