Itchy, burning, and uncomfortable eyes? Have you considered your make-up and/or beauty habits as being a possible cause of the daily discomfort? We wanted to bring attention to a few very avoidable mishaps that could be impacting the health of your eyes and your vision.
Tightling
We have numerous tiny oil glands (meibomian glands) that line the edge of the eyelids. These glands produce the oily part of the tears which helps decrease tear evaporation. Blocking these glands will of course decrease the amount of oil that is able to be secreted, and can be a reason for your dry eyes! This blockage, if chronic, leads to stasis of the meibum, or in other words, stagnation of the oils in the glands. The stress on the ocular surface can also further increase ocular inflammation eventually damaging these delicate glands. This decreased function of these glands is called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) which is the leading cause of Dry Eyes! Not to mention, this technique can increase your risk of developing a hordeolum (stye) or a chalazion, those big nasty red bumps on your eyes.
Sleeping with make-up
Your beauty products may be impacting the health of your eyes. Quite a few ingredients in our cosmetics have been shown to affect the cells on the surface as well as the glands of the eyes. The longer you leave this on, inevitably, the more potential damage it can cause. This compounded with the fact that bacteria tend to grow and accumulate in make-up containers/bottles. You can introduce quite the load of bacteria and bugs onto the eyelid margin. This increases your risk of blepharitis, eye infections as well as the same styes and chalazion we talked about earlier with tightlining.
Eyelash extensions
The glue used to attach the extensions onto the existing lashes can wreak havoc on the eyes and eyelids. These glues are known to cause allergic reactions, inflammation, and irritation of the eyes. This can be a cause of concern, especially for our pre-existing dry eye patients. Moreover, with the application of these lashes, many find their eyelid hygiene suffering, due to the fear of damaging these newly applied lashes. This can produce a nasty breeding ground for bacteria and Demodex which can lead you down a downward spiral of inflammation that ultimately can result in lash loss.
Keep those brushes clean!
If not regularly cleaned and replaced, there's a good chance these are introducing and increasing levels of bacteria and inflammation to your eyelids and the surface of your eyes. This too will increase the risk of blepharitis, eye infections, and styes! The brushes and containers should be regularly cleaned and replaced.
Book your Dry Eye Assessment today
If you’re tired of living with dry eyes, our team at Eye Plus can help. Book a Dry Eye Assessment at our Nanaimo dry eyes clinic today. During your assessment, we will complete a full dry eye examination to determine what may be causing your eye discomfort and then develop a comprehensive treatment plan to effectively treat and improve your dry eyes.
To book your dry eyes assessment appointment, give us a call at 250 591 1018.