Dry Eyes & IPL

Dry Eyes and IPL

What is Dry

Eyes?

Dry Eye Syndrome is a common condition that results from insufficient tear or inadequate tear quality. Symptoms include red, gritty, burning sensation or fluctuating, blurry vision. Ocular fatigue and constant gritty feeling as well as burning, painful eyes can occur.

Common causes of Dry Eye Syndrome include:

Too much screen time, certain medications, hormonal fluctuations, thyroid issues, contact lenses, bacteria and debris on the eyelid and lashes, pollution, smoking, aging and menopause, allergies, weather changes.

What is IPL?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy, which has been traditionally used as a cosmetic procedure for treating facial skin conditions, effectively treats chronic dry eye, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and Ocular Rosecea. In fact, IPL Therapy is among the more groundbreaking treatments for dry eye.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy is a painless method that delivers pulses of light to liquefy and release oils that have hardened and clogged in the meibomian glands in the eyelids. IPL also reduces eyelid redness and stimulates healthy gland function.

Many of the treatments for dry eye syndrome, such as eye drops, artificial tears, hot compresses, and eyelid scrubs, are meant to temporarily relieve symptoms instead of treating the root cause of the condition. IPL is unique in that it targets the source – the blood vessels surrounding the glands — enabling them to secrete oils naturally and resume their moisturizing function. This not only relieves symptoms, but also slows the progression of chronic dry eye.

Before Your IPL Treatment:

(Pre Care)

Avoid extended sun exposure for 3-4 weeks prior to treatment, including tanning beds and tanning lotions.
Discontinue any products containing Retina-A, retinol, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic/salicylic acids, astringents or Vitamin C for one week prior and one week after treatment.
Notify us if anything changes with your health history or medications prior to each session
Do NOT wear contact lenses on the day of the treatment. Bring your current eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses. Also bring your sunscreen SPF 30+ to put on after the treatment.

The Day of Your Appointment:

Please arrive with a clean face, no creams or make-up on the treatment area if possible. Remove all metal jewelry/accessory before treatment. Do NOT wear your contact lenses. Arrive at the office with your current eyeglasses and be prepared to leave wearing your prescription sunglasses.
Allow 30-45 minutes for the session. Consent form needs to be emailed back to the office 2 days prior to the appointment. Reading and signing at the office will delay the treatment.
Eyeshield and protective goggles will be used, and coupling gel applied to face.
Test spots will be performed first to establish energy level and may increase with each subsequent session. Each session will have 2 passes with the IPL faceplate.
Your eyes will be protected but you will see a bright flash of light with each pulse. After treatment, you will have time to apply your sunscreen SPF 30+ and put on your prescription sunglasses. Avoid sun exposure today.

After Your IPL Treatment:

(Post Care)

You skin may be sensitive after: any warmth sensation, redness, and/or swelling usually resolves within several hours to 3 days post-treatment.
Your skin may feel like it has a slight sunburn for a few hours after treatment. It is OK to apply aloe vera or Aquaphor.
You may apply a clean cold washcloth to the treatment area post-treatment (avoid applying ice packs to the treatment area).
If you experience itching after treatment, you may use an over-the-counter topical Hydrocortisone cream.
Sun spots and age spots may darken and pigmented areas may crust and begin to flake after a few days.
Do not pick, rub, scrub, or exfoliate while healing.
Avoid hot showers and baths until the area is fully healed,cool to warm water should be used when cleansing the area.
No saunas or hot tubs until the area is full healed
Make-up can be applied post-treatment as long as the skin is not broken, irritated, or inflamed. Avoid scrubbing or irritating the area post-treatment. Contact lenses can be worn next day if there are no symptoms.
Avoid exercise or vigorous activity at least 24 hours post-treatment.
It is crucial to avoid any sun exposure for the 1st 48 hours post-treatment. Avoid tanning as much as possible as this may enhance melanin regeneration, resulting in unwanted hyper-pigmentation.
Apply sunblock with SPF 30 or higher daily. Avoid extended sun exposure and wear a hat and sunglasses when outside. Try to keep the treatment area out of the sun as much as possible for at least 4 weeks post-treatment.

Who should not have IPL

You should not have the procedure if you have used tanning beds 4 weeks prior to treatment, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have any moles or warts around your eyes or face, had cancer treatment around the eyes or face, have a history of keloid scarring, suffer from psoriasis, lupus or any other connective tissue disorder, had metal plates, rods or screws inserted around your eyes or face, active herpes infection, Accutane (Isotretinoin) taken in last 6 months or currently taking Minocin or Doxycycline. Additionally, there is a risk of skin pigmentation around the area of treatment.