Cosmetic procedures have been prominent for both women and men for years. While the popularity of certain procedures tends to decrease and incline in waves, temporary facial “improvements” like Botox injections have become and remain one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. The popularity is thanks to its noninvasiveness, and less important influences like social media app filters that give you a visual perception of how different you can look by “just getting a little work done…”

Botox is also used at times to maintain eye alignment and treat uncontrolled eyelid twitching.

The decision is ultimately yours. While we do not oppose personal decisions within this realm, our team is here to help answer questions about anything that can pertain to the health of your eyes.

So, let’s talk about it.

The Decision-Making Process

To start, you may be wondering why we are focusing more on Botox than dermal fillers. Dermal fillers are different substances and most often used to increase volume in areas farther away from the eyes, like the lips. Botox is most often used to hinder wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes.

While Botox injections for cosmetic reasons are often self-decided most prevalently among women older than 30, both men and women in their 20’s have started to take this facial aging preventative measure into consideration too.

As the Botox user rate increases along with other possible threats to eye health and the common problems that increase by age, one of the most proper precautions to protect your eyes is to schedule a check-up with your Optometrist first.

This precautionary action is especially important if your plan is to receive injections between the eyebrows and above the nose. This area, referred to as the glabella, is one of the riskiest areas where injections can result in vascular blindness.

The Certified Practitioner Pursuit

Taking a risk is always based on looking for a reward. Don’t take two risks in the pursuit of one reward!

The doctor or practitioner of your choice must be able to:

1. Recognize any complications immediately
2. Have the ability to treat them appropriately

Here are a few things to take into consideration when making the practitioner decision:

1. Do you feel comfortable in the facility?
2. Have the procedure risks been mentioned and fully discussed prior to your consent?
3. Have you seen before and after photos or been able to reach out to a current patient to discuss their experience?

The Possible Perils

Botox injected by an untrained hand can permeate the wrong muscles causing a droop of the eyelid, which will ultimately settle but can be very bothersome.

The first visual disturbance case from a cosmetic facial filler was listed in 1988. The report showcased a reaction of retinal artery occlusion.

After speaking with a few users of the botulinum toxin, we received a story of one experience worth notating from a consumer in her late 20’s:

“I had Botox under my eyes once! It basically relaxed my eye muscles so much that my eyes wouldn’t shut all the way when I slept at night. It was a frustrating 3 months. It was supposed to help with the bags under my eyes but the result wasn’t as I expected. I also was extremely sensitive to light during that period of time. Other than that … my “vision” was fine.” – Julie

As facial fillers with high negative results have surely declined over the years, droopy eyelids are one of the most reported side effects that can last up to 6 months.

Other possible perils include:

• Allergic reactions as a rejection from the body which can be detrimental to vision and eye health
• Irritations noticeable by bloodshot eyes and temporarily blurred vision
• Vascular occlusion, otherwise referred to as a decline of blood flow

One tip: do not rub the area of injection! Rubbing a sore area is one of the most common reactions to reduce discomfort. But, after an injection, rubbing can cause Botox to spread into other areas and lead to unwanted effects.

An immediate, emergency visit to your trusted Optometrist is suggested for reactions such as loss of vision and reactions that are highly painful or prolonged.

More Questions?

Give us a call 703-369-3937! Need to schedule an appointment? You can easily schedule an appointment here.

Putting makeup on is fun! It can also be considered one of the most relaxing and satisfying parts of getting ready… If it is being done on time, and not in a rush, which we can admit is pretty rare.

Of all the little mishaps that can take place during the getting ready process like, nicking your leg with a razor, or burning your arm with a curling iron, harming your eyes with cosmetics is a common mishap, too.

You might be surprised to read that everything from mascara to foundation and powder can have an effect on your eyes.

Allow us to guide you in what to look out for when buying and what to make sure of when using certain types of cosmetics.

Before You Buy:

List Out: Go ahead and take notes from influencer led social media videos, the newest products of your favorite brands and cosmetics that your friends and family members love.

Read Up: Don’t simply let the influencers, family, and friends easily influence your purchase decisions. There are still two steps to take. The next one? Read up on the list of product ingredients as some can lead to negative reactions to the delicate skin that helps safeguard your eyes.

Avoid These Ingredients

A few things to check for and avoid are parabens, phthalates, and fragrances. Otherwise known as “man-made” chemicals used to help preserve products, prolong their scents and the plastics they are packaged in. Keep in mind that these chemicals often are not simply listed as “parabens”, “phthalates”, and “fragrance”. These ingredients typically have more specific names in the ingredients list.

One of the easiest suggestions? Look out for products listed as paraben-free and fragrance-free, meaning they do not have any of those manufactured chemicals in the product recipe.

Try Before You Buy

We’re sure you’ve heard the term Try Before You Buy before. We agree, it is one worth following. Brands and stores will often provide samplers for certain products. Or you can always start your search for your personally best options by buying gift sets that house several different types of one cosmetic necessity like eyeliners or mascaras.

Give these picks a try and keep track of how your eyes and the skin around your eyes react before you transfer from testing out the snack-size product to investing in the king-size one.

While You Use:

Preparation

Wash. Your. Hands: We know you know how important this step is and that it shouldn’t only apply after your toilet has been flushed. Anything that is left on your hands like facial serums or moisturizers can transfer onto other surfaces… This brings us to step number two…

Contacts: Put your contacts in! But make sure your hands are 100% dry before application as some tap water might contain dangers to the eye. Inserting contacts before embellishing with makeup is important because it prevents your lenses from getting dirty and damaged and trapping makeup between your eye and the lens.

Clean: Also keep track of the last time you’ve washed your brushes and sponges. These very important tools can harbor and grow types of mold and bacteria dangerous to the health of your eyes.

Application

Check Expiration Date: If you’re looking to use a product you haven’t used “in a minute”, see if you can find the expiration date. Cosmetics do expire! When a product expires, your skin expires to it. If you can’t find the date, keep this in mind: properly stored and/or unopened makeup lasts for an average of 2 years.

Eyeliner: When it comes to eyeliner, we have two pieces of advice for you: always sharpen your pencil and avoid the inside of your lash line. An unsharpened pencil makes it harder to precisely apply and can scratch your eyelids and lash lines. Even if you use a liquid liner or an eyeliner pen, applying it to the inside of your lash line can block important glands and lead to painful styes.

Removal

Wash Your Face: Do not, we repeat, do not go to bed without washing your face and removing all your makeup! One of the most common issues that results from sleeping before cleansing — especially if the makeup you used is borrowed or expired—is an eye infection called conjunctivitis, better known as pink eye.

Makeup Remover: Looking to try something organic to remove your eye makeup? Try a simple concoction of witch hazel and water which often also helps reduce eye inflammation.

Replace: If you ever experience an infection of any sort, removal of the brushes and products used in that area of the face are the best next step! Quickly remove and replace to avoid spreading the bacteria that caused the infection any further.

Questions? Infections?

Give us a call at 703-369-3937! Our team at Piedmont Vision Care is here to help.

365 days can manifest a great deal that you might not be able to set your sights on quite yet. Don’t wait until you can’t see it to believe it.

Quiz yourself in a quick “This or That!” and see where you stand when it comes to maintaining your eyesight and what’s worth *looking* into for your eye health before 2022.