What Is Xanthelasma?
Xanthelasma is a disorder that exhibits itself as yellow patches on the inside corners of the eyelids. These patches are made up of cholesterol that has seeped out from under your skin.
They are not harmful. However, they are a highly irritating and aesthetically challenging issue. They can greatly irritate your eyes as well as affect the appearance of your face. Xanthelasma is also an early warning sign that you may have a likelihood of heart disease.
So if you are suffering from Xanthelasma it is important to get it checked out as well as getting your heart checked by your doctor.
Causes
Most of the people who suffer from Xanthelasma are those that have high cholesterol. Generally, they have:
- High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol or low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
- Inherited high cholesterol (your doctor might call this familial hypercholesterolemia)
- Liver disease called primary biliary cirrhosis, which can raise cholesterol levels.
Xanthelasma is also far more common amongst people of Asian or Mediterranean backgrounds.
Treatment and Removal
- Xanthelasma patches don’t go away on their own, in fact, they may grow over time depending upong your cholesterol levels and other genetic factors.
- Removal is generally cosmetic as Xanthelasma doesn’t have any overt health issues, but it isn’t a huge cosmetic concern for most who suffer from it.
Common treatment methods for Xanthelasma are generally done through surgical procedures. Most effectively:
- Dissolve the growth with medicine
- Freeze it off with intense cold (he’ll call this cryosurgery)
- Remove it with a laser
- Take it off with surgery
- Treat it with an electric needle (you might hear this called electrodesiccation)
Treatment in some cases may cause a few minor side effects depending on the severity of the Xanthelasma. The most common side effects are light to moderate scarring, changes to the skin’s color, and turned-out eyelids.
For those who suffer from high cholesterol and Xanthelasma, it is recommended they seek medical treatment or advice to lower their cholesterol as Xanthelasma may return for those with high cholesterol.
