Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Blephasteam Goggle Review (for MGD)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Blephasteam Goggle Review (for MGD)

    First, this product isn't going to be a miracle cure. But I do think of them as a massive upgrade to the typical warm compress.

    Advantages of Blephasteam over other DIY options for heating the MG's:

    1. It maintains constant heat so you get the maximum possible benefit from the application of said heat (i.e. unlike compresses or other methods, it won't cool off with time and lessen the benefits from treatment)

    2. It maintains constant heat at the CORRECT TEMPERATURE. Melting MG secretions is based on science - we know what temperature is required. But we also know that going too hot can make your eyes red and more irritated, or even damage the cornea if you really overdo it. Blephasteam solves both of these issues since it will heat your lids warm enough to melt secretions without getting hotter than required (which could needlessly increase inflammation/irritation).

    3. It's super easy to use. There's no fiddling around with thermometers to ensure the right temp of a warm compress (or steam). There's no guessing if you're using the correct temperature. Blephasteam ensures you're doing it right, as it would be very hard to screw it up with these due to the design of the product.

    What it can't do (no warm compress can do this, so this list of "can'ts" applies to ALL DIY home methods of heating MG's)
    -it can't fix scarred MG's
    -it probably can't soften a really bad stuck-in-there blockage enough to the point where the blockage would soften and come out on its own (this would likely require manual MG expression)
    -dry eye is complex and lots of us have more than just inflamed MG's - heating the MG's may not be enough to compensate for all the other stuff that's contributing to inflammation on the ocular surface, which is one reason why I think many people notice zero improvement with the application of heat to the MG's

    I just received mine today, and did my first treatment.

    They look well-made, and come with a one-year warranty. The manual says they expect the device to last 7-years... however since they only offer a 1-year warranty I'm going to assume the 7-year thing is a tad bit optimistic, because if they were super confident about that they'd make the warranty last 7 years (and they chose to go with 1-year instead) lol I do not know if the warranty applies to purchasers outside the UK though... so I bought it with that in mind.

    I spent a fair bit of time googling to make sure I found the actual manufacturer's original website as I had no interest in buying a counterfeit product. This is the website, to save your eyes the discomfort of spending extra time looking for it: https://www.theapharmaceuticals-shop...eam-range.html

    However, the manufacturer currently can ONLY ship Blephasteam to UK addresses.

    Because I'm outside the UK, I ordered off Amazon.

    *** BE CAREFUL if ordering off Amazon since it is a known FACT that there are counterfeit sellers on that website and you don't want to get some crappy fake Blephasteam goggles that are a waste of money (or worse, harmful to you). I'm not bashing Amazon... however, their site has so many third-party sellers on it that I believe it's impossible for Amazon to stay on top of all of them, so it's inevitable that some bad apples slip in there.

    For what it's worth, this is the link I used to buy my Blephasteam: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ARUI3WK/
    *** IMPORTANT: this is the seller I bought from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/sp?_encodin...b=&vasStoreID=

    The seller matters... it's not always easy to tell who the actual seller is on Amazon, so make sure you take the time to figure out who the seller is before you finalize your order - Amazon is always changing the location of stuff on their site, but if you fiddle around enough, you'll find the seller info eventually. I chose to take a chance on this one (FirstForContactLenses) because they had 4988 reviews at the time of my purchase with an average satisfaction rating of 99% in the past 12 months. It's hard to fake (or fraudulently buy) that many good reviews, so I figured odds were in my favor that they'd ship me a legit product. Additionally, they are located in the UK, however they do ship outside of the UK (I had mine shipped to me in Spain... I'm not sure if this seller would also ship to N. America or other continents though).

    I wrote the manufacturer today (Thea Pharmaceuticals) asking them to please apply for approval to market this product in Canada and the U.S. If you see the value in it, consider writing them to request this as well. If they see enough demand, they may do it (for all I know plans are already in the works for this... but in case it's not, I wrote them to request it).

    My thoughts on the manufacturer (Thea Pharmaceuticals):

    This is not some shady unknown company trying to scam dry eye sufferers. They are a major company, and I believe this is a legit attempt to use science to improve the effectiveness of warm compresses via a device that regulates the heat to ensure the right temperature is applied.

    In my opinion, worries about this being a scam to prey on dry eye sufferers would be unfounded. However, as I said above heat treatments for MGD are certainly not a miracle cure, either (particularly if one has severe dry eye that's been going on for a long time). So go into it with realistic expectations if you try this product.
    Last edited by SAAG; 10-Jan-2022, 20:51.

