It can be easy for a parent to worry, but dark circles are not a sign of anemia or a vitamin deficiency. Your child's eye turns red, gets very teary, or has discharge. Frequent nasal and sinus congestion, in particular, can cause visible discoloration in the veins under the eyes. If your child has fair skin, they can also appear to have dark circles under their eyes, due to the veins being seen under the skin. But dry eyes don't usually cause lasting problems with vision. Causes of dry skin. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Sometimes your eyelids may become scaly and dry i.e. Dry skin creates wrinkles and fine lines. From time to time, dry eyes may cause your child to have blurry vision. They think it's a sign of something dangerous and often ask pediatricians for blood tests to look for a cause. Nasal congestion and genetics. Your child does not get better as expected. Bacterial infection around eye. Weekly emails of the latest news from The Scope Radio. Rosacea is a common skin disease that causes rosy patches on your skin and dry or oily spots, usually on the face. Have your child use a lubricating eye ointment or eye gel at bedtime. Congestion can also cause blood to sit in the area under the eyes resulting into puffiness which is more visible depending on how light a child’s skin is. In essence, dark circles and puffy bags form under kids’ eyes for the same physiological reasons as they do in adults. Little data is available on the prevalence of dry eye in the population under age 18, but dry eye is known to occur in children due to a variety of causes. The skin around the eye is thinner and more transparent than other parts of the face, so it can’t fully cover up the soft tissue and veins that surround the eye. They just flare up now and again. A. What Do Dark Circles in Children Mean? Dry climates make dry skin worse, as does winter weather (called winter itch). Repeat this thrice a week. Stress to the skin surrounding the eyes may also lead to dryness. He now seems to have a small patch just below his eye and his eye lid looks a bit dry. Because those aren't the causes of dark circles. It can also be caused by large adenoids. Enter N404 in the search box to learn more about "Dry Eyes in Children: Care Instructions". If your child needs drops more than 4 times a day, use artificial tears without preservatives. Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Close Dermatology Community 54k Members Child dry skin and redness under eyes melmatt516. Redness around the eyes can come from allergies, or from rubbing, or from another source of irritation (say, something like cigarette smoke). Do not apply it too close to the lower eyelid as it may enter the eyes and cause irritation. I'm Dr. Cindy Gellner. Announcer: Keep your kids healthy and happy. This condition occurs mostly because the skin around eyes is thinner and more fragile than the skin on other areas of the body, making it susceptible to rashes like eczema. Including the above factors, the red dry skin around eyes could indicate contact dermatitis – cosmetics, eye makeup like eyeliner, mascara, makeup remover tools, certain fabrics, – excessive exposure to sun, facial psoriasis among other conditions. Use an eye serum. Bags under eyes mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes are common as you age. If your child usually wears contact lenses, have him or her use rewetting drops or wear glasses until the eyes feel better. Frequent blinking, eye rubbing, tendency to shy away from light, or general ocular redness, grittiness or foreign body sensation can all suggest dry eye … Normal fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy. ©2006-2020 Healthwise, Incorporated. For some people, this results in dark circles even as toddlers. Rash under eyes or around eyes may be a sign of allergic reaction or seasonal allergy. The cold air dries the skin out, but it doesn’t have to be cold outside for flakiness to appear around the eyes. 7. Dark circles under the eyes in children are also usually not from lack of sleep. With aging, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting your eyelids, weaken. In addition, any extreme weather conditions or sudden changes to it may aggravate your skin's dryness, making it worse. Dry skin on your eyelids can cause your eyelids to be flaky, scaly, and rough. Kids often have nasal congestion if they have colds or allergies. These are lymph nodes that sit above the tonsils and behind the nose. Many men, however, don’t know much about applying cosmetics to their faces. Dr. Gellner: I hear all the time from parents that they're concerned that the dark circles under their children's eyes are because their children have anemia or a vitamin deficiency and they want me to run lab tests. All clinical services and programs are part of University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics. For some children, the dryness makes their eyes feel dry or hot. Many cosmetics can dry the skin, which of course can worsen the dark-circles problem. Many babies have dry, peeling skin immediately after birth, particularly if they’re born after 40 weeks.This is normal and gets better quickly. Aa. See your doctor if the swellin… Some people genetically have thinner skin under their eyes. Heat rash, prickly heat, sweat rash—all these terms refer to a skin upset that develops … Symptoms that may accompany dry skin on the eyelid include irritation, … Why not? Your Toddler's Dry Skin Does your child occasionally have discoloration on the skin beneath their eyes? Genetics also plays a role in dry skin. Which cream for dry skin around toddlers eyes would you recommend please? Place a humidifier by your child's bed or close to your child. Have your child use artificial tears at least 4 times a day. I put about a quarter size amount at first, then two extra pea sized amounts under my eyes. Psoriasis is the other most likely cause of dry skin around eyes. Communities > Dermatology > Child dry skin and redness under eyes. The color of the skin from the increase in blood flow is tinted purple or blue, rather than a darker skin tone. The child may have to apply a moisturizer several times in a day, and it might worsen during the winters. You may want to try artificial tears when your child does these activities. With aging, the lid skin loses elasticity and droops, creating shadows and a darker appearance around the eyes 5.Fat within the lid, which gives the skin around the eye its supple, youthful shape, thins out over time, giving the eyes a "hollowed out" look 5.This thinning of the skin also makes the blood vessels beneath more visible, contributing to the discolored skin appearance. Medical Review:Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine. My toddler has varous patches of eczema on his body although not very severe. It also produces the rough and raw looking skin that feels textured when it is touched. In fact, because young skin is more delicate, it's more susceptible to becoming dry. Heat rash. You are now entering the Healthy Kid Zone with Dr. Cindy Gellner on The Scope. 50 North Medical Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84132. ">, DNV GL Public Information Policy Statement. Announcer: Want The Scope delivered straight to your inbox? Pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner explains the most common reasons for a child’s dark circles and what a parent can do about them. First, it is important to apply moisturizer before applying cosmetics to the skin. The infection of ringworms often occurs in babies, infants or toddlers than in adults. Don’t let the lightweight texture … So when should you be concerned about dark circles under eyes? Be aware that they may blur vision for a short time. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes. In children, toddlers or newborn baby Kids with large adenoids are mouth breathers and loud snorers. Avoid smoke and other things that irritate the eyes. Close your child's eye for 30 to 60 seconds to let the drops or ointment move around. These are thicker and last longer, so your child may have less burning, dryness, and itching when he or she wakes up. 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