I was told by my doctor that for 40 percent of the people who have xanthelasma removed it would return and that this was more likely if you had high cholesterol, which I have.    From Wordnik.com.  [EzineArticles] Reference

And in the first formal collection of his findings, Franco has concluded that the woman who Italians call "La Gioconda" suffered from xanthelasma, the accumulation of cholesterol just under the skin.    From Wordnik.com.  [TIME.com: Top Stories] Reference