Eyelid facts for kids

An eyelid is a thin piece of skin that covers and protects your eye. It's actually one of the thinnest areas of skin on your whole body! A special muscle helps pull your eyelid back to "open" your eye. You can do this on purpose, or it can happen without you even thinking about it.

Your eyelids have a row of tiny hairs called eyelashes. These eyelashes are like a mini-fence that helps protect your eyes from dust and other small things floating in the air. They also help keep sweat from dripping into your eyes.

Eyelids also help keep your eyes healthy by spreading tears and other liquids across the surface of your eye. This keeps your eyes moist, especially a clear front part called the cornea. When you're asleep, your eyelids stay closed to stop your eyes from drying out. Plus, if something suddenly gets too close to your eye, your eyelids will quickly close in a reflex action to protect it!

What Do Eyelids Do?

Eyelids are super important for keeping your eyes safe and working well. They have several key jobs:

• Protection: They act like a shield, closing quickly to protect your eyes from dust, dirt, bright lights, or anything that might hit them.
• Keeping Eyes Moist: Every time you blink, your eyelids spread a thin layer of tears over your eye. This keeps the front of your eye, especially the cornea, from getting dry and uncomfortable.
• Cleaning: Tears also help wash away tiny bits of dust or irritants that might get into your eye.
• Rest: When you sleep, your eyelids close completely. This keeps your eyes from drying out and helps them rest in the dark.

How Eyelids Work

Your eyelids move thanks to special muscles. These muscles allow you to open and close your eyes. Blinking is a very fast movement of your eyelids. You blink many times a minute without even thinking about it! This automatic blinking is part of your body's natural way of protecting and cleaning your eyes.

Your eyelashes also play a role. They are sensitive to touch, which helps trigger a blink if something gets too close. They also help filter out small particles from the air before they can reach your eye.

Images for kids

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  Blood vessels that supply the eyelids.

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  An eyelid affected by a stye, which is a small bump.

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  A person's eyelids before (left) and after (right) a type of eyelid surgery.

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  A magnified view of an eye from a very young rabbit embryo.

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  A side view of the eye socket area.

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  A side view showing the inside of the upper eyelid.

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  The parts that support the eyelids, seen from the front.

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  The parts of the eye that make and drain tears.

See also

In Spanish: Párpado para niños