Dry eyes for hairstylists

Hairstylists’ eyes dry out because the job surrounds them with moving warm air from blow dryers, fine mist from sprays, and hours of close-up focus on cutting lines, foils and color. Focus cuts blinking, and the warm airflow speeds evaporation. Aiming the dryer away from your own face, blinking between sections, venting the station and using a lubricating drop as labeled on breaks all help.

Why the salon floor is hard on eyes

A salon packs several eye-drying conditions into one room. Each on its own is minor. Together, over a ten-hour day and five or six days a week, they add up:

• Blow dryers pushing hot, fast air for most of each appointment, often bouncing off the client’s head toward yours.
• Aerosol sprays and finishing mists that hang in the air at face height.
• Bright overhead and mirror lights that encourage squinting.
• Close focus on fine work: point cutting, weaving foils, a precise hairline.
• Air conditioning or heat running hard to keep a room full of dryers comfortable.
• Short or skipped breaks when the book is full.

Blow dryers and your own face

A blow dryer moves warm air quickly, and both warmth and air movement speed evaporation from the tear film. Stylists often spend more time in that airstream than clients do, because they lean in to work the brush. A few changes in technique keep the air off you:

• Point the nozzle down the hair shaft and away from your body, not back toward you.
• Rotate the chair instead of leaning across the client to reach the far side.
• Use the cool setting for finishing when the style allows it.
• Keep your face above the airflow rather than level with it.
• Turn the dryer off while you section or re-clip, instead of letting it blow.

Hairspray, color and other products near your eyes

Spray and mist irritate eyes when they drift into them. Spray in short bursts, shield the client’s face and your own with your hand or a card, and step back while the mist settles. Keep the station ventilated: an exhaust fan or open door helps more than a fan blowing across the room, which spreads mist and dries eyes at the same time.

A splash of color, developer or another chemical in the eye is different from dryness. Follow that product’s own label for what to do, and get medical help when it says to. Quell’s label doesn’t cover chemical splashes, and a lubricating drop isn’t first aid for them.

Close-up work and blinking

Concentration slows blinking, and blinks during precise work are often incomplete. A foil highlight or a careful fade can mean several minutes of steady staring. Build blinks into the rhythm of the service:

• Blink fully every time you set down the comb or switch sections.
• Look up at the far wall for a few seconds between steps.
• Let your eyes rest closed for a moment while color processes.
• Position the mirror light so it isn’t shining into your eyes.

Our guide to how blinking spreads tears explains why full blinks matter.

Using Quell on a salon schedule

Quell is an over-the-counter lubricating drop. The Drug Facts Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye, which fits a salon day neatly: once before the first client, once at lunch and once at the end of the day. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss.

• Wash product off your hands before you touch your eyes or the bottle.
• Keep the bottle in a closed drawer or bag, away from heat tools and spray mist.
• Follow the handling line: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Note the storage range: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A shelf next to a running hood dryer can get warm.
• If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately. Keep it away from product bottles where it could be confused for something else.

If you wear contact lenses at work, the label doesn’t cover using it with them; ask your eye doctor. The full label is on our Drug Facts page.

Long shifts on your feet

Salon days are long, and tired eyes feel drier. Drink water between clients; a warm, dry salon dries more than your eyes. Step outside or into the break room for a few minutes between appointments. If you’re booth renting, consider where your station sits relative to vents and other stylists’ dryers before you choose a chair. More ideas for heat-heavy jobs are in dry eyes in a hot, dry workplace.

When to see an eye doctor

If your eyes stay irritated after a day off, or you notice pain or vision changes, see an eye doctor. The label puts it plainly: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. Our self-check can help you think through what to do next.