If a child has inverted eyelashes, under what circumstances does he need surgery?

Two years ago, the doctor told me that my child had eyelash enlargement and needed surgery.

The child is so young, I can’t bear to have him undergo surgery.

Is it possible to avoid surgery for inverted eyelashes?

What are the dangers of not doing it?

Let’s talk about it today

Eyelash inversion, when does surgery need to be performed?

Eyelash enlargement in infancy

Zhao Min, deputy chief physician, deputy leader of the orbital and ocular plastic surgery group of Aier Eye Hospital Group, and assistant director of the eyelid and orbital disease/ocular plastic surgery department of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), said: The eyelashes of infants and young children are relatively thin and soft, and the damage to the cornea caused by inverted eyelashes is relatively mild, so there is no need to rush to deal with it for the time being. As children grow older, their faces become longer, and their nasal bones develop, some inverted eyelashes can be restored. Parents can pull down their children's lower eyelids frequently to reduce the irritation of inverted eyelashes to the cornea.

Eyelash inversion after 3 years of age

If a child is three or four years old and still has severe eyelash inversion, such as frequent rubbing of the eyes, blinking, tearing, fear of light, decreased vision, eyelashes sticking to the eyeball, etc., eyelash correction surgery should be considered. Because children of this age have thicker eyelashes, eyelash inversion can cause more serious damage to the cornea. Parents are advised to correctly understand eyelash inversion and treat it scientifically.

Except for the children

Many adults are also prone to eyelash enlargement.

Generally, according to the severity and cause of trichiasis

To choose treatment

Mild trichiasis: electrolysis or radiofrequency ablation for trichiasis

Spasmodic trichiasis: Botox injection

Severe eyelash inversion: The whole row of eyelash inversion, entropion eyelash inversion, etc. require surgical treatment

Tips:

Many people choose to physically remove 1-3 ingrown eyelashes. However, the removed eyelashes will grow back soon, and the new ones will be thick and hard, which will further damage the cornea.

Eyelash enlargement requires surgery. What will happen if I delay the surgery?

For example: In an eye without inverted eyelashes, the eyelashes protect the cornea, which is like a piece of transparent and smooth glass.

If you have inverted eyelashes, every time you blink, the inverted eyelashes will rub against the cornea, and over time, this "glass" will be scratched. The more inverted eyelashes there are, the more serious the cornea will be scratched, causing corneal infection, severe corneal ulcers, decreased vision, and even blindness.

Scratched glass cannot be restored, and similarly, vision loss caused by scratches from inverted eyelashes is also irreversible.

Tu Huifang, chief physician, leader of the ophthalmic plastic surgery group of Aier Eye Hospital Group, and director of the eyelid and orbital disease/ocular plastic surgery department of Aier Eye Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), reminds: If you have entropion, detect it early and treat it early. If you need surgery, don't delay!