Dry eyes, allergies or simply itching: there are plenty of reasons why we want to rub our eyes. And while it certainly feels liberating in the moment itself, it doesn’t make your skin happy.
Harmful
For whatever reasons you rub your eyes, experts recommend doing it as little as possible (twice a day is actually too much). It’s not good for the skin under your eyes at all. It is the thinnest skin on your entire body, and thin skin can damage quickly. “You should really think of it as rose petals and what happens when you rub them together,” explains plastic surgery nurse Tara Adashev off on HuffPost.
Many dermatologists urge their clients not to rub their eyes. It can have unpleasant consequences. “It can cause you to get tired eyes,” dermatologist Dr. Snehal Amin. In some cases, the rubbing can also damage the capillaries, causing red eyes.
Effect on your skin
However, rubbing your eyes doesn’t just affect your eyes themselves, but especially the skin under your eyes. Chronic rubbing can lead to dark circles under your eyes. This is also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. And the darker your skin tone, the more trouble you can get. “Particularly for dark-skinned people, rubbing has an accelerating effect on the production of skin pigment in the eye area,” said dermatologist Dr. Angelo Thrower. And it doesn’t stop there.
“Rubbing your eyes repeatedly puts you at risk for lichenification, which is a medical term for thickening of the skin,” dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp. This can have adverse effects. For example, it can make the lines in your skin clearer and it can make your skin look dry and flaky. Of course we prefer to avoid that.
Itchy eyes
Now there are several reasons why you feel the need to rub your eyes. “Dry eyes can be one of those reasons,” dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman. “The rubbing can stimulate tear production, but it’s better to apply eye drops during the day so you don’t have to rub.” She recommends that you contact your doctor. Your dry eyes may also require a different treatment plan.
Grossman goes on to say that people can also suffer from allergies: “They can cause itchy eyes, which makes people want to rub and that causes even more itching.” Are you itchy all day long? Even then, the dermatologist recommends that you contact a doctor.
How sensitive is the skin?
Rubbing your eyes is therefore not good for the skin, got it. But we are actually busy with our eyes all day long, such as when we go through our skincare routine or when we apply makeup. Can that actually hurt? Plastic surgeon and dermatologist Dr. Tanuj Nakra can immediately reassure us. “The chances are very small that light touches to your eyes to put on make-up or to put on contact lenses will have an effect on the skin.”
The skin under your eyes can take a lot, but it is better to leave your eyes alone as much as possible. If you really suffer from dry or itchy eyes, always contact your doctor. And do you really need immediate relief? Then the dermatologists recommend applying a cold compress to your eyes. That can also relieve the itching.
Source: HuffPost | Image: iStock