  • #2
    Originally posted by SAAG View Post
    First, this product isn't going to be a miracle cure. But I do think of them as a massive upgrade to the typical warm compress.

    Advantages of Blephasteam over other DIY options for heating the MG's:

    1. It maintains constant heat so you get the maximum possible benefit from the application of said heat (i.e. unlike compresses or other methods, it won't cool off with time and lessen the benefits from treatment)

    2. It maintains constant heat at the CORRECT TEMPERATURE. Melting MG secretions is based on science - we know what temperature is required. But we also know that going too hot can make your eyes red and more irritated, or even damage the cornea if you really overdo it. Blephasteam solves both of these issues since it will heat your lids warm enough to melt secretions without getting hotter than required (which could needlessly increase inflammation/irritation).

    3. It's super easy to use. There's no fiddling around with thermometers to ensure the right temp of a warm compress (or steam). There's no guessing if you're using the correct temperature. Blephasteam ensures you're doing it right, as it would be very hard to screw it up with these due to the design of the product.

    What it can't do (no warm compress can do this, so this list of "can'ts" applies to ALL DIY home methods of heating MG's)
    -it can't fix scarred MG's
    -it probably can't soften a really bad stuck-in-there blockage enough to the point where the blockage would soften and come out on its own (this would likely require manual MG expression)
    -dry eye is complex and lots of us have more than just inflamed MG's - heating the MG's may not be enough to compensate for all the other stuff that's contributing to inflammation on the ocular surface, which is one reason why I think many people notice zero improvement with the application of heat to the MG's

    I just received mine today, and did my first treatment.

    They look well-made, and come with a one-year warranty. The manual says they expect the device to last 7-years... however since they only offer a 1-year warranty I'm going to assume the 7-year thing is a tad bit optimistic, because if they were super confident about that they'd make the warranty last 7 years (and they chose to go with 1-year instead) lol I do not know if the warranty applies to purchasers outside the UK though... so I bought it with that in mind.

    I spent a fair bit of time googling to make sure I found the actual manufacturer's original website as I had no interest in buying a counterfeit product. This is the website, to save your eyes the discomfort of spending extra time looking for it: https://www.theapharmaceuticals-shop...eam-range.html

    However, the manufacturer currently can ONLY ship Blephasteam to UK addresses.

    Because I'm outside the UK, I ordered off Amazon.

    *** BE CAREFUL if ordering off Amazon since it is a known FACT that there are counterfeit sellers on that website and you don't want to get some crappy fake Blephasteam goggles that are a waste of money (or worse, harmful to you). I'm not bashing Amazon... however, their site has so many third-party sellers on it that I believe it's impossible for Amazon to stay on top of all of them, so it's inevitable that some bad apples slip in there.

    For what it's worth, this is the link I used to buy my Blephasteam: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ARUI3WK/
    *** IMPORTANT: this is the seller I bought from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/sp?_encodin...b=&vasStoreID=

    The seller matters... it's not always easy to tell who the actual seller is on Amazon, so make sure you take the time to figure out who the seller is before you finalize your order - Amazon is always changing the location of stuff on their site, but if you fiddle around enough, you'll find the seller info eventually. I chose to take a chance on this one (FirstForContactLenses) because they had 4988 reviews at the time of my purchase with an average satisfaction rating of 99% in the past 12 months. It's hard to fake (or fraudulently buy) that many good reviews, so I figured odds were in my favor that they'd ship me a legit product. Additionally, they are located in the UK, however they do ship outside of the UK (I had mine shipped to me in Spain... I'm not sure if this seller would also ship to N. America or other continents though).

    I wrote the manufacturer today (Thea Pharmaceuticals) asking them to please apply for approval to market this product in Canada and the U.S. If you see the value in it, consider writing them to request this as well. If they see enough demand, they may do it (for all I know plans are already in the works for this... but in case it's not, I wrote them to request it).

    My thoughts on the manufacturer (Thea Pharmaceuticals):

    This is not some shady unknown company trying to scam dry eye sufferers. They are a major company, and I believe this is a legit attempt to use science to improve the effectiveness of warm compresses via a device that regulates the heat to ensure the right temperature is applied.

    In my opinion, worries about this being a scam to prey on dry eye sufferers would be unfounded. However, as I said above heat treatments for MGD are certainly not a miracle cure, either (particularly if one has severe dry eye that's been going on for a long time). So go into it with realistic expectations if you try this product.
    You could also buy a USB warm compress. As I've bought this and it helps, it produces steam much like blephasteam but much cheaper. Just what ive did.

