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Educate female patients on cosmetics’ impact on eyes
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SAN DIEGO – Take time during the appointment to discuss with patients how to care for their eyes when using makeup, a speaker here at Optometry’s Meeting said.
“As eye care professionals we should not avoid the topic of cosmetics and lid hygiene because we are afraid of insulting our patients,” Louise A. Sclafani, OD, FAAO, said. “If we don’t comment on what we see when they are behind the slit lamp, they will assume everything is OK.”
Sclafani suggested discussing these tips: introduce new eye makeup one at a time to check for allergic reactions; do not share makeup; replace makeup every 3 months; do not “top off” mascara with water; do not tug or be or be too aggressive on eyelashes with curlers because it can damage follicles; respect the eye mucosal line because makeup can clog the meibomian gland and introduce bacteria; and remove makeup before bed to reduce the incidence of blepharitis and dry eye.
“It is so obvious that we should take off our makeup at night,” Sclafani said. “But our patients don’t.”
Soap and water is an option, but not always effective, she said. She suggested OcuSoft lid scrubs (original formula) and the OcuSoft Eye Make-Up Remover; however, she personally uses baby oil. Regardless of the product used, she suggested that patients use Vaseline (Unilever) or Aquaphor (Eucerin) to condition the lid margin.
For soft contact lens wearers, patients should put on makeup after putting in their soft contact lenses. For gas-permeable lens wears, the opposite is true, Sclafani said.
Sclafani mentioned a new phenomenon – oculolinctus, also known as “worming.” This practice of eye-kissing or eye-licking can cause eye infections that she jokingly referred to as an “eye STD.”
The “Life’s Shades of Grey” educational session was the first American Optometric Association educational session organized by Women of Vision, said moderator Sclafani, who is the president of the organization and associate professor of ophthalmology, University of Chicago Hospitals. All faculty for the 2-hour session were members of Women of Vision.
Disclosure: Sclafani is a consultant and/or speaker for Alcon, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision and the Chicago Blackhawks; and her spouse is an employee of Optos.