Xanthelasma By The Numbers: How Many People Have It, The Odds By Sex And Age, How Often Cholesterol Is To Blame, How Often It Returns, And What The Figures Mean For You
Xanthelasma is fairly common: about 1.1% of women and 0.3% of men have these yellow spots on the eyelids, or roughly 11 in every 1,000 women and 3 in every 1,000 men. It’s most common between 35 and 55. About half of people with it have a lipid disorder, and after removal it comes back in generally fewer than half of cases.
About 1.1% of women and 0.3% of men have xanthelasma, so women are nearly four times as likely to get it. Averaged across both sexes, that’s roughly 1 in 140 adults. It peaks between 35 and 55, about half of people with it have a lipid disorder, and recurrence after removal is generally under 50%.
Key Takeaways
- About 11 in 1,000 women and 3 in 1,000 men have xanthelasma.
- Women are nearly four times as likely as men to have it.
- It’s seen from about 20 to 70, most often 35 to 55.
- About 50% of people with it have a primary or secondary lipid disorder.
- Recurrence after removal is generally under 50%.
- “Gastric xanthelasma” in the stomach is a separate condition with its own numbers.
On This Page 17 sections
How Common Is Xanthelasma?
About 1.1% of women and 0.3% of men have xanthelasma, according to StatPearls, the National Library of Medicine’s clinical reference. That makes it fairly common, though far from universal.
Xanthelasma palpebrarum is a soft, yellow, flat or slightly raised plaque of cholesterol-filled foam cells on the eyelids, usually near the inner corners.[1] Of all the fatty skin deposits doctors call xanthomas, these cholesterol deposits on the eyelids are the ones people notice and ask about most.
If you’ve just found them, you’re in good company, and your doctor will likely recognize them on sight. Our sister guide on whether xanthelasma is common looks at who gets it and why, and our overview of xanthelasma covers the condition as a whole.
How Common Is Xanthelasma In A Room Of 1,000 People?
In a room of 500 women and 500 men, you’d expect about 5 or 6 women and 1 or 2 men to have xanthelasma: roughly 7 people in 1,000, or about 1 in 140 overall.
That’s simply the StatPearls figures of 1.1% and 0.3% applied to an evenly mixed group.[1] In a group of middle-aged adults the count would be higher, because that’s the peak age, and in a group of young adults it would be much lower.
Per 1,000 Women
- About 11 have xanthelasma
- Roughly 1 in 90
Per 1,000 Men
- About 3 have xanthelasma
- Roughly 1 in 330
How Much More Common Is Xanthelasma In Women?
Nearly four times as common, based on 1.1% of women against 0.3% of men. In clinics the gap looks even bigger: in one study of 42 patients, 85.7% were women.
The StatPearls figures give a ratio of roughly 3.7 to 1.[1] Clinic studies tend to show an even stronger female majority, partly because women may seek help for eyelid changes more often; in that clinic study, 85.7% of patients were women and the average age was about 47.[2] Hormonal factors may play a part too: estrogen medicines are a recognized secondary cause.[1]
How Common Is Xanthelasma At Different Ages?
Rare before 20, uncommon in the twenties, most common between 35 and 55, and still seen up to about 70.
- Under 20. Rare; when it happens, an inherited lipid disorder is much more likely.[1]
- 20 to 35. Uncommon but seen, and worth a full lipid check.
- 35 to 55. The peak years for first noticing plaques.[1]
- 55 to 70. Still common, often in people who’ve had plaques for years.
The age pattern fits the biology: eyelid blood vessels become leakier with age, letting cholesterol build up in the skin over time.[1] Our page on how xanthelasma starts describes the early signs.
Where On The Eyelid Is Xanthelasma Most Common?
Near the inner corners of the eyes, close to the nose. Plaques often start on the upper lids and can later appear on the lower lids, sometimes on both sides.
StatPearls describes the typical site as the inner corner area of the eyelids.[1] Many people first notice a small, flat patch on one upper lid, then find matching plaques on the other eye or the lower lids over months or years, and plaques on the upper and lower lid can eventually meet at the corner. Less often, they sit toward the middle or outer part of the lid. Our guides on where xanthelasma appears and what xanthelasma looks like show the typical patterns.
How Often Is Cholesterol Behind Xanthelasma?
In about half of cases. StatPearls puts the share of people with xanthelasma who have a primary or secondary lipid disorder at about 50%.
