Learn More About Lashes: Plants vs Prostaglandins with Dr. Tracy Offerdahl

Hi, I’m Dr Jennifer Stewart, and I’m here with the Woo’s Wisdom from Dr Elise Kramer’s webinar- “Eyelid Hygiene From Office: Education and Product Dispensing to Increasing Patient Compliance at Home.”

As we know, patient compliance in dry eye can be a challenge.   How can we get our patients to be better at this??  It is starts with a complete program- including eyelid cleansings, screening, risk assessment, patient education and coaching.

One of her top tips- look at the lids!  Ask your patients to look down – collarettes and misdirected or missing lashes might not be apparent when the patient is looking straight ahead.

She also talks about taking lessons from  dental hygiene- they are great at identifying and showing us during cleaning and screening how to prevent gum problems.  They also offer in office interventions and products to prevent disease.

So why is hygiene important?  We can really improve patient symptoms and prevent sight loss.  Education is key for lifelong compliance.

Another tip? Baby shampoo just doesn’t cut it!  It destroys the lipid layer.  What do we look for in a cleanser?  We want to effectively remove eyelid crusts, have it be pleasant and easy to use, and avoid side effects from the treatment.  What active ingredients should we look for?  Hypochlorous acid and tea tree oil are safe and effective.

Thank you again Dr Kramer for sharing your wisdom with the Woo U community!