Want Beautiful Lashes

In recent years, there has been an obsession with having long and full eyelashes in fashion and it has penetrated mainstream society.  I think we have always wanted to have long, full lashes.  We associate these long, fluttery lashes with beauty.  And, in the last 5 - 7 years tons of lash salons have popped up in every city. 

Many of my friends and patients ask me questions about eyelash enhancers and ways they can get their lashes to look longer and more full.   And, I think it is time to have that conversation here.  But, I realized that we needed to have a discussion about developing your own healthy set of lashes first.   

 Before you start thinking about making your lashes longer, you need to know whether or not your lashes are healthy.  There may be a reason your lashes aren't as full and long as you would like them to be.  Also, your lashes should not break or fall out easily.  If you are having any of these problems, it is likely that you are suffering from Blepharitis.  

BLEPHARITIS 

"ITIS" is a common term in medicine that means inflammation.  Arthritis is inflammation of the joints.  Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums.  Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchioles in the lungs.  So, blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids.  

The cause of blepharitis is an overgrowth of the normal bacteria population we expect to see on our eyelids.  It is usually not a true infection, but just an overgrowth of bacteria and irritation from the waste products (exotoxins) the bacteria produce. 

 WHY ARE THERE TOO MANY BACTERIA 

MAKEUP: 

• Not removing all eye makeup nightly  
• Wearing the wrong type of makeup 
• Putting your makeup where it doesn't belong on your eye 

CONTACT LENSES 

• Sleeping in contact lenses 
• Over-wearing contact lenses - too many hours a day or too many days a week 
• Not disposing of contact lenses on schedule 
• Not properly cleaning contact lenses before re-inserting the lenses. 

HORMONAL CHANGES

• Sudden changes in hormones - pregnancy or hysterectomy 
• Menopause 

AGE 

• Increased age = increase in overgrowth of bacteria 

A DEEPER DIVE 

Makeup:

Stop wearing waterproof mascara and eyeliner.  The waxes in these products that allow them to stay on the eyes despite coming into contact with water.  And, these same waxes clog the oil glands which will eventually lead to atrophy of these glands. 

Replace your mascara wands and liquid eyeliner every 3 months 

Remove your eye makeup every night.  Get your copy of The Ultimate Guide to Makeup Removers for Sensitive Eyes here.  

Contact lenses: 

Never sleep in your contact lenses.  This is my GOLDEN RULE!  I don't care if your eye doctor told you it was okay.  And, I don't care if you have been doing it for years.  Eventually, you will get a corneal ulcer or infection.  These can be sight-threatening and can scar your eye so badly that you may never be able to wear soft contact lenses again.   

After you take them out, clean your lenses with Clear Care solution (read this blog to know why it's the best cleanser for your dry eye) 

Clean them properly (watch this video to follow along with the steps to get them properly cleaned.  Hint: you must allow them to clean in the solution overnight or at least 6 hours) 

You must get the proteins and bacteria off of the lenses every night.  Otherwise, you are putting the bacteria back in your eye the next day.  

Throw away your contact lenses on time (daily, 2 week or monthly) 

Do not over-wear your contact lenses.  16 hours a day is the maximum.  The longer the break you can give your eyes from contact lens wear, the better. 

Take a day off from contact lens wear as often as possible, but at least once a week. 

Hormones:

A sudden change in your estrogen levels will cause changes to the environment on your eyelids.  These changes are either temporary in pregnant women or permanent in menopause. 

During these times of transition, make certain that you are following the treatment regimen outlined below.  The changes in hormones can cause a sudden flare-up of blepharitis or dryness.  You may also experience increased intolerance to contact lenses. 

TREATMENT

Although most of us as likely to suffer from blepharitis at some point in our life, it is easily treated.  The problem is that the inner rim of our eyelashes is not regularly being cleaned.  When we wash our face or our eyes, we squeeze our lids tightly closed.  Thus, we are not cleaning the inner rim of the lid.  Bacterial can hide there and prevent your lids from becoming squeaky clean. 

Here are the 6 steps you need for the fix: 

1. Remove and clean contact lenses nightly with Clear Care Plus 
2. Remove your eye makeup with Eye Makeup Remover Oil by We Love Eyes 
3. Clean your lids and lashes with Tea Tree Eyelid Foaming Cleanser by We Love Eyes (2x/day) 
4. Use a Preservative-free artificial tear to rinse and refresh the eyes (can use multiple times a day or as needed) Refresh Mega-3 is my favorite
5. Take an Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplement 1000mg (2x/day) HydroEye by ScienceBased Health is best
6. Warm compress - 10 minutes (2x/day) Bruder Moist Heat Compress

Clear Care Plus                                                  Eye Makeup Removal Kit

Refresh Mega-3                 HydroEye               Bruder Moist Heat Compress

 CONCLUSION

Beautiful eyelashes start with healthy eyelashes.  If you are considering enhancing the length and fullness of your eyelashes, find out why they are as full or as long as you would like them to be first.  Use the steps above to improve the health of your own eyelids and lashes before considering artificial lashes. 

See your eye doctor, ask if you have Blepharitis.  Make sure you are always getting your annual dilated eye exam.  This is very important for the health of your eyes, and it is always best to have a diagnosis from a professional to rule out something worse. 

If you try the at home treatment and do not find your symptoms improving, it is even more important that you see an eye care professional as soon as possible.  Furthermore, an eye exam can detect disease early on so that you are not surprised by a disease that could have been prevented with proper care. 

You will be amazed at how strong, full and luscious your own lashes start to look after a few weeks on this regimen.  You may decide that you do not need to use lash enhancing serums or false lashes after working on your own healthy lashes.  You've got this!  I promise that the time and effort you put into taking care of your own lashes will much outweigh the time and expense of eyelash extensions and enhancements.

Step 2 is to remove your eye makeup nightly.  I use We Love Eyes Makeup Remover Oil.  However, you may prefer a different type of remover.  You can download the guide to makeup removers for sensitive eyes here and find the best brand for you. 

By: Pam Theriot, OD, FAAO

PS: You can also watch these video, and many more, on YouTube.