An effective new way of applying heat to the lids before hygiene and MG expression

[Ariel]

It works much better than the rice bag although I'm afraid most of you won't be able to take advantage of it.

I'm lucky to have a massage table with a face-hole at one end that makes it possible to breath through it while lying on the bed face down. Today I boiled a big pot of water and put it on the floor right under the massage table, exactly beneath the area where the hole is located, and I lied on the table with my face inside the hole looking down straight into the pot.

The steam that rose from the water warmed up my eyelids and it was more effective in opening the MGs orifices than the dry heat coming out of a rice bag. Also by lying face down instead of face up, gravity worked on my favor.

Next time I do it, I'm thinking about placing a hot plate beneath the pot of water so that I can keep the water boiling while I'm lying face down on the bed. This will increase the amount of steam that raises from the pot and the temperature will be maintained during the whole session.

Another added benefit of this heating method is that the entire face is evenly exposed to the steaming heat.

[Súil Eile]

This sounds so luxurious! If I had a massage table I probably wouldn't bother with the massages...I'd just do this! I've always been cautious about getting too close to steam/ boiling water, but this sounds like the ideal solution

I usually stand near the kettle when making my morning coffee to get the benefit of the steam...tomorrow morning I'll be enviously thinking of your fantastic 'eye spa' solution

[spmcc]

RE: facial steamer

I know someone who uses a Vicks brand steamer. You can get them as a facial-type steamer or the type that is used for the lungs if you have a cold, sinus troubles, or allergies, for example.

[Ariel]

Should be easier to make room for one of those at home than a massage table!

[Guest]

As some of you may know, I was steaming my lids also (although not with a fancy massage table haha ) Anyhow, when I first started, I would just steam my entire face...

But I ended up getting this wicked cough after a few days... it turned out that it was breathing in all that steam... I stopped steaming my face, the cough went away. I repeated this experiment several times to be sure... but my results were consistent.

Anyhow, to avoid the problem, I ended up having to look like even MORE of a freak haha... I had to tie a large bandana around my nose and mouth while steaming my lids... this way, I could breath in non-steamy air while still getting the steam to where I wanted it: my lids.

Just posted this out of curiousity... wondering if anyone else had the same problem...

[RobLIC]

Chiming in on this, because I have a solution that's been working well for me, and it's cheap and clean and easy. We know moist heat is key, and it's the "moist" part that complicates life.

I nuke Rebecca's rice bag for 50 seconds in my microwave, with the cover OFF. While the bag is nuking, I run the cover under hot water and squeeze it out. When the bag is done, I lay it on a sheet of Saran wrap and cover it, usually wrapping it twice around ... because obviously, you can't get the rice bag wet.

Then I slip the cover over it and you can see the steam coming off within seconds. Voila, lasts about 10 seconds. You don't even need to replace the Saran wrap every day. I find it survives 2 or 3 more trips in the microwave. And I toss the cover into my washing machine whenever I clean my whites!

Rob

[magoo]

I use a method very similar to Rob's. I use sock with rice in it and a warm wash cloth.

Heat the sock in microwave, drop it into a plastic bag, place warm wash cloth over eyes and put rice sock in the baggy over that.

Viola! Moist heat that lasts a good ten minutes.

I found that steaming aggravated my rosacea. I can keep the rice baggy off my cheeks and away from the skin that is affected by the rosacea. Otherwise, I would probably use the steaming method as pressure from the rice baggy makes my eyes blurrier than usual for awhile.