Do you know what the “face mask effect” means?Discover three keys to avoid it

The face mask is an essential protection against COVID-19, although you may find it annoying for your eyes or your ocular well-being and you may have noticed some of the consequences of the “face mask effect“. We explain what it entails and the solutions we can offer you at Miranza clinics to help you solve it.

Refractive surgery, a possible alternative to wearing glasses

The first handicap you may have encountered, if you usually wear glasses, is the added discomfort of them fogging up when you wear a face mask. Some tricks, such as wearing your glasses over it, can reduce this inconvenience, but if you are considering a more final solution, refractive surgery is an option you may consider and which some patients decide to opt for.

There are several laser refractive surgery techniques or intraocular lenses that can be used to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and even presbyopia, thus eliminating or reducing dependence on glasses. If you are considering surgery, here are three key points you should bear in mind:

• Put yourself in the professional hands of a renowned expert, as this is not a trivial surgery.
• Get customised advice, since a correct indication accounts for more than 80% of the surgery’s success. Ophthalmologists must assess whether you are a suitable candidate and, in this case, take into account aspects such as your lifestyle, your expectations and your eye’s characteristics to select the appropriate technique.
• Go for a safe surgery, carried out by the same ophthalmologist who has accompanied you throughout the process and performed in operating theatres with cutting-edge technology and the highest standards of hygiene and biosafety.

New therapies for dry eye owing to the “face mask effect”

Due to vapor from breathing rising to the eyes when you wear a face mask, not only do glasses fog up, but dry eye symptoms also increase, just as they do, for instance, in air-conditioned or heated environments.

The feeling that there is a foreign body in the eye, itching, redness or excessive tearing are symptoms that may indicate that you suffer from this problem, which is worsened by other factors that have increased during the pandemic, such as excessive screen time and lack of eye relaxation, with a lot of near vision and little outdoor activity.

However, you do not have to accept these discomforts. Using artificial tears and taking regular eye breaks will help you to achieve greater comfort. Furthermore, Miranza’s centres feature innovative in-office treatments for dry eye, such as IPL (intense pulsed light), which can help you notice effective improvement.

Solutions for aesthetic issues in the periocular area

A third handicap of the “face mask effect” is that, by covering half of the face, our attention is focused on the eyes, making aesthetic defects, such as “bags” under the eyes, dark circles and small wrinkles in the outer eye corners (“crow’s feet”) or between the eyebrows more visible.

As a result, many people want to look better by reducing these signs and rejuvenating their appearance. If this is your case, there is a wide range of solutions available to you, whether surgical, such as blepharoplasty, or cosmetic treatments for the face that do not require surgery, such as botulinum toxin, fillers, lifting with ultrasound, etc. Whatever your option, Miranza’s oculoplastic ophthalmologists, who are experts in the care of the periocular area, stress the importance of applying minimally invasive techniques that ease recovery and achieve natural results, without endangering eye structures or vision.

To solve any of the issues associated with the “face mask effect”, do not hesitate to refer to our eye health and well-being specialists.