Dry, gritty, irritated eyes can make even simple tasks a daily struggle. If you’ve tried eye drops and lifestyle tweaks, but your eyes still feel uncomfortable, you may be wondering what other options are available.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy can provide relief for people experiencing dry eye. IPL therapy targets the underlying cause of dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). It’s a simple and generally pain-free procedure that has shown promising results. If you want to learn more about IPL therapy, talk to your optometrist.
What Is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Therapy?
Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a non-invasive therapy often used for skin conditions and hair removal. Yet it’s also been found to offer valuable relief for people with chronic dry eye, especially when the root problem is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). MGD occurs when the oil-producing meibomian glands near your eyes don’t produce enough or good enough quality oil to help lubricate your eyes. MGD is a common cause of dry eye.
While the procedure may vary slightly from clinic to clinic, in general, it tends to look as follows:
- We’ll give you goggles or glasses to put over your eyes and protect them from the light.
- We will then apply a cooling gel over the area to be treated.
- Next, we’ll apply the handheld IPL device over the area. The light is designed to melt oil blockages in the meibomian glands.
- After the blockages are melted, we may choose to manually express some of the oil out of the glands.
5 Reasons to Choose IPL Therapy
IPL is a simple and non-invasive outpatient procedure. Here are more interesting things to know:
#1. IPL Targets the Underlying Cause
Many cases of chronic dry eye trace back to meibomian gland dysfunction. In fact this is the number one cause of chronic dry eye. Your tears consist of three layers: a mucus layer, a watery layer, and an oily layer. The meibomian glands are glands in your eyelids responsible for producing the oily layer. When these glands don’t function properly or become clogged, dry eye may result.
IPL addresses dry eye by using pulses of light to melt and unclog oil blocking the meibomian glands.
#2. There Is Optimistic Research on IPL Therapy
While the procedure may require multiple treatments and doesn’t technically cure dry eye, intense pulsed light therapy has provided great results. It prevents further meibomian gland loss to prevent dry eye progression.
Optilight IPL received FDA approval in 2021 for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction.
One 2021 randomized trial study of 132 patients found that IPL was more effective than an eyelid massage and hot compress. This study also found little difference in adverse events between the control and experimental groups.
In a 2016 retrospective analysis, IPL combined with meibomian gland expression was found to be effective at improving dry eye symptoms in 89% of patients.
#3. You Can Expect a Painless, Simple Procedure
IPL therapy is an outpatient (meaning no hospitalization required) procedure that should not be painful. Your clinician will protect your eyes with goggles, apply a cooling gel, and deliver a series of light pulses around your eyelids. You should be able to return to your regular activities after the procedure. That said, IPL is still a medical procedure and does carry some risks.
#4. IPL Can Treat Skin Too
As a cosmetic treatment, IPL can help with hair removal, pigmented spots, spider veins, wrinkles, and scars. In people with dry eye, IPL can treat rosacea, a condition that has been linked to dry eye. IPL can also kill demodex mites, which can cause blepharitis, an eyelid inflammation condition that’s also connected to dry eye.
If you have questions about how IPL therapy will affect your skin, talk to your optometrist.
#5. Treating Dry Eye Is Important to Your Health
Dry eye isn’t just frustrating to live with. Leaving dry eye untreated can lead to more serious consequences. Severe, untreated dry eye increases the risk of complications such as infectious keratitis (an infection of the cornea), corneal ulcers (open wounds on the cornea), and scarring of the cornea leading to vision loss.
Other Things to Know About IPL Therapy
IPL can be effective, but it doesn’t cure dry eye, and the relief that it provides may be temporary. Multiple treatments are often necessary, and many providers recommend four initial treatments with maintenance treatments every six to twelve months.
IPL may not be appropriate for people with darker skin pigmentation. If you have darker skin, you may be at higher risk of skin damage and other negative side effects.
Protecting your eyes from the bright light emitted in IPL therapy is important. Ask your provider if you should be prepared to leave the clinic with sunscreen.
Dry Eye Management at Signature Eye Care
If you’re struggling with dry eye and other treatment options don’t seem to work, talk to our team at Signature Eye Care. We can help you create a personalized treatment plan that addresses your unique concerns.We also offer a “dry eye spa” that uses TempSure Envi and Optilift to help unclog meibomian glands. These treatments can also minimize the appearance of wrinkles. In addition, Optilift tones and tightens lower eyelids to treat eye bags. To get started on tackling your dry eye symptoms, contact us to book an appointment today.
