Eyelashes growing into the eye
Ingrown eyelashes: laser or surgery?
Do eyelashes growing into the eye need surgery? Dr. Mahmoud El Samkary explains when laser is enough and when an inturned eyelid needs surgery.
Ingrown eyelashes are lashes that have changed direction and rub against the surface of the eye and the cornea, causing heavy tearing and severe pain. They are common after the age of fifty with a condition called entropion (inturned eyelid).
When is laser enough?
If there are only a few ingrown lashes (one or two), they can be treated with laser, electrocautery or cryotherapy to remove the abnormal lash follicles. Dr. Mahmoud El Samkary uses these methods only when the number is small, because they can affect the eyelid margin and cause dry eye.
When is surgery necessary?
If many lashes turn inward, the eyelid itself has turned in. The eyelid position then has to be corrected surgically, with a cosmetic procedure that leaves no visible scar and strengthens the muscles, so the lashes return to their normal direction.
The risk of neglecting ingrown lashes
Neglecting ingrown lashes and an inturned eyelid can lead to corneal opacity, severe dryness and a permanent effect on vision, so treatment should not be delayed.
Videos on this topic
Lashes growing into the eye: laser or surgery?
Watch on YouTubeInturned eyelid and lashes growing into the eye
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