Winter weather negatively effecting your eyes, or skin?

Dry eyes caused by winter weather:
Everyone experiences dry, uncomfortable eyes once in a while due to wind, allergies, indoor heating or staring at a computer for too long. For others, this condition happens on a chronic basis because their eyes don't produce enough tears or the right type of tears.

Almost 5 million people in the United States have dry eye syndrome. Symptoms of dry eye include:
Stinging
Blurry vision
Red eyes
A scratchy feeling
Sensitivity to light
Older people, people who wear contacts, and women are more prone to developing dry-eye. 
While people who have dry eye syndrome experience uncomfortable symptoms year-round, these symptoms tend to be worse in the dry winter. In winter months, moisture in the air drops outside, and moisture in the air inside drops as well because of indoor heating. 
Winter colds and the flu can make your eyes itchy, watery, and red. 

What causes dry eye?
The glands above your eyes make tears to help keep the surface of your eyes lubricated. Tears are made up of a combination of water, fatty oils, and mucus. All three components work together to make your eyes clear and protect them against infection. 
Dry eye occurs when your glands don't produce enough tears, or there is an imbalance in the makeup of your tears. This can result in dry-eye due to a lack of moisture or increased evaporation of your tears. 
How to relieve dry eye in the winter,
Fortunately, there are many ways to combat dry eye in the winter, and all year round. At Cameron Optical IPL and Laser Aesthetics, our experienced Ophthalmologist and Laser professionals can help you deal with dry eye. Here are six helpful tips we recommend:
Use a humidifier,
A humidifier adds moisture to dry indoor air. Use one in the places you spend the most time, such as your bedroom and workplace. 
Soothe your eyes,
Placing a warm compress over your eyes every morning can help unclog ducts to get tear production going and also help soothe irritated eyes. To make a compress, wet a washcloth with warm water, wring out the water and place it over your eyes. 
Wear glasses,
It's important to protect your eyes from the sun, wind, and other elements with sunglasses or goggles. It's especially important to help prevent dry-eye in the winter. 
Take eye breaks from your screen,
American adults spend about 11 hours a day in front of a screen. Aside from the potential back, weight, and social deprivation problems, sitting in front of a screen all day makes you blink less. Take regular breaks from staring at the screen. Close your eyes or blink a few times during these breaks.
Opti-Light by Lumenis,
During the Optilight IPL procedure, the heat emanating from the light helps liquify and release oils that have hardened and clogged the meibomian glands in the eyelids, thus reducing blockages that cause dry eye symptoms and improving the quality of your tears.
How Is Lumenis Optilight IPL Different From Other Dry Eye Treatments?
Standard dry eye treatments, such as eye drops, artificial tears, hot compresses, and eyelid scrubs, aim to temporarily relieve symptoms instead of treating the root cause of the condition.
What is OptiLight?
OptiLight is a light-based treatment that uses precise, intense broad-spectrum light to address dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). MGD is the most common cause of dry eye disease, accounting for about 86% of cases. The treatment addresses inflammation, which is one of the key underlying factors in MGD. OptiLight was specifically developed to reach the delicate contours of the treated area safely, effectively and gently using the OPT™ technology
What is the OPT™ technology?
​Lumenis’ patented technology OPT™ (Optimal Pulse Technology) transforms the use of light and allows targeted, uniform, precise, and controlled treatment. Specifically designed for the delicate area below the eye, OPT™ safely and effectively breaks the vicious cycle of inflammation associated with dry eye.
How does OptiLight work?
OptiLight is a multi-factorial treatment for a multifactorial disease. It addresses the disease by reducing major sources of inflammation leading to dry eye disease such as abnormal blood vessels, Demodex mites, and pro-inflammatory agents. OptiLight restores the function of meibomian glands and delays evaporation of the tear film.
What does treatment with OptiLight involve?
Treatment protocol typically consists of 4 sessions, at 2 to 4 weeks apart:
During treatment, your practitioner will cover your eyes with shields and apply a thin layer of coupling gel on the treatment area.
During treatment, light is applied on the skin below the eyes, most patients report minimal discomfort.
OptiLight is followed by meibomian gland expression.
Each session takes only 10-15 minutes. There is no downtime, you can resume your daily activities immediately.
When should I expect an improvement?
Patients typically report improvement after 2 to 3 treatments. For optimal results, 4 sessions are advised. To ensure long-term results, a maintenance session is recommended every 6-12 months.
What should I expect after treatment?
You may experience some redness immediately following treatment. This will usually disappear within a few hours. You can return to your daily activities and apply makeup straight away in most cases. You will be advised to stay out of direct sunlight for a few days and to apply sunscreen.

