I was in consultation with a client recently, and she told me that she had spent the best part of ten years trying to conceal the yellow patches on her upper eyelids with makeup. She thought they were something she just had to live with. She hadn’t realised they had a name, let alone that they could be treated. She wasn’t one for going to the doctors and had seen them on her grandmother many years ago, so she just assumed this was it, as such.
If you have noticed soft, yellowish patches near your eyes, usually on the upper or lower eyelids, or at the inner corners, then you may be looking at xanthelasma, as was my client mentioned above.
What xanthelasma actually is
Xanthelasma are small deposits of cholesterol that sit just under the surface of the skin. They’re painless, harmless in themselves, and grow very slowly. But because they appear right around the eyes, they can be extremely visible and, for many people, can really affect confidence.
Why they appear
For some people, xanthelasma is linked to raised cholesterol or a lipid imbalance. For others, it’s genetic and shows up despite perfectly normal blood levels. Either way, if you develop xanthelasma, it’s worth asking your GP for a routine cholesterol check, not because the patches themselves are dangerous, but because they can occasionally be a helpful flag.
How I treat it
At my Colchester, Chelmsford & Clapham clinics, I treat xanthelasma using advanced electrolysis. Because the cholesterol deposits often sit in layers within the skin, more than one session is usually needed to reduce them, and I plan this properly during your consultation so you know what to expect. I can never fully guarantee that they will be completely invisible after treatment, but we are certainly looking for a good reduction.
Will they come back?
Sometimes, yes, they can, so maintenance is required if you want to keep on top of that. Again, it is always good to get things checked by your GP so you can also manage anything that could be causing the Xanthelasma.
The takeaway
If you’ve been quietly hiding these behind makeup or sunglasses for years, please know there’s a proper treatment for them. You don’t have to live with it.
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