I want to talk to you about a very important topic.  It's called "Falling Off the Wagon".  Surely, it's happened to all of us. We've all fallen off the wagon from doing something from time to time. 

Whether we're talking about treating our dry eye, being on a diet, or even making our bed in the morning, we've all stopped doing something even though we know it is in our best interest to keep doing it.  Sometimes, we just want to eat the Oreos.  We know that we shouldn't, but we do it anyway. 

The Down Fall:

Maybe you've been doing great with you dry eye treatment.  Your eyes feel so great  that you stopped doing it.  Maybe you stopped for a couple of days, and your eyes didn't feel bad.  Nothing really bad happened.  You start...

 Who doesn't love Fall?  We've got hay rides, apple picking, football games, and everything pumpkin spice flavored available for this very short time.  And, this time of year, when the weather gets a little bit cooler here in Louisiana, it is a great time to enjoy being outdoors again.  I want to go over three tips to have happy eyes in the fall.

Tip #1) Hydrate - Keep the moisture coming from the inside

The first tips is to hydrate.  What I mean by this is continue to drink water. I've got a cup that I keep on my desk at the office with a straw so that I can sip and get all of my ounces of water in while I am working.

It's important to remember to hydrate during this time of the year because  it's not so hot outside. So, you're not as thirsty...

All of the fashion magazines and blogs have been obsessed with lashes in the past few years.  It seems like everyone wants longer, stronger, and more gorgeous looking lashes.  If you've followed me for a while, then you know that I don't recommend gluing lashes to your eyes.  I don't recommend using false lashes that you glue on either to the base of your lid or to the individual lash themselves because most of the glues are irritating to dry eyes.

But, never fear ladies, there are products you can use to achieve those gorgeous looking lashes.  And, the products can be beneficial to your eyes as well.  I'd like to introduce you to a product from Twenty/Twenty Beauty.   It is a lash and brow serum that moisturizes the hair follicle, and I absolutely...

Thank you for attending UC Berkeley Optometry's 71st Alumni Reunion Continuing Education Conference event with Dr. Melissa Barnett.  

I am so pleased to share with you about Clean Makeup.  Eliminating toxins from in and around the eyes is an important step in achieving healthy eyes.  If you would like to download the handout on Clean Makeup removers and the 26 toxins to avoid in your makeup ingredients list.  Please click here.

Many of my patients have started asking me about using something using castor oil on their eyelashes.  They want to know if it is safe to use and if it is okay for dry eyes?  Castor oil is used to condition the lashes.  Eyelashes are like other hairs on your body.  They do better when they are conditioned just like the hair on your head.

We coat our eyelashes with mascara all day.  Many mascara brands, especially waterproof formulas, are drying to the lashes.  Then, we remove the mascara, but rarely do we put anything on the lashes to nourish and strengthen them.  This would be like washing your hair without ever using conditioner.  You can imagine how your hair would get dry and brittle.

The same thing happens to our eyelashes. ...

I want to talk to you about step one of my four simple steps to alleviate your dry eye. If you've been following me for awhile, then you know that I advocate you taking four simple steps to care for your dry eyes.

Let's Review

I advocate using 4-Simple Steps to care for your dry eyes daily.  These steps come directly from the TFOS DEWS II report.  This study was conducted to develop a scientifically studied plan on how to diagnose and treat dry eyes. 

These four steps are part of the treatment plan recommended whether you have mild, moderate, or severe dry eyes.  The steps support a healthy tear film, which we all need to have healthy...

Have your eyes been feeling a little down lately?  Many of my patients are very concerned with the not only the health of their eyes, but their appearance as well.  As the windows to your soul, you want them to present you in a good light.  I understand, you want your eyes to be open and bright.  You want them to enhance your appearance and not take away from it. 

There's a new eye drop that can make your eyes look more beautiful and alive.  Upneeq is the only FDA approved drop that is used to treat low lying lids by lifting the lid to open the eyes.  Unlike most of the information on my blog, this drop doesn't necessarily have anything to do with dry eyes.  But, I thought you would be interested in a drop that made your eyes look...

I want to talk about something very important having to do with your dry eyes.  Comparison.  Comparison can kill even the best intended hopes and dreams.   Often, my patients will ask me to prescribe something for them that worked for their: mom, sister, best friend, or the girl down the street.  Because, they will tell me, it works so great for that other person.   Or, they may ask me about a treatment that their best friend tried and want to try it themselves. 

However, the cause of dry eye is "multi-factorial"  This means it can come from many different sources.  Both men and woman can have dry eyes, but the cause of the dry eye and thus the way we treat it will be significantly different. 

So comparing other...

Lots of states are returning to having a mask mandate.  Here in Louisiana, as of August of 2021, we are back to wearing masks while in doors in public areas.

We're back to wearing masks again.  And, if you suffer from dry eyes, like I do, your eyes are probably feel pretty bad when you wear a face covering for several hours.  I want to give you some tips on how to wear a mask when your eyes are dry.

What is going on when we wear a mask?

Well, the air from your nose and mouth needs somewhere to go when your wearing a mask.  If the mask isn't tight over the bridge of your nose, the air will travel up into your eyes and dry them out.  Not to mention, that warm moist air will fog your glasses.  When you have your mask on, and it isn't tight enough over the...

I want to talk to you about a simple hack to help you stay on track with your dry eye treatment. It's called habit stacking.  If you haven't heard of habit stacking, I'm going to explain it here.  And, I'll even tell you why it's the best way, I think, to incorporate your dry eye treatment into your daily life.

First, let me tell you a little story.  Many years ago, when I was pregnant with my second child, I had something called "Gingivitis of Pregnancy". It was awful. Every time I brushed my teeth, my gums would bleed.  Just the lightest scrub, and I would have a bloody mouth. It was so awful.

I went to dentist to ask what to do.  I was distraught.  My gums were bleeding all the time.  I could just touch them, and they would start...