Lid scrubs just aren't cutting it

[BethW]

I've been doing Dr. Latkany's eye spa every night with a rice baggy...in the morning I use a warm wet washcloth for a minute or so to clean my eyes. It feels good, but my eyes aren't completely clean.

I can't describe this very well, but I have a narrow strip of dry skin that runs along my lashline on both eyes. It's very difficult to remove...not like loose flakes in my lashes and not like a crusting, but dry skin that starts to lift up a little, but isn't nearly loose enough to come off on it's own. If I soak my eyes in a very wet washcloth, I can scrub some of it off, but it typically takes some pretty vigorous scrubbing with a wet q-tip or gently scraping with a fingernail (eek).

That said, when my eyes are wet, the dry skin rehydrates and becomes invisible, making it very hard to see if my lashline is clean.

Surely there's a better way, O dry eye gurus. Help!

[dianat]

I'm a dry eye veteran, but certainly not a guru. I know next to nothing about the flakey stuff on eyes. I can tell you that I recently found that using a medicated dandruff shampoo on occasion might be making my eyes feel better. I don't think it's a coincidence either as I've been monitoring it quite closely, but not scientifically.

To be specific, I am using the medicated version of Selsun Blue. I do not use it on my eyes, just my hair. When I rinse I am careful not to get in my eyes, but some of it is running down my face for sure.

I don't have true dandruff problems per se or any eyelid cruddies that I have noticed. I do have extremely thick hair and tons of it. There are times when I'm in such a hurry I put a ponytail in my hair and it isn't completely dry. At night my hair will literally still be wet where my ponytail was being held. It's about that time my scalp gets the itchies and I reach for the Selsun Blue. I swear the Selsun Blue days are better days. It is not advised per the directions to use it every day.

Diana

[ringo]

Could it be that this "strip of dry skin" appears as a result of vigorous massaging or the heat treatments? I know for sure that if i rub my eyelid vigorously (which i stopped doing long time ago), i get dry inflamed skin around the edges. I mean, could it be that you are overdoing something and by constantly removing the "flaky" skin actually exacerbating the problem?

[Gretchen]

Sounds like seborrhea to me.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seb...atitis/DS00984

To Dianat's suggestion, I would try some dandruff shampoo. I don't have seb derm on my eyelids, but do have it on my scalp (otherwise known as dandruff). I use the Jason Naturals anti-dandruff shampoo with Neem oil and it works like a charm on my scalp. You may have to experiment though. And be very careful to dilute the shampoo before the scrub and be very careful not to get it in your eyes.

Also start Omega 3's. Nordic Naturals liquid - 4 TBS a day (yeah I know it is a lot but it will help)

HTH,
Gretchen

[BethW]

Thanks for all your thoughts. I'm currently on Restasis (last 4 months) and doxy (last 6 weeks) and I've been taking 3600mg of fish oil a day for the last 18 months. My eyes have only gotten worse. It started 3 years ago with bloodshot eyes and reflex tearing, but only in the last several months have I struggled with swollen lid margins and the dry skin in the same area.

Ringo, I've questioned if maybe I'm overdoing it, too. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth stopping everything but the fish oils just to start over with a fresh slate. Diana and Gretchen, I've definitely thought about using a dandruff shampoo, but I don't have any scalp problems and I can't decide the best way to use it on my eyes...possibly very diluted?

[ringo]

You might try and stop the massages for a while and see if that would calm the skin of your eyelids, but if you are on Restasis (4 months) i would not advise you to stop it...i think it helps deactivate the inflammatory T-cells on the surface of the eye and in the tear glands.
Even though you might not actually feel improvement, i think Restasis at least keeps things from getting worse in terms of progress of the inflammation.
Please let us know how you are.
Get better soon,