A comprehensive eye examination is a standard part of health maintenance, checking both your vision and the overall health of your ocular system. Preparing for this appointment often involves questions about small details that can affect the results, such as whether cosmetics around the eyes need to be removed. Knowing how to prepare ensures the most accurate assessment of your eye health and a smoother experience with your eye care professional.
The Direct Answer: Mascara and Eyeliner
It is recommended to avoid wearing mascara, eyeliner, and heavy eyeshadow to your eye exam. These products are applied directly to the lashes and eyelid margins, which are the precise areas the doctor needs to inspect closely. Residue from these cosmetics can easily flake off or smudge, creating a visual obstruction. Eyeliner applied to the inner lash line (the waterline) is particularly problematic as it can block the openings of the meibomian glands, which produce the oily layer of your tears.
Waterproof formulations pose an additional challenge because they resist moisture. If the doctor uses eye drops for dilation or other tests, the drops can cause the makeup to run or smear, potentially leading to irritation. If your eyes water naturally during the examination, waterproof makeup is difficult to remove quickly if the doctor needs a clean field of view. For the clearest possible view, it is best to skip eye makeup entirely on the day of your appointment.
How Makeup Interferes with Examination Tools
The primary reason to avoid eye makeup is its potential to interfere with the specialized tools used during the examination. The slit lamp biomicroscope provides a highly magnified, three-dimensional view of the front structures of the eye. This tool requires the patient to lean closely into a chin and forehead rest, and mascara or other eye makeup can rub off onto these rests. This creates smudges that are unhygienic and can contaminate the equipment for the next patient.
If the examination includes dilation, the required eye drops can cause temporary tearing, leading to mascara running across the eyelid skin. Makeup particles, especially glittery eyeshadow, can be drawn into the tear film and obscure the doctor’s view during the slit-lamp examination or retinal photography. Contamination of the tear film can also affect tests that measure tear production or quality, potentially skewing results for dry eye diagnosis. Heavy makeup may also interfere with tests that measure eye pressure, such as tonometry.
Makeup That Is Generally Acceptable
While cosmetics near the eye should be avoided, you do not need to arrive at your appointment completely bare-faced. Makeup applied away from the immediate ocular area is typically acceptable. Foundation, concealer, and blush can be worn, but apply them lightly around the eye sockets and forehead.
The forehead and chin rests of the examination equipment will make contact with your skin, so applying heavy makeup to these areas risks transferring product to the equipment. Lipstick, lip gloss, and eyebrow pencil are also acceptable, as they are far removed from the field of examination and do not interfere with diagnostic tests.