What is the best angle for taping my eye shut?

So sorry to hear it. I had a friend who got it and it came back after a week. It turned out he had lyme disease, so make sure you get checked for everything!

Is this for sleeping or during the day? If it’s sleeping I’d recommend an eye patch or other fabric solution that would simply hold it closed. During the day I’d try one of those big (knee?) band-aids that will put the adhesive off the sensitive part but still keep it closed.

I love this question!

If it’s irritating the eyelids, what type of tape are you using?

Most drugstores carry tape made especially for sensitive skin.

I think doing an X may work out better than just a single direction.

I am using the paper tape. I think I may try the ‘Pirate Patch’ approach. I have an appt with my regular Doctor and will get more better information then. Especially interested in being able to eat without looking like an Octogenarian.

I had bell’s Palsy last July. It sucks royally!!!!

Get some cotton or some gauze pads…and some gentle paper tape. I taped mine top to bottom. Forehead to cheek.
Then, put your eyepatch on (upside down) and use it to help hod your eye shut. (You do have an eyepatch by now, yes?) It is very very important to keep your eye lubricated (Now you begin to realize how important blinking is!!!) I got Optive Moisturizing Dry Eye Solution. $8 for two small bottles.
Breathe Rite strips helped me breathe through my nose.
Eating sucked. I got lucky. I began recovering by the third week (they say there is a 95% recovery rate with no medical intervention…but it can take up to a year to begin. )

Don’t just tape your eyelid(s) shut. Put gauze over the eye first…gently hold your eye closed with your fingers while sticking the tape across the gauze pads and make sure you tear a big enouygh strip of tape to tape a little over y=the pad to your forehead and cheek (I never tried side to side taping. That might be better)

P.S. I went to an herbologist after realizing that modern med was not going to help immediately. He gave me some nux vomica and surprisingly my face regained some movement about the same time I finished that bottle of Nux!

I have occasional eye irritation and put this over my eye. It completely covers it and makes me keep it closed.

I would think that a cotton ball carefully unraveled under that might hold the eye closed. Already the patch gently touches the eyelid if I push it in a little..

Even without the gauze the bandaid keeps the eye moist by holding some moisture in.

When my eye is irritated like that I also use this on the eye because the irritation was originally caused by scratches on it. That provides a barrier between the irritated eye and the outside world along with keeping it moisturized.

Don’t have my eye patch yet, so I have maybe 7 eyelashes left and the lower lid is kinda raw. we went travelling to my brother’s the 26th and got home last night. By this point I am in great discomfort, and impatient with the time of preparation. (A Bells Newb as it were) .Heding over to the drug store to get supplies today. Still learning the crap I am going to have to live with for a while. looking forward to whistling :)

@majorrich I forgot about whistling!!!
And smiling that crooked grin of a smile.
But the best part is knowing that it will go away.

Yeah! and knowing there are people who understand. I have contact lenses, do you think they might help hold moisture and protect a little? My son teases I’m transforming into a flounder! lol.
Seriously, thanks for your support, I can hardly believe a chest cold triggered all this schmutz.

They don’t know what triggers Bell’s Palsy. They are only guessing. I don’t think contact lenses is a good idea because your eye is stuck open.
I found the eye patch during the day was the only way to go, always keeping the eye drops handy. Blinking is so important. People do it automatically and just don’t know how horrid it is when you cannot blink your eye(s).

That was when I began to suspect something was wrong, I couldn’t wink. I guess I am fortunate for the moment as my eye waters constantly. I am reading thingg will evolve some as we caught it real early. Still the damage is done. I think this may help my dieting a bit because I still can’t eat very well.

My blood sugar levels were elevated when I went into the ER…also my triglycerides were off the chart at 2500.
I have since brought both under control (somewhat) and lost 30 pounds.

Eating sucks when only half your mouth works. I discovered how important your cheek muscles are in helping move the food from between your cheeks and gums.

just woke up saturday morning with bells palsy, knew there had to be a better way to keep eye closed than straight tape or eye patch, I found a mouse pad and cut out a piece to cover the eye and taped it forehead to cheek, didnt keep eyelid closed, I cut a second piece same size and doubled the thickness, had to get pad out further than the eyebrow to be able to make tape press against eyelid, been about 25 minutes and eyelid hasnt slipped open any, will make sure to secure better for sleeping,,,right now real comfortable,,,mouse pad face had soft side. let me know if it works for you.