Q. I’d had a problem for months with a flaky, itchy eyelid and swelling near my eyelashes. It was miserable. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic ointment that helped but didn’t cure it. Wiping with a baby shampoo solution did little.
Then I read that this condition (blepharitis) is a form of dandruff. I immediately put a squirt of T/Gel (dandruff shampoo) in a bottle of water, wiped it on my eyelid with a cotton swab and rinsed. I used it morning and evening for two days. After that, the problem was completely gone and has not returned.
A. Blepharitis is inflammation of the outer edge of the eyelid. Symptoms can include redness, itching, flaking and crusting around the eyelids. The condition can be caused by a staph infection and should be diagnosed and treated by a physician to keep it from spreading. Topical antibiotics can be helpful.
Doctors frequently recommend warm compresses and periodic cleaning with dilute baby shampoo. If it is a chronic problem, blepharitis can be very hard to eradicate.
Your solution is innovative, though we could find no studies showing that Neutrogena T/Gel dandruff shampoo is effective against blepharitis. On the other hand, there is a possibility that this skin condition is caused in part by a yeast infection related to seborrheic dermatitis. If so, your treatment makes sense.