Please diagnose this weird condition

[Heffernhyphen]

For some reason, lately my eyelids are puffy, sore and have a very crepey, dried out look. NOT attractive. For a few days I thought, "So, this is how it's gonna be as I age, waking up every morning saying 'CUT ME, MICKEY!'"

But then I realized, I'm not just puffy, I'm SORE. My lids are itchy and feel almost like I've been burned.

I haven't introduced any new make-up. Do you think it could be the ProActiv Solutions Benzol Perozide cleanser I've been using? It's been two months and this lid crap is recent. But I can't come up with a better culprit. Can you?

[FluffiB]

Sounds like allergies. What's the predominant pollen in your area? It could be weather-related. My mom's eyelids get puffy with weather change and allergen exposure. She has really bad food allergies too. Do you have eczema on any parts of your face? The first place for eczema caused by allergies is around the eyes, eyebrows, ears, and neck.

[Spastica]

It could be your new cleanser - I would avoid benzoyl peroxide products or hydrogen peroxide on your face. The free radical that peroxide products give off is unstable - which means it damages your skin and ages it faster. Yes you have less acne, but you don't want wrinkles too. Also, peroxide and whatever I think is probably a thin solution, probably hypotonic. So - if you've been putting some on your lids, it's probably just puffing up the delicate tissue around your eyes since it's going from thin to thicker water concentrations (whatever the science of that osmosis process is, I'm too tired to look it up). If you're going to use this stuff, don't put it on your eye and keep a good distance away from the eye.

It could be allergies too - or it could be high blood pressure. Puffy lids sometimes signal hormonal fluxuations or high blood pressure.

[Heffernhyphen]

Thanks for the help. I'm giving the Proactiv a break to see if that makes any difference. As far as allergies, I'm always hacking over something in the air. It's never had a cosmetic reaction like this before, though, other than after exposure to cats or horses. And come to think of it, we did have house guests who brought a cat recently. Hmmm . . . .

[halcyon]

Do you wear contacts? If you do, you might want to visit the dr, just to make sure all is ok. Otherwise, maybe get yourself some claritin otc or other allergy med and take it for a week or so and see if your eyelids get better? That would help you tell if it's seasonal/kitty allergies or not.

[Heffernhyphen]

You know what? That might be it . . . the contacts. I almost never wear them anymore because I'm more lazy than vain these days. But I did wear them to a brunch last Saturday for the first time in forever. The funk started not long after.

What do you think it could be? Some kind of bacteria in the contacts because they sat in the solution for a month? Yuck.

[halcyon]

Aha...that could be it. Even though saline starts out more or less sterile, when it sits in the case for a long time it can grow bacteria. If you're storing them for long periods, switching out the solution from time to time might avoid that. I wonder if they make a formula for longer storage?

I'd probably say visit the eye doc, since contacts seem to make everything more complicated. In the meantime, don't wear your contacts ( obv) Good luck!