If we are lucky enough to have lots of birthdays, we will
experience some changes that we cannot control and others we have a little
control over.

 As far as our eye
lids are concerned, birthdays do take their toll, but like a lot of things, the
cleaner you keep them, the better they will age.

Common lid problems, like swelling, redness, irritation, and
itching can come from many different sources, like styes, chalaziums, exema and
blepheritis, and just birthdays.

Eyelid hygiene, in the sense of routine cleansing and
massage of the eyelids, is well accepted in the management of many disorders of
the eyelid. However, most of the “burden” of routine eyelid care
falls on the patient. There is no magic wand.

A number of preparations exist to make routine eyelid care
more effective and more pleasant, and might improve compliance. Why is this
important?

 Well, it is likely
because it is an extra thing to do at night and the results sometimes take
weeks to months to notice an improvement.

Most conditions that eyelids scrubs are prescribe for are
chronic, so getting in the routine of daily cleaning your eyelids is necessary
to control the problem.

Once you get in the daily routine of cleaning your eyelids
you’ll find that over time it really does improve your condition. There are a
few different ways to do eyelid scrubs.

You can purchase over the counter eyelid scrub pads or
eyelid foams at your local drug store or pharmacy. Use the pads as directed,
but these can get expensive or, at the end of your shower, you can use a tiny amount of
Johnson’s baby shampoo on your fingertips, and just like you wash your hair,
wash your eyelashes, and rinse with lots of warm water. Do this every time you
shower.  Again, compliance is the key!!!