Primary disorders include high LDL, combined high cholesterol and triglycerides, high triglycerides and low HDL; secondary causes include diabetes, an underactive thyroid, nephrotic syndrome, primary biliary cholangitis and retinoid or estrogen medicines.[1] In the clinic study, 45.2% had high cholesterol and 26.2% had familial hyperlipidemia.[2] A review of 15 studies with 854 patients found people with xanthelasma had higher total cholesterol, LDL and apolipoprotein B on average.[3]
Our guides to whether xanthelasma indicates raised cholesterol and the causes of xanthelasma go further.
How Common Is Xanthelasma With Normal Cholesterol?
Very common. In one study, 54.8% of people with xanthelasma had normal total cholesterol, though their HDL tended to be low.
Median HDL in that group was 36.2 mg/dL compared with 50.5 mg/dL in people without xanthelasma, and the authors suggested local, hormonal or immune-cell factors may also be involved.[2] So a “normal cholesterol” result is common with xanthelasma, but it’s worth looking at the full breakdown, especially HDL. Our page on why you’ve got xanthelasma helps you work out your own likely cause.
How Common Is Inherited High Cholesterol, And Does It Raise The Odds?
Familial hypercholesterolemia affects about 1 in 250 to 1 in 500 people. It causes very high LDL from birth and makes xanthelasma, especially at a young age, much more likely.
The condition passes to each child with a 50% chance and can show as xanthelasma and as tendon xanthomas on the Achilles, elbows, hands, knees or feet. Without management, about 50% of men have a coronary event by 50 and about 30% of women by 60; statins are the first-line medicine.[4] Our pages on whether xanthelasma is genetic and on tendon xanthomas explain more.
How Does Xanthelasma Relate To Heart Risk?
People with xanthelasma have a higher risk of heart attack and heart disease on average, even after allowing for cholesterol. That’s one of the best-studied numbers about it.
The Copenhagen City Heart Study followed almost 13,000 people for decades and found xanthelasma was linked with higher risk of heart attack and heart disease independent of cholesterol levels.[5] The 2020 review also found thicker carotid artery walls and higher atherosclerosis risk in people with xanthelasma.[3] This doesn’t mean most people with xanthelasma will have heart problems; it means a check is worthwhile. Our guide to whether xanthelasma is dangerous explains the risk in plain terms.
How Common Is It For Xanthelasma To Come Back?
Recurrence after removal is generally under 50%, rises to around 60% after repeat procedures, and is more common with deeper plaques.
Those figures come from StatPearls and apply across removal methods.[1] In other words, more people stay clear than see plaques return, but regrowth is common enough that managing the cause and keeping up checks makes sense. Our guides on whether xanthelasma comes back and how to prevent xanthelasma cover this.
How Common Is Gastric Xanthelasma?
Gastric xanthelasma, a small yellow-white patch in the stomach lining, was found in 1.77% of nearly 69,000 endoscopies in one large study. Despite the name, it’s unrelated to the eyelid condition.
In that study, it was linked with older age and with atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and H. pylori infection, and people with it were on average 53 compared with 46.[6] If “xanthelasma” appeared on an endoscopy report, that’s what it refers to, and it’s something to discuss with your gastroenterologist rather than an eyelid matter. Our pages on what gastric xanthelasma is and gastric xanthoma explain it fully.
How Common Is Xanthelasma Compared With Related Conditions?
In women it’s several times more common than inherited high cholesterol, and in men it’s roughly as common. Other xanthomas, such as tendon and eruptive types, are much less common and usually point to more serious lipid problems.
- Xanthelasma in women. About 1.1%, or 1 in 90.[1]
- Xanthelasma in men. About 0.3%, or 1 in 330.[1]
- Familial hypercholesterolemia. About 0.2 to 0.4%, or 1 in 250 to 1 in 500.[4]
- Gastric xanthelasma. About 1.8% of people having an endoscopy, a different group from the general public.[6]
Put another way, most people with eyelid xanthelasma don’t have inherited high cholesterol, but a meaningful minority do, which is one more reason the blood test is worth doing. Tendon lumps or sudden crops of yellow bumps on the body are far rarer than eyelid plaques and always need prompt medical attention.
Xanthelasma By The Numbers
| Figure | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women with xanthelasma | About 1.1% (11 in 1,000) | StatPearls |
| Men with xanthelasma | About 0.3% (3 in 1,000) | StatPearls |
| Usual age range | About 20 to 70, peak 35 to 55 | StatPearls |
| Share with a lipid disorder | About 50% | StatPearls |
| Normal total cholesterol (one study) | 54.8% | Kavoussi 2016 |
| Familial hyperlipidemia (one study) | 26.2% | Kavoussi 2016 |
| Inherited high cholesterol in everyone | 1 in 250 to 1 in 500 | GeneReviews |
| Recurrence after removal | Generally under 50%; about 60% after repeats | StatPearls |
| Gastric xanthelasma at endoscopy | 1.77% | Feng 2023 |
What Do These Numbers Mean If You Have Xanthelasma?
