Your Treatment Day

The Smart Dry Eyes treatment session lasts, depending on the type of intervention, for no more than 30 minutes, and you can resume your normal activities immediately afterward.

One Week Prior: Avoid using self-tanners or tanning beds. Also, sunbathing should be avoided.

The day of the Treatment: Please remove contact lenses and eye makeup before your treatment. While both can be reapplied directly after the treatment, we recommend waiting 24 hours before reapplying makeup. 

Depending on your diagnostic test results, your treatment may involve multiple steps and various devices. During the treatment, you will be comfortably reclined on a treatment bed. The procedure consists of a regimen of three main physical treatments: 

1. Infrared Light Exposure

The eyes will be covered with a protective shield, while we expose the face to infrared light in order to heat the Meibomian glands within the eyelids. 

In cases of Meibomian gland disease (MGD), the gland secretions—also called “Meibom”—frequently are no longer oily. Higher temperatures help to liquefy the Meibom and facilitate easier expression in the subsequent step.

2. Eyelid Cleansing Procedure:

Most cases of dry eye disease are classified as evaporative dry eye disease.

Typically, the Meibomian glands generate oily substances, which are released into the tear film.

However, in cases of Meibomian gland disease and/or inflammation of the lid margin (blepharitis), the gland openings become blocked by stiff meibom, resembling toothpaste, or by a biofilm covering the lid margin that obstructs the gland orifices.

Using a specialized instrument, we clean and exfoliate the eyelid margins, removing debris and bacteria that contribute to blepharitis and dry eye. Gland orifices can be opened so that secretions can reach the tear film more effectively. This procedure is the first step in restoring proper oil flow and reducing the symptoms of dry eyes.

3. Expression of Meibomian Glands

The pretreatment of Meibomian glands and eyelid margins now allows for more effective expression of the glands with specialized forceps.

Gentle, digitally controlled expression force can clear blockages in the meibomian glands. The important fatty substances added back to the tear film will substantially improve tear quality.

After these physical treatments, depending on the results of your diagnostic examination, we will apply impulses using a device called Tixel.

Tixel

Before the treatment, a numbing cream will be applied to the eyelids. Ten Tixel impulses are then applied to the lower and upper eyelids in two adjacent rows.

Tixel does not require any special eye protection because there is no light emission. The energy levels around the eye are very low, so there is no risk to the eye itself.

Apart from a heating effect, Tixel impulses generate various repair mechanisms for the Meibomian glands, which can stimulate Meibom production and secretion. Studies showed a significant improvement in important tear film parameters.

The treatment is rapid and does not take more than 2 minutes.

If the diagnostic examination results show additional changes in the eyelid, further treatment with intensive pulsed light (IPL) may be indicated.

IPL Treatment:

Depending on the IPL model, a special hydrogel, similar to that used in ultrasound, is applied to your lower eyelids. As light energy will be near the eye, we will provide you with eye protection during this session.

A series of five light pulses is applied from the inner to the outer corners of the eyes. During the treatment, you will feel warmth from the light pulses, which will dissipate immediately after the session.

LLL Light

Low-level light treatment (LLLT) is a non-invasive therapy that uses specialized LEDs to increase tear production by reducing inflammation and stimulate cell activity. It helps rejuvenate oil gland activity in the eyelids. The red and blue light target different exacerbated symptoms, resetting and refreshing your eyes.

The treatment stimulates the restoration of normal meibomian gland function; therefore, you should experience significant improvement within a few hours. 

Contact lenses and makeup can be reapplied directly after the treatment; however, we recommend waiting 24 hours before reapplying makeup.  

Sensitive skin may experience some short-term skin irritations.