If you have tried various treatments and still struggle with unpleasant dry eye symptoms, we can help. Contact us at Cameron Optical IPL and Laser Aesthetics to set up an appointment.

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​Dry Skin caused by winter weather:
​The winter season is here, and as temperatures drop and chilly winds start to pick up, the colder weather can exacerbate the symptoms of dry dry eyes and skin. Redness, dryness and flakiness can become worse as the skin and eyes are stripped of their natural hydration.

Here are a few tips to help you upkeep healthy skin, even in the winter.

1. Stop using cleansers that strip the skin of its natural hydration.
Many cleansers can be too stripping for the skin during the colder seasons. Ingredients that are present in many cleansers, such as salicylic acid, can be great for the skin during the hot summer months, but this is the opposite for the winter season. Believe it or not, ridding your skin of all it's natural oils can be counterintuitive as your skin tends to overproduce more oil in order to compensate. Instead, choose a cleanser with soothing and hydrating properties that won't dry out your skin and cause further irritation like ZO's Hydrating Cleanser, which provides a dual-action formulation that cleanses the skin while hydrating it to minimize dryness and soothe irritation in sensitized skin. This optimal cleanser for those with dry, sensitive skin types is winter skincare essential
3. Protect your skin's defenses with a daily dose of antioxidants.
Did you know that a weak and damaged skin barrier is unable to lock in moisture, leaving skin dehydrated and allowing irritants and bacteria to penetrate the skin? Maintain hydration in your skin by protecting your skin's barrier against environmental factors, like free radicals, that can weaken it. Get your daily dose of antioxidants by replenishing your diet with fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, like blueberries, broccoli, spinach and nuts. Additionally, incorporate a daily antioxidant serum into your daily, winter skincare regimen. For example, ZO's Daily Power Defense, contains enzymatic and antioxidant properties (vitamin E and A) that help protect the skin from free radical damage and improve the skin’s natural repair process.
4. Plump up your skin with soothing, night-time hydration.
Not only can cold winds dry out your skin, but indoor heating can also be to blame if you're constantly blasting hot air in your home, office or car. Your nightly routine can benefit from a heavier, luxurious hydrator to help the skin heal overnight and seal in the hydration from other skin soothing products you may apply. Conventional moisturizers can usually do more harm than good as they usually do not provide long-term hydration or any other long-term benefits. This winter choose a functional hydrator that can reduce the severity of skin reactions, such as dryness, redness and itching, while accelerating hydration from within. Those with sensitized skin and increased skin reactions this winter season, may enjoy the immediate relief provided by Hydrating Crème, a lightweight, non-retinol hydrator. If anti-aging is your goal, Recovery Crème's retinol-based formulation promotes cellular renewal while providing your skin with rich, emollient hydration. For more oily skin types, Renewal Crème restores hydration and soothes skin to minimize visible redness
5. Apply and reapply SPF.
With beach days behind us, and cloudier days ahead—that does not mean you should skip out on sunscreen! While UVB rays are less prominent during the winter season, UVA rays can still be experienced at a significant level. If you're taking part in any in-office procedures this holiday season, such as peels or other ablative procedures, these can leave your skin compromised to harmful UV rays. Make sure to apply a sunscreen with SPF 30 or more to not only protect your skin, but your in-office results as well! ®ZO   Skin Health offers a wide variety of sunscreen options, tinted and non-tinted, with physical and chemical options. 

Stop by Cameron Optical IPL and Laser Aesthetics or check out our online store.