Inward Turning Eyelid: Causes, Risks, and What You Can Do

When your eyelid turns inward, it’s called entropion, a condition where the eyelid folds inward, causing eyelashes to rub against the eye. This isn’t just annoying—it can scratch your cornea, lead to infections, and blur your vision over time. It’s more common in older adults, but it can happen at any age due to injury, scarring, or even muscle weakness. You might notice constant tearing, redness, or a gritty feeling like sand is in your eye. If left untreated, it can permanently damage your sight.

Eye irritation, the most immediate symptom of entropion isn’t just discomfort—it’s a warning sign. Your eyelashes are scraping your cornea with every blink. That’s not normal. Some people try to pull their eyelid down with tape or use lubricating drops, but those are temporary fixes. The real issue is the position of the eyelid itself. In younger people, it’s often tied to trauma or inflammation. In older adults, it’s usually from loose muscles and tendons that no longer hold the lid in place. Eyelid surgery, a minor outpatient procedure to reposition the eyelid is the most reliable solution when conservative methods fail.

What you won’t find in most guides is how often entropion gets misdiagnosed as dry eye or allergies. If your eye keeps watering but drops don’t help, or if your vision feels foggy after blinking, it’s worth asking your doctor about eyelid position. It’s not rare—up to 2% of people over 60 have it. And while it’s not life-threatening, it’s a silent threat to your vision. You don’t need to live with it. Treatment works. Recovery is quick. And avoiding it isn’t an option if you care about keeping your eyes healthy.

Below, you’ll find real-world advice from people who’ve dealt with this—how they spotted it early, what treatments helped, and what to watch out for after treatment. Whether you’re looking for non-surgical relief or wondering if surgery is right for you, these posts give you the facts without the fluff.