That you’re far from alone, that there’s roughly a coin-flip chance a blood test will find something worth managing, and that removal works for most people, though plaques can return.
- Get checked. With about a 50% chance of a lipid disorder, a fasting lipid, liver, thyroid and glucose test is worthwhile.[1]
- Manage what’s found. That protects your heart and slows new plaques.
- Decide about the marks. Leave them, cover them or remove them at home or at a clinic.
- Keep an eye out. Regrowth is common enough to keep up checks.
Our step-by-step plan on what to do about xanthelasma and our guides on how to remove xanthelasma and xanthelasma home removal help you choose.
If you’ve had your check and would like the plaques gone, this is the cream we make for xanthelasma removal at home.
Why Aren’t The Numbers On How Common Xanthelasma Is Exact?
Because studies count different people in different ways. Clinic studies only see people who sought help, population surveys depend on who takes part, and the mix of ages, sexes and cholesterol levels varies from place to place.
A dermatology clinic will see a far higher share of women and middle-aged adults than a general survey, simply because those are the people who come in about eyelid marks. Small, flat plaques are also easy to miss, so some cases are never counted. That’s why the figures above are best read as a reliable guide rather than an exact count, and why your own next step, a routine blood test, matters more than where you sit in the statistics.
What’s The Bottom Line On How Common Xanthelasma Is?
About 1.1% of women and 0.3% of men have xanthelasma, roughly 1 in 140 adults overall, most often between 35 and 55. About half have a lipid disorder, it’s linked with higher heart risk, and recurrence after removal is generally under 50%. A blood test is the sensible first step.
Xanthel® is a cosmetic cream made for xanthelasma removal at home, sold by Xanthelasma.com. You’ll find it in the section above and at the foot of this page, or read more about Xanthel® xanthelasma removal cream. For everything else, browse all our xanthelasma guides.
Common Questions About How Common Xanthelasma Is
How Common Is Xanthelasma?
About 1.1% of women and 0.3% of men have it, roughly 1 in 140 adults overall.
How Many Times More Common Is Xanthelasma In Women?
Nearly four times, based on 1.1% of women compared with 0.3% of men.
At What Age Is Xanthelasma Most Common?
Between 35 and 55, though it’s seen from about 20 to 70.
How Many People With Xanthelasma Have High Cholesterol?
About half have a primary or secondary lipid disorder, and many of the rest have low HDL.
How Common Is Xanthelasma With Normal Cholesterol?
Common; in one study 54.8% had normal total cholesterol, though their HDL tended to be low.
How Often Does Xanthelasma Come Back After Removal?
Generally in fewer than half of cases, rising to around 60% after repeat procedures.
Is Xanthelasma Common In Young People?
No, it’s uncommon before 30, and when it appears young an inherited lipid disorder is more likely.
How Common Is Gastric Xanthelasma?
It was found in 1.77% of nearly 69,000 endoscopies in one study, and it’s unrelated to eyelid xanthelasma.
Sources
- Blair K. Xanthelasma Palpebrarum. StatPearls, National Library of Medicine (NCBI Bookshelf), updated 2026.
- Kavoussi H, Ebrahimi A, Rezaei M, Ramezani M, Najafi B, Kavoussi R. Serum lipid profile and clinical characteristics of patients with xanthelasma palpebrarum. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 2016;91(4):468-471.
- Chang HC, Sung CW, Lin MH. Serum lipids and risk of atherosclerosis in xanthelasma palpebrarum: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2020;82(3):596-605.
- Ison HE, Clarke SL, Knowles JW. Familial Hypercholesterolemia. GeneReviews, National Library of Medicine (NCBI Bookshelf), revised 2025.
- Christoffersen M, Frikke-Schmidt R, Schnohr P, Jensen GB, Nordestgaard BG, Tybjaerg-Hansen A. Xanthelasmata, arcus corneae, and ischaemic vascular disease and death in general population: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 2011.
- Feng L, Zhang M, Guan J, et al. Gastric xanthelasma is a warning sign for Helicobacter pylori infection, atrophic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia. Frontiers in Medicine, 2023;10:1252346.
