Adult acne sufferers often develop bumps, pustules or pimples anywhere on their face, back, arms and buttocks. The sebaceous glands or oil glands are responsible for these acne and they happen to be present in many places on our skin, Naturally, anywhere you have these glands, you could develop pimples. One such area is the eyelid. Pimple over or under the eyelid can develop into a hardened bump called chalazion which is often difficult to treat. Let us study the causes of pimple or bump on upper or lower eyelid and ways to treat it naturally.
What are the causes of pimple on upper eyelid?
Pimple on upper eyelid can occur due to clogged oil glands. Hormonal acne sufferers especially tend to develop styes, blepharitis or chalazion. Rosacea sufferers can also suffer from ocular acne due to inflammation of their eyelid glands. High cholesterol and blood sugar levels can also cause white pimple or bumps around the eyes. The problem with ocular rosacea or eyelid acne is that once you have it; its chances of recurrence can be high. Maintaining eyelid hygiene is crucial if you suffer frequently from such eyelid bumps and pimples.
Symptoms of blepharitis and ocular acne
Let us summarize the symptoms of blepharitis:
- Excess secretions from the lid margin that clog the meibomian glands on the skin of the eyelids; this causes redness and inflammation of the lids.
- Crusts, granulation, eye-sty, chalazia or bumps on margins of upper and lower eyelid are commonly seen in rosacea and acne sufferers
- Dry eye is another complaint in blepharitis. Many women, especially in their perimenopausal years tend to have eye dryness and scratchy eyes followed by subsequent acne and bumps.
We will now study some home remedies to help you avoid chalazion removal surgery.
Natural remedies to treat bump or pimple on eyelids
1. Warm compresses
Warm compresses and hot water fomentation help soften the clogged up sebum in the eyelid glands and encourage their drainage. If you suffer from dry eyes and chalazions frequently, make hot water compresses a part of your daily facial hygiene like brushing teeth, cleansing-toning-moisturizing and bathing etc. Soak a clean cloth in hot water and apply the compress on each eyelid bump. Keep the compress on the affected eye for at least 4 minutes at a time. Again soak the cloth in hot water, squeeze and press on the bump. Do this 4-5 times daily.
2. Rice in sock compress
Add a handful of rice inside an old sock and seal off its opening. Pop the rice bag in the microwave and heat on high for a few seconds. Apply this hot compress to the chalazion-the heat lasts longer than moist compress mentioned above. You must use this remedy 3-4 times on the pimple or eyelid bump. With regular use, the chalazion will drain and decrease in size.
3. Massage the eyelid
Simply using hot water compression or warm compresses will only melt the oil that has accumulated in the bump in your eyelid. You also need to massage the bump gently with clean fingertips or sterile Q tip to encourage the sebum to drain. For the bump on upper eyelid, massage downwards; for pimple on lower lid, massage upwards. Do this 4-5 times daily after first using the hot compresses recommended above.
4. Baby shampoo and cleansing pads
After working out or coming home from work etc, wash your eyelids with a mild, paraben-free baby shampoo. Gently lather the eyelids and massage in circular pattern. Allow the shampoo to sit on the lids for a few minutes. You can then cleanse the lids with sterile cleansing pads or soft makeup remover cotton balls. It is best to leave a thin layer of baby shampoo on the eyelids to prevent bumps, styes, chalazia, pimples and other symptoms of blepharitis.
5. Castor oil
Apply castor oil to the chalazion at night time; use only hexane-free organic oil. This remedy reduces the size of the chalazia and eyelid bumps.
6. Homeopathic remedies
Many homeopathic remedies are useful for treating bumps on the eyelids:
- Apis mellifica- 30 C potency. This helps early stages of stye or chalazion.
- Silicea 6C and Calc fluor 6 C-Both of these are a great remedy for treating eyelid bumps in kids. Administer 4 globules of each, morning and night.
- Sulfur- Sulfur is a powerful remedy for acne sufferers. Use sulfur based soap to wash the face and eyes. A homeopathic remedy called Stye Eye Relief® contains sulfur in 12x potency. Use these drops regularly to prevent eye issues due to blepharitis, dry eye or acne/rosacea conditions.
7. Apple cider vinegar
This is another powerful remedy for treating pimple on eyelid naturally. To half a cup of warm water, add 1 tbsp organic, raw apple cider vinegar with mother enzyme. Soak a clean Q tip in the solution and gently apply it over the eyelid. Let it air dry. Apple cider vinegar brings out the oils in the chalazion and can even treat hardened, months-old bumps.
8. Epsom salt
Soak sterile makeup remover pads in warm Epsom salt solution (made by mixing warm water and Epsom salts). Apply the compress over the eyes. Do this 3-4 times a day to shrink the bumps and prevent new pimples on the eyelids. Do not forget to massage the eyelids after using the compress.
9. Steam
Steaming softens the hardened bumps on eyelid and helps open them up to remove pus and oil. Steam your face for 5-10 minutes. Make sure you massage your eyelids gently after steaming for at least one minute.
10. Manuka honey
You can make a powerful eye cleansing solution using Manuka honey. Apply the honey directly on the bumps and pimples on eyelids. Wash off after an hour. You can also dilute the honey and add it inside the eyes to treat eyelid pimples inside the rims of the eyelids.
11. Colloidal silver
Colloidal silver drops are beneficial for patients with eyelid sties or chalazion. Put 2-3 drops in each eye 3 times a day to reduce inflammation, swelling and pus.
12. Essential oils
Many essential oils are beneficial for acne prone skin, especially tea tree, garlic and lavender oils. Please check out my article on best oils for acne. To use essential oil for treating pimple on the eyelid, add a few drops of the oil to warm water. Soak a clean cloth in the solution, squeeze the cloth and then press it down gently on the eyelid bump. Keep the warm compress for 3-4 minutes. Do this 3-4 times a day to drain away the chalazion. You can also mix garlic oil with cold pressed coconut oil and use a clean Q tip to apply the blend over the pimple.
13. Make dietary changes
Avoid taking any supplements unless a doctor has advised you to do so. Stay away from dairy- (plain homemade yogurt and clarified butter are acceptable). Eat probiotic foods like kefir. Cut sugar and limit your intake of packaged meat, especially red meat.
If these remedies for bump or pimple on eyelid do not show results, you might need antibiotics (Doxycycline -100 mg/day for 10 days). In some cases, even antibiotics do not work and the chalazion bump may last for months. If your vision is getting affected due to it, you can get a surgery done to remove it. The procedure is short but painful and you will need plenty of after-care for a few days. Sometimes, the chalazion comes back again despite surgery. So continue using warm compresses and eyelid massages to ensure that that does not happen.