Cosmetic Procedures, Lifestyle and Ocular Surface Inflammation: Emerging Risk Factors and Therapeutic Opportunities in Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent, multifactorial inflammatory condition of the ocular surface, with significant implications for patient comfort, visual function, and quality of life. While traditionally associated with aging and metabolic changes, a growing body of evidence points to modifiable influences, including lifestyle behaviors and a surge in elective cosmetic interventions, that can trigger or exacerbate ocular surface inflammation. Recent epidemiological data highlight the increasing frequency of eyelid surgeries and aesthetic procedures, often conducted outside specialized ophthalmic settings, which has paralleled an uptick in reported cases of DED, particularly in younger and otherwise healthy populations. Emerging work suggests these interventions and exposures act not only through mechanical disruption of the ocular surface but also by provoking epithelial immune responses, meibomian gland inflammation, and broader innate and adaptive immune activation. Despite these advances, crucial gaps persist: current clinical guidelines rarely address the inflammatory consequences of aesthetic medicine on ocular surface health, and the adoption of inflammation directed preventive or therapeutic strategies remains inconsistent across practices. Environmental and behavioral factors, such as extended screen time and exposure to air conditioned environments, further compound this inflammatory burden.This Research Topic aims to consolidate high quality, multidisciplinary research that deepens our understanding of the inflammatory and immunological mechanisms linking cosmetic and lifestyle exposures to dry eye disease. The objective is to characterize how these exposures drive epithelial immune responses, meibomian gland inflammation, and innate/adaptive immune activation, to identify actionable inflammatory biomarkers, and to develop and validate inflammation directed preventive and therapeutic strategies tailored to both surgical and non surgical cosmetic practices. By centering the inflammatory pathology at the heart of this collection, the initiative seeks to refine mechanistic understanding while fostering best practices that improve clinical outcomes for at risk groups.To gather further insights into the inflammatory dynamics linking lifestyle, cosmetic interventions, and DED, this Research Topic invites original research, systematic and mini reviews, clinical trials, case reports, perspectives, and opinion pieces. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:- Epithelial immune responses and meibomian gland inflammation triggered by cosmetic procedures and lifestyle factors- Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms linking aesthetic interventions to DED onset and severity - Inflammatory biomarkers for risk stratification and monitoring in cosmetic and lifestyle associated DED- Inflammation directed preventive and therapeutic strategies, including pre- and postoperative management for cosmetic interventions- Comparative analysis of emerging anti-inflammatory therapies, including light based and device assisted modalities for DED- Interactions between environmental and behavioral factors and ocular surface inflammation in DED Topic editors: Nina Jovanovic, Jack Greiner Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82058/cosmetic-procedures-lifestyle-and-ocular-surface-inflammation-emerging-risk-factors-and-therapeutic-opportunities-in-dry-eye-disease