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[theblondeassassin]

Personally, I got my blepharitis taken care of by an optometrist - the optometrist was plenty qualified to figure out what was wrong.

Lucky you. I had atypical anterior blepharitis that turned into ulcerative keratitis, and by the time I got referred and diagnosed I was functionally blind.

Your mileage may vary, of course.

[theblondeassassin]

Apologies for the double post.

It's just occurred to me that optometrists in the UK (where I am) and in the US do differ significantly in training and in scope of practice.

So don't hop on a plane for an appointment without checking.

[atalanta]

My husband had something like this. He asked a pharmacist for advice, and an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment cleared it up.

It does sound like you need to see a medical professional of some sort, but it's not obvious what kind. I would start by phoning an optometrist and a pharmacist. If you describe it exactly as you have here (i.e., affects only the skin of the eyelid, not the conjunctiva, etc.) and ask what sort of professional you should see (e.g., dermatologist), they might be able to steer you in the right direction. In the end, you might have to make the rounds of various professionals (your GP, an eye doctor, a dermatologist...) and try different treatments successively. I guess my main point is that, since this is chronic and has been bothering you for years, I think it would be worth following up aggressively.

Also -- if I had this, I would not wear any makeup at all. But YMMV.

(P.S. the word is ophthalmologist, by the way, in case pedant is not around)

[theblondeassassin]

(P.S. the word is ophthalmologist, by the way, in case pedant is not around)

Thanks! I'm not sure I would have spelt it correctly had I been sober at the time of posting, but I probably would have checked the spelling.

[seventhyear]

I've got this, and it was diagnosed as part of my contact dermatitis.  Mine seems to be triggered by most of the triggers that get my hands broken out - fragrances in lotions, acetone (nail polish remover), sunscreens, as well as some metals in makeup.  I gave up on contact lenses because of it.  Pollen and cat allergies will also set off a flare. 

During a flare, I use a prescription called Desonide.  I use baby shampoo and a washcloth to keep the flaky stuff to a minimum.  Between flares I use aquaphor to keep everything calm and moisturized.

[irhack]

I spoke with a pharmacist this weekend who said to avoid washing my eyes with soap and to use aquaphor. I've been doing that (so also, there's no wearing of makeup right now) and also using a humidifier in the bedroom at night. We'll see how it goes.

[patchouli]

If you haven't done these already, try these things:

--1 part baby shampoo/10 parts water washing eyelids twice a day with a clean Q-tip each time
--warm compresses on each eye for five minutes each
--throw out ALL eye make-up and replace--replace again when you're well
--throw out all eye make-up every two months