[See Do You Really Have Allergies?]
Your eyes are red and irritated. Allergies may be the culprit for red, dry eyes, but so could poor eye care. "The risk of an eye infection increases dramatically when you sleep in contact lenses," says Jack Prince, an optometrist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Changing your contacts as directed is extremely important, but if you do fall asleep with them in, Prince recommends removing them as soon as possible and giving your eyes a rest—perhaps by sporting glasses for the day. "When in doubt, take the contacts out," he says.
Makeup may also damage your eyes. For sensitive eyes, consider avoiding lash-lengthening mascaras that include more fibers. These, along with oil-based makeups, are more likely to stick to your lenses, Prince says. Instead, opt for hypoallergenic, water-based makeups. Also, avoid applying liner to your inner eyelid, sleeping in eye makeup, and not regularly replacing your eye makeup—all practices that can cause infection.
You have an ingrown hair: Usually rearing their ugly red bumps on underarms and along bikini lines, ingrown hairs occur when a hair becomes twisted under the skin, DaLuise says. Instead of digging for the hair, she suggests gently rubbing a soft loofah against the grain of the hairs about once a week. "It's a gentle form of exfoliation that helps the pore open," she says, "and when the hair begins to grow, it can find its way naturally through the pore opening."
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