A Proper Clean for Stubborn Eyelid Debris
Do your eyes regularly feel gritty, irritated, itchy or uncomfortable? Take a close look at the edges of your eyelids and eyelashes and you may find part of the problem.
Over time, oils, dead skin cells, bacteria and other debris can accumulate around the lashes and eyelid margins.
For people with blepharitis, this build-up can contribute to ongoing eyelid inflammation and irritation — and sometimes home cleaning with wipes or warm compresses isn’t enough to remove it effectively.
That’s where BlephEx professional eyelid cleaning can help.
At Farmilo Optometrist, BlephEx allows us to provide a thorough in-clinic clean of the eyelid margins and lashes as part of the management of appropriate eyelid and dry eye conditions.
Think of it as a professional clean for your eyelids.
What Is BlephEx?
BlephEx is a professional eyelid-cleaning treatment performed in the practice. A small, rotating medical-grade micro-sponge is carefully passed along the eyelid margins and around the base of the eyelashes.
This gently exfoliates the area, helping remove accumulated debris and biofilm that can be difficult to remove with normal home eyelid hygiene alone.
The treatment is non-surgical and doesn’t involve injections. Most people describe the sensation as a gentle tickling or vibration around the eyelids.
Why Do Eyelids Need Cleaning?
Your eyelids play an important role in keeping the surface of your eyes healthy. Along the eyelid margins are the openings of your meibomian glands. These glands produce the oily component of your tears, helping slow down tear evaporation and maintain a stable tear film.
The eyelid margins are also an area where oils, skin cells, bacteria and debris can accumulate. In people with blepharitis or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, keeping this area clean can form an important part of ongoing management.
The difficulty is that some stubborn build-up around the lashes and lid margins can be difficult to remove thoroughly at home.
BlephEx gives us a way of providing a more intensive professional clean.
BlephEx and Blepharitis
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid margins. It can cause symptoms including:
BlephEx can help remove accumulated debris and biofilm from around the lashes and eyelid margins as part of a wider blepharitis management programme.
It’s important to remember that blepharitis is often a long-term condition. The aim isn’t simply to clean the eyelids once and forget about them. Good ongoing eyelid hygiene remains important.
- Gritty or irritated eyes
- Itchy eyelids
- Redness around the eyelids
- Crusting around the eyelashes
- Flaking around the lashes
- Burning or stinging
- Watery eyes
- Eyelids that feel uncomfortable when you wake up
BlephEx and Dry Eye
Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction frequently occur alongside dry eye.
If the eyelid margins are inflamed or the meibomian glands aren’t functioning normally, the quality of the tear film can be affected.
For appropriate patients, BlephEx may therefore form one part of a wider dry eye treatment plan. At Farmilo, we don’t automatically recommend BlephEx simply because somebody has dry eyes. We first look at what’s actually contributing to your symptoms.
Where necessary, this can include a detailed Dry Eye Assessment and meibography using our Topcon MYAH to examine the structure of your meibomian glands.
Your treatment might then include BlephEx alongside home eyelid hygiene, appropriate lubricating drops, warm compresses or more advanced treatments such as IPL and Low-Level Light Therapy.
Different causes require different treatments.
What About Demodex?
Demodex are microscopic mites that naturally live around the hair follicles and eyelashes. In some people, higher numbers of Demodex may be associated with eyelid inflammation and characteristic debris around the eyelashes.
If we see signs suggesting Demodex may be contributing to your eyelid problems, we’ll discuss appropriate management with you.
Professional eyelid cleaning may form part of that management, but treatment should be based on what we actually find rather than assuming that every case of blepharitis is caused by Demodex.
What Happens During BlephEx Treatment?
1. We examine your eyelids
Before treatment, we’ll look carefully at your eyelid margins and eyelashes to assess the type and amount of build-up present.
2. Your eyelids are professionally cleaned
The BlephEx handpiece uses a small rotating micro-sponge to gently clean along the eyelid margins and around the base of the eyelashes.
Both the upper and lower eyelids can be treated where appropriate.
3. We reassess your eyelids
Once treatment is complete, we can examine the eyelid margins again and discuss what you should do at home to help maintain them.
4. You continue with your day
BlephEx is an in-practice procedure with no surgical recovery period. You can normally return to your usual activities afterwards.
Will My Eyes Feel Better Straight Away?
Some people notice that their eyelids and eyes feel cleaner or more comfortable following treatment. For others, improvement may be more gradual, particularly where blepharitis occurs alongside dry eye or Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. BlephEx isn’t a cure for every cause of irritated or dry eyes.
That’s why identifying the underlying problem is important.
Is One Treatment Enough?
Blepharitis is often a long-term condition and debris can gradually accumulate again. How frequently professional eyelid cleaning is appropriate therefore varies from person to person. Some patients may benefit from periodic repeat treatment, while others can maintain their eyelids effectively with good home care.
We’ll recommend a review or repeat treatment based on what we see rather than automatically treating everybody on the same schedule.
What Should I Do Between Treatments?
Professional cleaning works best when combined with appropriate home eyelid care. Depending on your individual needs, we may recommend:
We’ll explain which measures are relevant to you.
- Regular eyelid cleansing
- Warm compresses
- Appropriate eyelid wipes or cleansers
- Lubricating eye drops where required
- Changes to contact lens wear
- Dry eye treatment where appropriate
- Ongoing review of your eyelid health
Who Might Benefit From BlephEx?
BlephEx may be considered for people with:
The first step is determining whether the symptoms are actually coming from your eyelids.
- Blepharitis
- Persistent debris or crusting around the eyelashes
- Eyelid-margin inflammation
- Some forms of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
- Gritty or irritated eyes associated with eyelid disease
- Eyelids that remain difficult to keep clean with home treatment alone
- Recurrent build-up requiring professional cleaning
How Much Does BlephEx Cost?
BlephEx Eyelid Treatment — £60
Farmilo Eyecare Plan members receive a discount on BlephEx treatment. Ask our team for details.
BlephEx Eyelid Treatment in Leicester
If your eyelids are persistently irritated, crusted or uncomfortable — or home eyelid cleaning simply doesn’t seem to be enough — professional eyelid cleaning may help.
At Farmilo Optometrist, we’ll first assess your eyelids and symptoms to determine what’s contributing to the problem. If BlephEx is appropriate, we’ll professionally clean your eyelid margins and explain how to look after them at home.
And where your symptoms are part of a wider dry eye problem, we can investigate that too through our specialist Dry Eye Clinic.
Related services
Experience cutting-edge IPL and LLLT treatments for unparalleled eye health and comfort.
Cleaner eyelids. Better eyelid care.
Farmilo Optometrist — Leicester
BlephEx Treatment — £60