My journey into the world of blepharitis and dry eyes started around 20 years ago. Being first diagnosed with these conditions was not an easy adjustment. It requires daily routine cleaning and often multiple times in a day to get the inflammation under control.
This was a relatively big change in my everyday lifestyle. Over time, it became a habit like brushing my teeth or shaving, a process I have come to perfect over the years but every single cleaning routine always started with a method to heat the eyelids.
Washcloth and warm water
Running a washcloth under warm water, rinsing it out and then applying it on top of my eyes was how it all started for me. Back then, I didn't have many other options. The research was more limited and this is what my doctor was suggesting at the time. After awhile, it just became more of a nuisance.
For one, it was messy. Hot water running down the side of your face for 15 minutes is annoying. Having to continuously run it under hot water and ring out the rag in the sink just wasn't practical.
It was hard for the cloth to stay hot long enough. I started out with heating my eyes for about 10 minutes but the problem was, it only stayed hot for about 3 minutes before I needed to run it under hot water again. Sure, I could have kept running it under the tap, rinsing it and putting it back over my eyes but the whole process just seemed unnecessary. There had to be a better way.
Microwavable eye masks
When I found out about microwavable eye masks they were an absolute game changer for me. No mess and way more consistent heat than warm washcloths. Simply throw it into the microwave for 60 seconds and voila, you have a piping hot eye mask.
Most microwavable eye masks come with a type of crystal or bead-like flaxseed and when heated up can stay warm for long periods of time. It was a huge upgrade from what I was doing before and the prices were reasonable as well. I used these types of masks for years, testing out different kinds along the way but the one thing I noticed they all had in common was they didn't remain warm for as long as I needed them to. After about 5 minutes, they would start to cool down pretty significantly and I usually prefer 10 or 15 minutes of heat at a time. This wasn't a major problem though, all I needed to do was fire it back up in the microwave for 30 seconds and I was set to continue on with my cleaning routine. Still, I was on the lookout for some type of heated eye mask where the heat stayed constant enough for me to sit back, relax and not worry about reheating it.
Electric heating eye mask
Consistent heat, comfortable material, safe to use, adjustable timer, portable. Finally, a heated eye mask that had all the bells and whistles I was looking for! Having the ability to select a specific time and heat was the perfect solution to my problem. Another great benefit was being able to bring it with me when I travel which I do quite frequently for work. Heating and cleaning my eyes was always a huge hassle on the road. Which hotels do you know have microwaves in the rooms? Knowing that I could pack up my electric heated eye mask and use it pretty much anywhere on the go was a big relief. Now I Just plug it into my laptop, lie on the couch or hotel bed and let the eye mask do the work.
