Combing and dry tears

[EdG]

Here is an odd problem that I have noticed: after combing my hair, the corners of my eyes will be filled with dry tears. This seems to be due to the combing stimulating the scalp.

I usually need to clean my eyes with a damp washcloth.

Has anyone encountered this? Are the dry tears unavoidable?
Ed

[Trip]

I have no idea what you are talking about and use a comb brush combo thing (tangle teezer not sure the actual category) lol

[EdG]

I will clarify. The tears are from the tear glands around the eyes. They have dried so they do not flow like wet tears. Instead, they come out when the scalp has been stimulated (as when combing).

My optometrist suggested that the dry eyes may be a medical condition. It doesn't appear to be serious enough to warrant seeing a doctor.
Ed

[cjk]

I used to call that having sleep in your eyes. As a kid I would wake up with a minimal crust over in the corner of my eyes, just as you describe.

Haven't had that in years.

It doesn't sound particularly relevant, but lubricating eye drops like Systane are suggested by my ophthalmologist for cleansing and resetting if I need to do that.

It could also be your body shedding some contaminants. Remember, this is springtime, which means dust and pollen. Do you find this to be a seasonal thing?

[spidermom]

I've never had that happen with combing, but I do sneeze when I tweeze excess hairs from my eyebrow area.

[EdG]

cjk - I would occasionally get "sleep in my eyes" as a kid. It is caused by some irritant. Washing my face seems to help.

spidermom - the eyes and nose are connected (per the Wikipedia article on tear glands).
Ed

[lapushka]

It hasn't happened to me yet, Ed. Interesting phenomenon, though!

If it doesn't bother you, I wouldn't seek out a doctor for this. Seems harmless enough, but it is a fun fact to share. At least, I hope it doesn't bother you! :flower:

[MusicalSpoons]

Huh, I wake up with 'sleep in my eyes' every morning (a fair amount) and periodically have to wipe away some that forms throughout the day too - but I've never had any in connection with combing my hair (or doing anything to my hair). Though when I brush my teeth, my nose itches, and my nose sometimes runs when I neaten up my eyebrows using tweezers.

[Lady Stardust]

I get sleep in my eyes from pollen.

I cough if I stick something in my left ear :-) Right ear makes no difference.

My husband always looks at lights if he wants to sneeze. I don’t, it would give me a migraine, and hay fever makes me sneeze a plenty.

[EdG]

lapushka - the dry tears are harmless. I am pretty sure a doctor would tell me that I am just getting old. ;)

MusicalSpoons - I also clean my eyes when I wake up and occasionally during the day. Combing just seems to be especially good at bringing out the dry tears.

Lady Stardust - I am certain pollen is an irritant. Another irritant is peppers in spicy foods. :)
Ed

[leayellena]

if your scalp gets stimulated by a comb/brush, have you tried massaging your scalp? how do your eyes react when you massage your scalp? if u still have tears while massaging it could be a medical problem. I´d advise you to show to your doctor exactly how this phenomenon happens.

[EdG]

leayellena - I haven't tried a scalp massage. I do get the dry tears when finger-combing as well as using a comb. I also get some throughout the day.

From the responses, I see that others get dry tears, but getting them while combing is unique to me. :)
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

leayellena - I haven't tried a scalp massage. I do get the dry tears when finger-combing as well as using a comb. I also get some throughout the day.

From the responses, I see that others get dry tears, but getting them while combing is unique to me. :)
Ed

Ed, I recall you posting about having a lot of lint in your hair in another thread; I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Perhaps lint (even tiny specks, not particularly visible) flying around and causing your eyes to defend themselves with small tears that dry up before escaping the eyes :hmm: Just a thought!

[EdG]

MusicalSpoons - I had the same thought. The lint and "scalp dust" likely are eye irritants. :ponder:

I have succeeded in getting rid of a lot of the accumulated lint. :)
Ed

[EdG]

I wanted to follow-up a year later.

I still get dry tears from time-to-time, but no longer as a result of combing. I concluded that accumulated waxy sebum ("scalp dust") is a strong eye irritant. Nowadays, I comb out nearly no dust. :)
Ed

[leayellena]

I wanted to follow-up a year later.

I still get dry tears from time-to-time, but no longer as a result of combing. I concluded that accumulated waxy sebum ("scalp dust") is a strong eye irritant. Nowadays, I comb out nearly no dust. :)
Ed

I get that dry waxy sebum in winter because of dry and cold air. in summer I sweat a lot and my hair gets weighed down (not greasy, oily, but weighed down) aka meh or bleah hair that must be washed every day according to beauty gurus. instead I wo wash and apply argan oil. I have sensitie eyes and skin too, they hate make up products no matter how natural they are. probably your eyes are even more sensite that they get irritated even from a smallest dust particle. nothing wrong with that though, maybe your eyes require extra care, just like fine hair require extra moisture while coarse hair can get away with being worn down from time to time.

[eresh]

Interesting!
I don't have this when I comb or brush or massage my scalp.
I do however get very teary eyes when I use an electric toothbrush.
So annoying that I switched back to a regular toothbrush.

[EdG]

eresh - I find that certain rechargeable batteries give off small amounts of gas, especially when new. My cellphone was particularly bad in that regard.
Ed

[eresh]

I thought it had to do with the vibrations

[EdG]

Vibrations are likely the cause. I still get some dry tears, but nowhere near as much as a year ago. I attribute that to having much less scalp dust. Stimulating the scalp will still bring out some tears.
Ed