Do punctal plugs hurt?

No. Most patients feel a brief touch at the corner of the eye, and nothing once the plug is in place.

How long do punctal plugs last?

We use 3-month and 6-month dissolvable plugs, repeated as needed to keep your eyes comfortable.

Are punctal plugs covered by insurance?

Often, by medical insurance, when dry eye is properly diagnosed. We can check your benefits before your visit.

How do punctal plugs work?

Tears drain out of the eye through tiny openings (the puncta) at the inner corners of the lids. A plug sits in that opening so your own tears stay on the eye longer instead of draining away. It helps when the problem is too little tear volume; it does not add oil to the tear film, which is why gland treatment often runs alongside it in our dry eye program.

How can I tell if a punctal plug fell out?

By your symptoms, because you don't feel the dissolvable plugs we use: dryness creeping back before the expected 3 or 6 months is the sign. Plugs can work loose and come out, and dissolvable ones are also absorbed on their own schedule, so returning dryness may just mean it is time for the next set. Call and we will check at the slit lamp.

Can I wear eye makeup with punctal plugs?

Yes. The plug sits inside the drainage opening at the inner corner, not on the lid surface, so liner, mascara and shadow do not interfere with it. Keep the inner corner clean, avoid rubbing it, and remove makeup gently at the end of the day.

Are lacrimal plugs the same as punctal plugs?

Yes. Lacrimal plugs, also called punctal plugs, are tiny plugs placed in the tear drain at the inner corner of the lid so your own tears stay on the eye longer. The ones we use sit in the punctum, the drain's opening, and dissolve on their own after 3 or 6 months.

Lacrifill is a gel made of crosslinked hyaluronic acid that is placed in the tear drain canal, where it slows tear drainage the way a plug does, so your own tears stay on the eye longer. In a randomized trial at five US sites, it did about as well as a standard canalicular plug, and improvements in dry eye signs and symptoms lasted through 6 months. We use it alongside the dissolvable plugs described on this page.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD Last reviewed October 27, 2026

Punctal Plugs for Dry Eye in Los Angeles

Keep your own tears on the eye longer.

Punctal plugs are a simple way to help with aqueous-deficient dry eye — when your eyes don’t make enough tears. Tiny, soft dissolvable plugs sit at the corner of the eye where tears normally drain, so your natural tears stay on the surface longer instead of washing away too quickly.

Book appointmentOr call 310-828-2010 Accepted insurance

Type: 3- and 6-month dissolvable
For: Aqueous-deficient dry eye
Feels like: A drop at the corner of the eye
Coverage: Often medical insurance

Why we prefer dissolvable plugs

Lower risk of infection or blockage than permanent styles left in for years
Less irritation — soft and temporary, they do their job and disappear
Gentle on the natural tear drainage system
Repeatable as needed, without committing to a permanent implant

What it feels like

A quick, in-office treatment most patients describe as a little “drop at the corner of the eye,” and then it’s done. No surgery, no needles — and you don’t feel the plugs once they’re in.

The full dry eye program →

Where they fit

One tool in a larger plan.

The tear drainage opening on the lower lid

Plugs rarely work alone. They hold your tears, and the rest of the plan improves the tears themselves.

Pairs well with: IPL, prescription dry eye drops, and eyelid therapies: plugs keep the tears those treatments improve on the eye longer.
One caution: If inflammation is uncontrolled, holding tears on the eye can hold inflammatory molecules there too, so we often treat inflammation first and then add plugs.
Sequenced: Dissolvable first (3-month, then 6-month), so we confirm plugs genuinely help your eyes before considering anything longer-lasting.

Often covered by medical insuranceWhen dry eye is properly diagnosed, plugs are typically a covered medical treatment — our team can check your coverage before your visit.

Call 310-828-2010

The program

Dry eye care, layer by layer.

Dry eye care

Common questions

Punctal plugs, answered.

Anything else, call the office at 310-828-2010.

No. Most patients feel a brief touch at the corner of the eye, and nothing once the plug is in place.
We use 3-month and 6-month dissolvable plugs, repeated as needed to keep your eyes comfortable.
Often, by medical insurance, when dry eye is properly diagnosed. We can check your benefits before your visit.
Tears drain out of the eye through tiny openings (the puncta) at the inner corners of the lids. A plug sits in that opening so your own tears stay on the eye longer instead of draining away. It helps when the problem is too little tear volume; it does not add oil to the tear film, which is why gland treatment often runs alongside it in our dry eye program.
By your symptoms, because you don't feel the dissolvable plugs we use: dryness creeping back before the expected 3 or 6 months is the sign. Plugs can work loose and come out, and dissolvable ones are also absorbed on their own schedule, so returning dryness may just mean it is time for the next set. Call and we will check at the slit lamp.
Yes. The plug sits inside the drainage opening at the inner corner, not on the lid surface, so liner, mascara and shadow do not interfere with it. Keep the inner corner clean, avoid rubbing it, and remove makeup gently at the end of the day.
Yes. Lacrimal plugs, also called punctal plugs, are tiny plugs placed in the tear drain at the inner corner of the lid so your own tears stay on the eye longer. The ones we use sit in the punctum, the drain's opening, and dissolve on their own after 3 or 6 months.
Lacrifill is a gel made of crosslinked hyaluronic acid that is placed in the tear drain canal, where it slows tear drainage the way a plug does, so your own tears stay on the eye longer. In a randomized trial at five US sites, it did about as well as a standard canalicular plug, and improvements in dry eye signs and symptoms lasted through 6 months. We use it alongside the dissolvable plugs described on this page.

Also consider

Next step

Tears that stay put.

Book a dry eye evaluation with a Los Angeles eye doctor and find out whether tear retention is your missing layer.

Book a Dry Eye Evaluation Or call 310-828-2010