    Comment


    • #3
      .........

      So for my particular needs (and anyone else with the same issues), Blephasteam is a genius invention.
      Last edited by SAAG; 10-Jan-2022, 20:52.

      Comment


      • #4
        Curious... do you guys see emojis in my posts? I try to add them to help indicate the tone, but on my screen they don't show up.

        Smile here >>
        Frown here >>
        Cool here >>

        Any emojis on screen for you guys??

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by SAAG View Post
          There's a guest post in the queue for approval... me taking too long to post again so the system logged me out and put the post up as a "Guest"... feel free to delete my "guest" post hehe Sorry!!!



          Unfortunately, I can't tolerate warm compresses The weight of it, combined with being unable to blink when it's on makes my eyelids stick to my eyeballs which is super uncomfortable.

          I've also tried holding my face over a steaming bowl of water, but the steam drifts around a lot making it tricky to maintain uniform heat on the lids, I can't ensure the temperature surrounding my lids is correct (i.e. not too hot, and not too cold), plus, isn't as comfortable as sitting upright wearing Blephasteam.

          So for my particular needs (and anyone else with the same issues), Blephastema is a genius invention.
          Ah! I see. Sorry just thought it's easier for a USB one but if it helps better for you then im glad. Also no emojis either cant see them

          Comment


          • #6
            epicjinx Yeah, I think for most people who don't have my issues with compresses and crazy eyelid-to-eyeball sticking, warm compresses make a lot of sense since they are soooo inexpensive to use.

            And thanks for letting me know about the emojis... can't figure out why mine don't show. Even if I manually type in a colon-bracket symbol, it gets stripped out of my post when I hit the "Post Reply" button. I'm going to check my settings to see if I can find a reason for this in there! Thanks again!

            Comment


            • #7
              I hope it's working for anyone who decided to give it a try!
              Last edited by SAAG; 10-Jan-2022, 20:53.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, I’ve been doing this for months saved me a lot of money!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Amazon won't allow me to deliver it to my US address. How were you able to get it shipped? I tried to purchase it from the seller you (the original poster) listed.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That's an excellent question.
                    Last edited by SAAG; 10-Jan-2022, 20:54.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by SAAG View Post

                      I was in Europe when I ordered it, and had it shipped to me there. I'm so sorry, but I don't know how to get it shipped to the U.S. :-(

                      Hopefully someone else in the forum who has figured out how to do that will come along and be able to help you with this.
                      Should I buy the pack of 100 replacement rings? Or does the blephasteam already come with rings that will last a long time? I purchased the blephasteam on amazon.de for 200 euros; it looked legit but amazon.de didn't sell a seperate pack of 100 replacement rings and they were available on amazon.com.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by rockomon View Post

                        Should I buy the pack of 100 replacement rings? Or does the blephasteam already come with rings that will last a long time? I purchased the blephasteam on amazon.de for 200 euros; it looked legit but amazon.de didn't sell a seperate pack of 100 replacement rings and they were available on amazon.com.
                        Double check what the seller's listing says is included in case it changes... but when I purchased it, it included 100 replacement rings. However, I experimented with using a rolled up piece of paper towel, making it damp, and placing it such that it lines the edges of the blephasteam goggles much the way their rings do... it seemed to work fine. So I'm leaning towards switching to the rolled up piece of damp paper towel method in future. That being said, I think it's wise to start off with the official Blephasteam rings since that will allow you to learn how it's supposed to feel... then one can try to duplicate that via damp, clean, paper towel rings.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I find the rings can be easily re-used 3-4 times. After that they tend to break.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            So I used my Blephasteam for the first time today, I guess I need to use it a couple of times more to give it a proper chance to work, but my first impressions are that it does not warm up or steam up as much as I expected it to? At least it doesn't irritate my eyes but it doesn't seem to have any effect good or bad. Would using the paper towel method help to create more steam maybe? The paper rings are very thin...

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I find it effective. This is my routine:

                              Turn on blephasteam, wait until green light comes on.
                              Fully dunk rings in boiled water (boiled to remove chlorine etc)
                              Put on goggles, but do not push button
                              Wait 5 minutes. Should feel somewhat warm by this time.
                              Push button
                              Do blinking exercises with blephasteam on

                              I feel obvioius loosening and movement of oils by the time it's finished (usually just before it times out).

                              It doesan't feel obviously steamy at the time, but external eyelid skin is obviously wet when it's finished.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X