Cholesterol Deposits Around Eyes: Periorbital Xanthelasma
Key Takeaways
Cholesterol deposits around eyes are called periorbital xanthelasma: soft, yellow patches of cholesterol-rich fat in the skin around the eye. “Periorbital” simply means “around the eye socket”. They usually start at the inner corner of the upper eyelid and can spread to the lower lid.
- It’s the same thing as xanthelasma palpebrarum, named for where it appears.
- The inner corner of the upper lid is the most common starting point.
- The inner lower lid is next, and the outer corners are affected less often.
- Patches often appear on both sides and can join up over time.
- About half of people with them have raised cholesterol, so a blood test is worth having.
- Xanthel® xanthelasma removal cream is a cosmetic gel for the skin around the eyes, never for use in the eye itself.
What Are Cholesterol Deposits Around Eyes?
If you’ve noticed soft yellow patches building up around your eyes, you’re looking at cholesterol deposits. Doctors call them periorbital xanthelasma, which just means xanthelasma palpebrarum in the area around the eye. They’re made of fat-filled cells sitting just under the thin skin. They don’t hurt, they’re not contagious and they won’t harm your sight, but they can be a nudge to check your cholesterol. Many people search for cholesterol buildup around the eyes long before they ever hear the medical name.
Where Do Cholesterol Patches Around Eyes Appear?
| Area | How common | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Inner upper lid | Most common | The usual starting point, often a small flat patch near the nose. |
| Inner lower lid | Common | Often appears alongside upper-lid patches and may join them. |
| Around the corner | Less common | Upper and lower patches can link up into a curve or ring. |
| Outer corner | Least common | Rarer, and usually only once other patches are there. |
Patches on both eyes are common. Compare yours with our pictures of xanthelasma.
What Causes Cholesterol Buildup Around The Eyes?
Cholesterol deposits form when fat from your blood leaks into the skin and is soaked up by immune cells called macrophages. Full of fat, these cells turn foamy and yellow. When enough of them gather in one place, they show through the skin as a patch.
Raised Blood Fats
The most common cause is too much fat in the blood: high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, high triglycerides or low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Some people inherit a tendency to high cholesterol, called familial hypercholesterolaemia, which makes patches more likely to appear before the age of 40.
Normal Cholesterol, Still Patches
Around half of people with cholesterol deposits around the eyes have normal blood tests, according to NIH StatPearls. In these cases, local factors in the skin, genetics and inflammation are thought to play a part.
Other Risk Factors
Diabetes, an underactive thyroid, liver or kidney conditions, smoking, carrying extra weight and some medicines can all make patches more likely. They’re also more common in women and in people aged 35 to 55.
Why Around The Eyes?
The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest on the body, and it moves every time you blink. Doctors think fat may slip out of the tiny blood vessels there more easily, which is why the eyelids are the most common place for these deposits. Our guide to xanthelasma causes goes into more detail.
Can You Stop New Patches Forming?
There’s no guaranteed way, but looking after your blood fats gives you the best chance. Eat more fibre, oily fish, nuts and vegetables, and cut back on fried food, processed meat and sugary snacks. Our xanthelasma diet guide has simple swaps. Move more, stop smoking if you smoke, and keep diabetes or thyroid problems well controlled. If your doctor prescribes a statin, take it as advised. None of this usually shrinks patches you already have, but it’s good for your heart and may help keep new ones away.
White Bumps Around Eyes: Is It Cholesterol?
Usually not. Cholesterol deposits around the eyes are yellow or orange-yellow, soft and flat or slightly raised. Small, hard, pearly white bumps are far more likely to be milia: tiny cysts of trapped keratin. They’re harmless, common at any age and often clear on their own.
Yellow spots around the eyes that feel soft are almost always xanthelasma. Fatty deposits elsewhere on the body, such as on the elbows, knees, hands or tendons, are called xanthomas and are more closely tied to very high cholesterol. If you have deposits in other places too, our page on cholesterol deposits on skin explains the differences.
If a bump around your eye is hard, grows quickly, bleeds or crusts, ask a doctor to look at it, as it may be something else. A doctor can usually tell milia and xanthelasma apart at a glance, and some people have both.
Are Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes Serious?
The patches themselves aren’t harmful. But they can be an early clue about your heart. A Danish study of nearly 13,000 people, published in the BMJ, found that people with xanthelasma had a higher risk of heart attack and heart disease, even with normal cholesterol. So it’s worth a simple check-up: ask your doctor for a blood test for cholesterol, blood sugar and thyroid. That’s especially worth doing if you’re under 40 or heart disease runs in your family, because catching raised cholesterol early makes it easier to bring down.
How To Get Rid Of Xanthelasma Around Eyes
Lowering your cholesterol helps your heart, but it rarely shrinks patches you already have. Clinics offer laser, freezing and surgery, which our xanthelasma removal and xanthelasma treatment guides compare. For a simpler route, Xanthel® xanthelasma removal cream is a cosmetic gel designed to improve the look of xanthelasma around the eyes, at home. See real before and after photos. Results vary.
Xanthelasma Cream For Cholesterol Around The Eyes
Want the cholesterol deposits around your eyes to stop stealing the show? Xanthel® xanthelasma removal cream is a cosmetic gel designed to improve the look of xanthelasma on the eyelids and the skin around them, so people notice your eyes, not the patches. Results vary from person to person.
Matched To You
Every kit is formulated for your skin type and tone, as a cream or gel to suit where your patches are.
At Home, In Minutes
Usually one application, no needles, no clinic visit, and free tracked delivery straight to your door.
Cholesterol Around Eyes: Questions People Ask
Can Cholesterol Deposits Around Eyes Go Away On Their Own?
Very rarely. They usually stay the same or grow slowly, even if you lower your cholesterol, so most people choose to treat them.
Do Yellow Spots Around The Eyes Mean High Cholesterol?
Not always. About half of people with them have normal cholesterol, but a blood test is the only way to know.
Are Patches Around Both Eyes More Serious?
No. Having them on both sides is common and doesn’t mean anything more serious. Both sides can be treated.
Can Xanthel® Be Used Around The Eyes?
Yes. Xanthel® is made for the skin around the eyes, following the kit instructions. It must never go into the eye itself.