The experience of dry eyes is a common one, especially if you wear contacts or stare at a computer screen all day. But what if there was a treatment that helped alleviate dry eyes and tightened the skin around your eyes at the same time? Sign us up!
Dry eye disease is certainly more common due to our dry climate here in Calgary, but it can also be accompanied and exacerbated by something called meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Our meibomian glands are glands along our lash line that produce oils to keep our tears moist and from evaporating too quickly. In MGD, these glands can become blocked or distorted, thus reducing the amount of oil in our tears and resulting in dry eyes.
Enter in the Fix treatment. The Fix aims to reduce dry eyes through improving the health of the meibomian glands, while simultaneously treating the delicate skin around the eyes and improving overall appearance.
“The Fix is a multilevel treatment. To begin, it involves exfoliation and oxygenation of the skin using an antioxidant and vitamin-rich hyaluronic acid serum that nourishes, revitalizes, and hydrates the skin,” says Dr. Danielle Gordon. “Those ingredients are then deeply infused into the treatment area with the application of ultrasound, followed by radiofrequency technology to provide targeted therapy to the periocular skin and meibomian glands.”
The energy delivered by the application of radiofrequency helps to open the meibomian glands and also soften the oils within the glands that may have been causing blockages. With oils more freely flowing from the glands to the surface of the eye, dry eye symptoms can be significantly reduced.
“Because the deep heat provided by radiofrequency also stimulates increased production of collagen and elastin, the Fix can often result in minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet and plump up the appearance of the skin around the eye. Yes, please!” says Dr. Danielle.
The application of radiofrequency technology for human health has been around for 100s of years, and it is a long-established treatment of lines and wrinkles, as well. More recently it has entered into the eye care world as a way to help manage dry eye disease and meibomian gland dysfunction.
“On our end, I have spent a lot of time building a protocol around the use of this technology to help manage our dry eye patients and better their outcomes while also supporting the health of the skin around their eyes – an area we often neglect,” says Dr. Danielle.
“At Sphere, we have a deep love for managing dry eye and ocular surface disease, and we have really wanted to provide a service to our patients that could move the needle a little more thoroughly and sustainably with respect to the condition. So many Calgarians struggle with dry eye disease – from mildly irritated eyes to lifestyle changing discomfort. We’re so glad we’ve brought this technology to our space to add to the dry eye therapies we already provide.”
Is the Fix right for you?
“If you are someone who struggles with dry eyes, if your lids are often inflamed and sore, or if you are simply looking to improve the appearance of your skin, getting the Fix is a great way to start!” says Dr. Danielle.