Thermoeyes for hot compresses-gel or beads?

[Súil Eile]

I'm considering getting Tranquileyes/Thermoeyes solely for compresses and not for moisture. I'm trying to find a more convenient approach to hot compresses! I've been using heat packs and cotton wool, but neither are working perfectly. The cotton wool cools too quickly and the heat pack is drying out the skin on my forehead and around my eyes.

I realise most people probably only invest in one form of Thermoeyes, but I'm looking for opinions on:

1) whether the beads or gel packs are best for compresses?

2)would they actually be hot enough to work as compresses?

3) Are they solely for use within the goggles or can they be placed directly on the eye lid?

Any input appreciated!

[Spoon]

Beads

Go for the beads, hands down. I have both but only use the gel packs when a microwave is unavailable. Unless your obstructions are very mild i don't think the gel packs will provide enough sustained heat.

As per this study You need a heat supply of approximately 45°C for at lease 4min to achieve an inner lower eyelid temperature ≥ 40°C (deemed the average temperature required to melt altered meibum). Longer therapy may be necessary for more severe obstructions.

I know the gel packs don't achieve this but i think the beads can. You can get the beads far beyond what would burn your skin so temperature is not a issue with the beads. They also retain heat for much longer than the gel pack. The key is to insulate the outside surface of the beads as much as possible, to minimize heat loss to atmosphere - making the heat dissipate much slower and only into your lids. The way i do this is using tranquil eyes with ALL foam removed and just place them on the rubber case - they fit perfectly, then i place oval makeup removal pads that have been soaked under warm-hot water over each bead pack. Then onto my eyes. Buying tranquil eyes for this purpose is a rather expensive way to go and you may find a cheaper solution, although the rubber on T.Eyes is a good insulator.

3) I would not place them directly on the eyelid but i do not use the foam either because it is actually very poor at conducting heat even when wet. The foam covers that come with the beads may be its so thin you may burn the lid, the wet makeup pads are very effective.

Hope this helps.

[RobLIC]

Spoon - great post. I'm going to use your tip about the makeup pads. I love it when people cite the Korb study about meibum temperature. I really believe that reaching that temperature is the key to progress with gland expression.

[Súil Eile]

Excellent. Thank you for such a detailed post, Spoon. It's exactly what I wanted to know. I'm drawn to the convenience of something specifically designed to warm my eye lids without affecting the surounding skin. Looks like the beads/ goggles may be the best way to go. That make up pad trick is something I'll keep in mind too.

That study is very interesting. The more effective the compress the better the result. It would be infuriating to go through the process of a compress without getting the desired affect.

Thanks again!

[Rebecca Petris]

Great post, Spoon. I totally agree the beads are better. You have more control over the temperature and the heat lasts a lot longer. The flip side of that is, it's easier to get them hot enough to burn your lids with so you have to be really careful.

About those sleeves - the first sets had foam sleeves, but the manufacturer soon replaced them with fabric sleeves. I have not used the fabric sleeves myself yet so I'm not sure how they compare.

When you say oval makeup removal pads - are these pretty much the same as the thermopads (the dense white little oval pads that come with thermoeyes)?

[Súil Eile]

I'm currently trying to modify a heat pack to fit just over my eyes. If that doesn't work I may invest in some beads and goggles!

[Spoon]

No worries. To answer your question Rebecca yes i was referring to those thin foam sleeves that used to come with the beads but when i say oval pad i mean the cotton makeup removal pads. I find those thermopads (Tranquil Eyes) to small for the way I describe, they may be a good size for some though. However the makeup pads have the advantages of no washing (disposable), dirt cheap from supermarkets and retain more moisture IMO if you get some nice thick ones. To make all this clear i have just uploaded a photo.

As Rebecca pointed out you have to be careful not to burn your lids. The instructions say heat in the microwave for 1min with the beads in a full cup of water but microwaves vary in power, cups are different etc so i recommend starting at 50 sec and working your way up if necessary.

A few tips:
1. If you overheat the beads too much they will expand permanently (they will to some extent anyway) and then you wont get optimal lid contact.
2. If you don't fully submerge the beads while heating them in the microwave the plastic tends to melt and they may leak (two of mine have) so i use an egg cup in the cup of water to hold em down.

Another thing worth mentioning is that using makeup pads that fully cover the beads and soaking them in warm water will enable you to heat the beads to the point where they would hurt your skin on direct contact but with the pads on they won't (which is why you want good coverage over the beads). Go conservative and work up though, would hate for anyone to burn their skin.

All in all a good product and not badly priced at the Dry Eye Shop.