Trichiasis

Aside from beauty, our eyelashes prevent dust and other foreign objects from entering the eye, warning us of danger and protecting us with the blink reflex. Trichiasis is a common problem of the eyelid that describes abnormal eyelashes growing inwards toward the eye, rubbing against the cornea and inner surface of the eyelids. This causes intermittent or constant irritation, redness, watering or ulceration.

Trichiasis occurs more often in adults than children and be caused by infection, inflammation, autoimmune conditions, injury, chronic blepharoptosis and burns.

Epiblepharon, is often misunderstood as tiredness, when it is a fold of skin that rotates eyelashes into the eye. It is prevalent amongst certain populations and is seen as a fold on their inner or lower eyelid.

Treatment for trichiasis involves correcting the lashes and the cause of the ingrown lases. Epilation is the plucking of the lashes with tweezers, but these regrow over weeks. Our preferred treatment of choice is radiofrequency ablation which is carried out as an office-based procedure.