# Do you trim around eyes (forever)?



## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

_This thread could go in Puppies or Grooming but I believe the topic may be of general interest._

Rory got a 'face and feet' package at the groomer's about almost a month ago. It was my first trip to a groomer ever and mostly what I wanted was to get her bangs cut.

There's apparently more to the 'face' part of that package than bangs - it appears the area around her eyes was done as well. I deeply regret the decision to cut her bangs and get the 'face' package because as it grows back it's causing a lot of tearing, and tear staining.

The vet checked for ectopic cilium (basically an ingrown eyelash), blocked nasolacrimal ducts, and eye conditions like conjunctivitis, etc. She's all clear -the irritation is coming from the multitude of stray hairs.

Do we just tough this out until the hair grows back out or is eye trimming considered routine? Any idea how long it will be before it lays out and away from her eyes? Is there a "natural state"?


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

My two have never had the hair trimmed around their eyes, this was explicitly requested by me. I have heard once this is done it usually has to be kept up. I also requested that nothing be trimmed on top of the muzzle, another tough one to grow out. Mae had her first groom last month and they did give her bangs but I think I am going to grow them out since she's great about getting her top knot plus I think it looks cute. You can grow anything out some areas just might take longer then others. I use eye wipes every morning it's part of the daily routine. I think if you just keep an eye out (no pun intended) this area should grow out pretty quickly since it doesn't seem to have to be too long to stay away from the eyes. Good thing you took Rory to the vet to rule out anything wrong you get to start this process with a clean slate. I have heard that tear staining can get worse during teething, this is what I am dealing with Mae on, she's five months old and I'm just waiting to find those puppy teeth everywhere.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

As soon as we finish the Championship on one, Pam starts trimming the face. She does it herself though, and it might be different if we were depending on taking it somewhere else to groom.


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## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

Trimming that area is not too hard if you're willing to keep it up yourself. It just depends on how you want it to look.


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## Colbie (Feb 9, 2013)

Colbie just had her second grooming and we debated about that area as well. I had wanted the groomer to leave the hairs alone that "sprout" from the bridge of the nose. Eventually they get enough weight where they lay down. 
We had wanted her bangs angled down to follow the contour of the eye but she wound up cutting it fairly straight across and taking off more hair above the eye then I wanted. 
She told me that Colbie was squirming (very believable) and she did the best she could. 

I'd let the hair that sprout grow out if it was me. I'm rethinking trimming the bangs too and may just try the topknot when it grows back.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I've never been to a groomer, I'm terrified of their doing something I can't bear, or worse still (forgive me, good groomers, but how do we ever know for sure?) frightening or bullying my dogs. There are so many horror stories. I've had long-haired dogs (Cotons until Cuba, my Havanese) for ten years and always done them myself; I've never trimmed anything except sometimes tidying up paws, until recently I started to trim my Coton's fringe (bangs - I'm English, we don't know about 'bangs'!!). Cuba now has a grown-up topknot and it suits her. Tycho (my Coton) used to have two little topknots, like a horned owl, which I liked but in the end I thought it would be easier to keep it shorter; not sure it is, really - once you start you have to keep on snipping away and he still has hair in his eyes but it's now too short to put in topknots. I think I'd personally recommend NOT trimming any hair on the head.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Deacon Blues said:


> Do we just tough this out until the hair grows back out or is eye trimming considered routine? Any idea how long it will be before it lays out and away from her eyes? Is there a "natural state"?


If it were me, I would. I kept up with trimming around his eyes for two years. Even taking him to get trimmed every 3 weeks (really necessary if you're not doing their feet by yourself) he had trouble with tearing from all the et-pokes before he was trimmed again.

I finally decided to grin and bear it, and let it grow out. It DOES take a while, and I had to sit on my hands to keep from giving up and trimming them again. But now that all that hair has grown out, and lies down, he has no more tearing from hair in his eyes. Even when he really messes his face up, there are no sharp, pokey, cut ends to bother his eyes.

I would never make that mistake again!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I trim my guys bangs and in corner of eyes every month….


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I have made this mistake before  What you can do when it is growing back is use a little hair wax to keep it down and away from their eyes where it causes more tearing as its growing back in and obstructs their vision, just a dab and style it down , I put a little corn starch or baby powder on it first, because that keeps the hair dry and dry hair won't stain

Kara


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Thumper said:


> I have made this mistake before  What you can do when it is growing back is use a little hair wax to keep it down and away from their eyes where it causes more tearing as its growing back in and obstructs their vision, just a dab and style it down , I put a little corn starch or baby powder on it first, because that keeps the hair dry and dry hair won't stain
> 
> Kara


Or dog hair-gel.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I trim both of my boys, in fact, they just got another clip. I loved the big vacation from combing out my boys on a daily basis. 

I trim between the eyes about 1x month and angle the bangs around and down the face.

Jack looks like a cute lamb when he is trimmed up, so cute. And, he looks like a puppy in a short groom. I love it


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