How Shampooing Your Eyelashes Every Day Can Prevent Dry Eye

Dry eye disease is a common problem, especially as we all spend more time staring at our screens and phones. For many of us, dealing with red, gritty eyes feels like something we just have to put up with.

But dry eyes aren’t as simple as they sound. A number of things can make you feel like you have dry eyes — and sometimes, a few simple changes to your routine can go a long way toward fixing the problem. Keep reading to find out what you can do to keep your eyes feeling fresh all the time.

How do I know if I have dry eye disease?

Dry eye disease isn’t always obvious. The symptoms can include:

• Red eyes or eyelids

• A scratchy or gritty feeling, especially when you blink

• Eye pain

• Changes in your vision

• Crusting around your eyes

• The feeling that you have something in your eye

• Increased blinking

• Tears leaking out

If you’ve been putting up with dry eye disease for a while, you might not even realize there’s a problem. Many people with dry eyes never talk to a healthcare professional about their symptoms.

What are the causes of dry eye disease?

When your eyes feel scratchy and look red, it’s natural to assume your eyes need more moisture. But many people with dry eye disease make plenty of tears, and having drippy, leaking eyes can actually be a symptom of dry eye disease. What’s going on?

As it turns out, dry eye disease isn’t always about how many tears you make. Irritated eyes can also be caused by:

• Invisible dirt and germs that build up around your eyelashes

• Clogged or inflamed oil glands inside your eyelids

• Not blinking enough, which often happens when we’re using electronics

• A variety of medical conditions and medications

These problems can get worse over time, and other factors in our lifestyle can affect them, too.

Who is at risk for dry eye disease?

Certain medical conditions, like auto-immune conditions, can put you at risk for dry eye disease. But dry eyes are a very common problem for anyone over age 40, especially women.

Other factors that can increase your risk of dry eye disease include:

• Living in a dry climate

• Excessive screen time

• Dehydration

• Spending time in windy areas, or places with a lot of air movement

• Rosacea and other skin conditions

• Wearing contact lenses

• Smoking

• Drinking alcohol

• Having had eye surgery in the past

• Being on some medications, such as antihistamines or estrogen replacements

What is blepharitis?

Technically, blepharitis is inflammation of your eyelids. But there are two types of blepharitis that are worth knowing about:

• Anterior blepharitis is caused by a buildup of debris and germs around your eyelashes.

• Posterior blepharitis happens when the oil glands on the inside edge of your eyelids get clogged. It is also called meibomian gland dysfunction.

Both types of blepharitis can cause dry eye symptoms. And both types can be improved with some straightforward home remedies.

The role of eyelid hygiene

Brushing your teeth does more than keep your teeth clean. It keeps you healthy by removing build-up, reducing inflammation, and killing germs that live and grow in the crevices of your teeth and gums. 

When it comes to eyelid hygiene and eye health, many of the same things are true. 

Why does it help to wash my eyelids?

Your eyelash line is the tiny strip of skin along the edges of your eyelids, right where your eyelashes grow. It can get pretty dirty, and that’s a big deal when it comes to the health of your eyes. 

Washing your eyelids can help with anterior blepharitis

Dead skin cells and dirt naturally build up around the base of your lashes over time. And germs, especially certain types of bacteria and parasites, are eager to live in that environment — and continue to add to the mess. 

You can’t see this stuff in the mirror, because it’s all too small to see. But the more dirt and grime you’ve got, the more welcoming the area is for germs. The end result is red, scratchy eyes that feel dry, no matter how many tears you make.

Eyelid hygiene is especially important for people who wear contact lenses

Normally, germs that venture onto the eye surface get whisked away quickly by the constant flow of tears across the fronts of our eyes. But contact lenses interrupt that flow. Germs that would normally just keep moving get trapped in one place, where they can reproduce and put you at risk for eye infections or ulcers. 

Washing your eyelids can help protect your tear film, too

The surface of your eyes is protected by a thin film of tears. Those tears contain specialized oils and mucus, in addition to water. They’re secreted by glands on the insides of your eyelids. 

Those tiny oil glands are called meibomian glands, and their purpose is to add a layer of oil to your tears. That oil is important, because it’s what keeps the water in your tears from evaporating. 

Over time, your meibomian glands can become clogged. Eventually, they can be permanently scarred shut. This can leave you with tears that are low on oil — and eyes that are especially vulnerable to dryness, irritation, and infection.

Washing your eyelids provides a warm massage of the meibomian glands. This helps loosen the oils and keeps everything flowing freely.

How do I wash my eyelids? 

A tear-free shampoo, gentle no-tears face wash, or a lid scrub specific product like OcuSoft or TheraTears is best. When you’re washing your face, shut your eyes gently. With one finger, gently rub your upper eyelid back and forth about a dozen times, right at the base of your eyelashes. Repeat the same process for your lower lid by placing your finger just below your eyelashes. 

Eyelid scrubs like OcuSoft come with gently textured pads if you’d like a slightly more vigorous scrub. And antiseptic eyelid sprays, like Avenova or Hypochlor, can be used afterward to further reduce the number of germs hanging out around your eyelashes.

Once a day is all that’s needed. And be gentle. Washing your eyelids shouldn’t hurt.

Could dry eyes be a sign of a medical problem?

Dry eye disease is common, and most often it’s just bad luck. But in some cases, dry eyes are caused by medical conditions that you’ll want to know about. 

Here are some medical problems linked to dry eye disease:

• Allergies

• Sjogren syndrome and other autoimmune disorders

• Some skin conditions, such as rosacea or pemphigoid

• Low androgen levels or androgen insensitivity syndromes

What treatments are available for dry eye disease?

If you’re still suffering from dry eye disease, it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider about your symptoms. 

The most common treatment for dry eyes is over-the-counter eye drops, often called artificial tears. These drops contain water and other gentle chemicals and are intended to work just like tears to protect the surface of your eyes. 

Of course, now you know that while adding moisture to the surface of your eyes might help, it probably isn’t going to solve the whole problem. If your eyes aren’t feeling better despite the use of artificial tears, think about other steps you can take to improve the health of your eyelids and tears. 

Home remedies to help with dry eye

Here are a few things you can do at home to help prevent and treat dry eye:

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

• Add an omega 3 fatty acid supplement to your diet, like flaxseed oil or fish oil.

• Limit screen time as much as possible.

• Take regular breaks from screen use, and use this time to relax your eyes.

• Remember to blink regularly, especially when using a computer screen.

• Place moist, warm compresses over your eyelids for a few minutes each day.

Medical treatments for dry eye

If nothing seems to be helping, talk to an eye care specialist. A variety of office procedures and treatments can be helpful for reducing the aggravation of dry eye disease. These include:

• Testing the quantity and quality of your tears

• An assessment of your blinking, and how well you close your eyes to sleep

• Treating for demodex mites that often live in eyelash hair follicles

• A check of your meibomian gland health

• Treatment for other conditions that could be contributing to your dry eye symptoms

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kerry R. McGee, MD, FAAP

Kerry McGee, MD, FAAP, has over a decade of experience caring for babies, children, and teenagers as a primary care pediatrician. She has a special interest in adolescent health, particularly in adolescent mental health.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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