Mascara is an important topic to American women.  Did you know there is a study that shows that American women apply mascara to their eyelashes an average of 9 times per week?  I think it is probably in every woman's makeup bag.  And, it is so important to take it's ingredients into mind when we are talking about the long term health of our eyes.

Those of us who have dry eyes are already dealing with red and irritation.  Many of my patients tell me that they just can't tolerate eye makeup anymore.  They have suffered too many years of wearing makeup that is full of toxic ingredients. 

Let's talk about three reasons why you should switch to my favorite mascara, Eyes Are The Story.  It's the mascara that I use every day, and I think that it is the best mascara out there for people who are ...

I hope that most Americans have gotten into the habit of having their eyes checked once a year.  No matter your age or stage of life, you should be having an annual eye exam.  And, if you are having a problem with your eyes, schedule an appointment to see your eye doctor.

A lot of times, patients come to see me for a very specific reason instead of for their annual eye exam.  They come to see me specifically because they have eyelashes that are turned around and are poking their eyes.

What is Trichiasis?

Trichiasis is the medical term for eyelashes that are misdirected or growing in the wrong direction.  It's a problem that can be annoying at best, is usually painful, and can lead to devastating eye infections in the worst cases.  

When eyelashes grow inward or towards the eye, they ca...

If you suffer from dry eyes, summer can be a tough time of the year because you want to be outdoors.  You want to be enjoying all the things you love about summer, but your eyes are red, irritated, and watering.  Don't let your eyes hold you back this summer.  I've got a couple of great tips for you to ditch that dry eye drama.

1) Protect your Peepers

Protect your eyes.  No matter what time of year it is, always wear sunglasses when you spend time outdoors.   Sunglasses protect the eyes from UV light.  My patients with dry eyes are usually really sensitive to the light as well.  So, it is best to wear sunglasses anytime you are outdoors to decrease the irritation.  For more details about the best sunglasses for dry eyes, check out this blog.

Along with protecting your eyes with sungl...

Have you ever suspected that you had Demodex mites in your eyelashes?

If you suspect that you have them you may feel an itchiness at the base of your lashes.  Your eyes may also be red, especially around the rim of your lids.  Sometimes, the lids can be irritated and crusty.

How Do You Treat Demodex Blepharitis?

If you suspect that you have a Demodex infection, see your eye doctor. Now's the time and don't put it off another day.  The best way to resolve this type of infection is with an in-office treatment for Demodex blepharitis.

In my office, I offer two different treatments. The first is Zocukit.  I use this as an initial treatment and for more advanced cases.  Zocukit involves using a very high strength version of Zocular gel on the lids and lashes.  I scrub the gel on the lashes...

This week, I have a special guest with me. Zac Denning is meeting us from San Francisco, California. He is with ScienceBased Health, which makes my favorite omega supplement and Zac is here to talk to us today about HydroEye.

According to the TFOS DEWS II Report, it is important to start every dry eye patient on a daily regimen for eye care.  I recommend using 4-Simple Steps daily: artificial tears, lid scrubs, warm compresses, and a dry eye supplement to help support a healthy tear film.

My favorite dry eye supplement is HydroEye. I thought I'd bring Zac on today to share with my readers and listeners, why we both love HydroEye. So let's start out with an easy one.

What is HydroEye?

HydroEye is a clinically tested supplement for dry eye support. It's really a unique formula. It contai...

I was able to take my first trip a couple of weeks ago to an in-person education meeting.  I was so excited to travel again and traveling now causes some new problems for those of us who suffer from dry eyes. 

Getting ready to go on a trip caused me to think a bit about packing up my dry eye supplies.  It is so important not to skip out on your eye care routine even if you are out of town.  The results of missing a few nights of care can be disastrous.  I've been there.

I previously wrote a blog about traveling with dry eyes.  You can check out that blog here.  It goes over specifically all the things you need to pack in your carry-on versus your checked bag.  

What has changed?

Airlines are requiring you to wear a mask for the duration of your flight.  Mask wearing can be particularly...

Many of my patients ask me about using artificial tears.  There are so many of them on the market.  It's hard to know which ones to use.  

Based on the research provided by the Tear Film and Ocular Surface (TFOS) Society, I advocate using Artificial Tears on a daily basis to care for your dry eyes.  TFOS wrote a report called the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS II) Report that utilized the expertise of 150 clinicians and scientists from around the world to compile all of the literature available in the dry eye space and write a consensus on how to treat dry eyes.  

The TFOS DEWS II report advises using 4 steps to care for your dry eyes daily:  

1. Every day, the first step is to hydrate your eyes with an artificial tear.
2. The second step is to clean the lids and lashes.
3. The third step is to...

A few weeks ago, we talked about Demodex mites in the eyelashes and how I don't recommend the use of tea tree oil anymore to remove those Demodex mites. There is a new study out of Harvard Medical School indicating that Tea Tree oil is toxic to the cells of the meibomian glands. You can read the original article here.

Demodex mites normally live on human eyelids and lashes. These are microscopic and you can't see them with the naked eye. Below is a super magnified image of the Demodex mite. They have little mouths and they bury themselves inside of the lash follicle. Their little tails hang out at the top of the follicle. If you know you have an overgrowth of Demodex mites you will need an in office treatment or use a daily cleanser to get rid of them.

How do you know if you have a Dem...

I'm happy to be back to provide a little follow-up on my magnetic lash experience. If you missed it, I previously gave an in-depth and honest review of my thoughts while wearing Opulence MD Beauty magnetic lashes in a separate blog that you can go check out right here. 

Once you're caught up to speed, read on for a step-by-step guide on how to clean your magnetic lashes to ensure that your lashes AND your eyes both stay in tip-top shape.

After getting, even more, wear out of magnetic lashes since my last blog post, I can confidently say that I still love these lashes for 1) the durability and 2) the plethora of lash styles that Opulence MD Beauty offers for any occasion. These magnetic lashes have phenomenal staying power which goes hand in hand with using the right products for a smoo...

Women want to have beautiful eyelashes.  Sometimes, they even want to wear eyelash extensions to have a more glamorous look.  My patients ask me a lot of questions about wearing eyelash extensions.

Often, my patient's eyelashes aren't as long and glamorous as they used to be. Dry eye occurs when the meibomian glands, which are the oil gland in our lids, aren't working properly. The glands aren't producing the oil that coats the tear film.  The oils also condition the eyelashes and makes them stronger. 

Since many of my patient's lashes are short and tend to be brittle, they are always asking me about wearing extensions.  At this time, there is only one eyelash extension I can say yes to. 

The problem is that a lot of the lash extensions on the market these days will do harm to your dry ...