Uncover Your Eyes: The Truth About Health And Wellness

Your eyeliner can migrate into your tear film. Your mascara has an expiration date. And some of the ingredients hiding in eye makeup may surprise you. So what is actually safe to put this close to your eyes—and what would an eye doctor avoid? Optometrist Dr. Meenal Agarwal breaks down the research on mascara, eyeliner, PFAS, eye infections, and the everyday makeup habits that could be affecting your eyes. Open your makeup bag. Pull out your mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow. Now ask yourself: Do you actually know what's in them or what happens when you put these products millimetres from your eyes every day? Most of us don't. In this episode of the Uncover Your Eyes podcast, optometrist Dr. Meenal Agarwal takes you inside the science of eye makeup and shares what she wishes more makeup wearers knew about protecting their eyes—without telling you to give up the products you love. In this episode, you'll uncover: 👁️ Where you should and shouldn't apply eyeliner, and what research shows can happen when eyeliner is applied along the inner eyelid margin 👁️ How eye makeup can interact with your tear film and why placement matters, especially for people with dry eyes or contact lenses 👁️ How long you should actually keep mascara and why an old mascara tube may be more than just dried-out makeup 👁️ The makeup habits that can increase your risk of eye irritation or infection, including one thing you should never do with mascara 👁️ What PFAS ("forever chemicals") are, why they may be used in cosmetics, and what to look for on an ingredient label 👁️ Dr. Meenal's eye-doctor makeup rules for making your daily routine safer without giving up makeup This isn't an anti-makeup episode. It's about understanding what happens when the products we use every day meet one of the most delicate surfaces of the body. If you wear mascara, eyeliner, or eye makeup—or know someone who does—send them this episode. Join the early access + get a free gift + exclusive insights for Dr. Meenal's upcoming book, Stuck in a Flat World: How Screens Rewire Our Brains, Spatial Awareness, and Sense of Safety, coming November 2nd, 2026. At Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal explores the powerful body–brain connection, revealing how vision, neuroscience, mental health, and preventive care intersect — empowering listeners to recognize early signals before they become diagnoses. 🎧 Tune in and join Dr. Meenal Agarwal as we reimagine what it means to be well in today's complex healthcare system. Because healing starts with understanding — and Uncovering Your Eyes. Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal

Hair loss isn't just cosmetic. It can change how you recognize yourself. So why does androgenetic alopecia happen—and can you actually stop it from progressing? And what do birth control, GLP-1 medications, supplements, wigs and hair toppers have to do with it? Hair loss can carry a psychological burden that is often underestimated. Androgenetic alopecia—also known as male or female pattern hair loss—is one of the most common forms of hair loss, affecting both men and women. Yet behind the statistics are people dealing with anxiety, depression, shame and a changing sense of identity. In this episode of Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal sits down with Suran Yoo, founder of Silk or Lace, whose own experience with hair loss led her on a years-long search for solutions—and ultimately to build a human-hair wig and topper company. Together, they unpack the science, the treatments and the emotional side of losing your hair. In this episode, you'll uncover: 🎧 The different types of alopecia and hair loss 🎧 Why Suran began losing her hair at a young age 🎧 How androgenetic alopecia can progress over time 🎧 The connection between hair loss, anxiety, depression and identity 🎧 What to know about birth control and hair loss 🎧 Whether supplements and medications can help 🎧 Why GLP-1 medications may be associated with hair shedding 🎧 What Suran learned during her search for a hair-loss solution 🎧 How wigs and hair toppers can restore more than just hair 🎧 Why we need to stop treating hair loss as something people should be ashamed of Whether you're experiencing female pattern hair loss, male pattern baldness, alopecia or unexplained hair shedding—or supporting someone who is—this conversation is about understanding what's happening, knowing your options and taking the shame out of hair loss. Because sometimes what looks cosmetic from the outside can feel anything but cosmetic to the person experiencing it. At Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal brings you conversations at the intersection of longevity, women's health, mental health, self-advocacy, and healthcare innovation, helping you understand the hidden systems shaping how you feel, move, and heal. 🎧Tune in and join Dr. Meenal Agarwal as we reimagine what it means to be well in today's complex healthcare system. Because healing starts with understanding—and Uncovering Your Eyes. Learn more about Suran Yoo and Silk or Lace at SilkOrLace.com and on Instagram @SilkOrLace and @The_Strandie Use code: UNCOVERYOUREYES for 10% off your first purchase on www.SilkOrLace.com Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal

Should we ban social media for kids under 16? We keep asking parents, politicians and tech companies. But what happens when we ask the kids themselves? At 13 and 17, Zachary Fathally and Lauren Wilson of Children First Canada sit on opposite sides of one of the biggest debates around kids, social media and online safety—and their answers may surprise you. In this episode of Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal talks with Lauren and Zachary about what it actually feels like to grow up online, from addictive algorithms and doomscrolling to dangerous DMs, AI chatbots, social pressure and the reasons kids may not tell their parents when something goes wrong. In this episode, you'll uncover: 🎧 Do kids actually want social media banned under 16? 🎧 Why young people feel pressure to be online—even when they know it affects them 🎧 Why kids may hide online harms from their parents 🎧 Which features make some social media platforms feel more harmful than others 🎧 How doomscrolling and algorithms affect attention and mental health 🎧 What kids really think about AI chatbots and online relationships 🎧 Who they believe should be responsible: parents, government, tech companies—or kids themselves 🎧 What they would change about social media if they had the power 🎧 What they wish parents understood about growing up online This isn't adults talking about kids. It's kids telling us what we're getting wrong. If you're a parent, educator, healthcare provider—or anyone concerned about social media, screen time, youth mental health and online safety—this conversation offers a perspective we don't hear nearly enough. At Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal brings you conversations at the intersection of longevity, women's health, mental health, self-advocacy, and healthcare innovation, helping you understand the hidden systems shaping how you feel, move, and heal. 🎧Tune in and join Dr. Meenal Agarwal as we reimagine what it means to be well in today's complex healthcare system. Because healing starts with understanding—and Uncovering Your Eyes. Learn more about Children First Canada at ChildrenFirstCanada.org Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal

Rheumatoid arthritis is more than joint pain, it's a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect the entire body. Symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, stiffness, digestive issues, and unexplained pain may appear alongside or before more obvious joint symptoms. So what should you look for—and can diet and lifestyle actually help reduce inflammation and improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms? In this episode of Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal sits down with Dr. Micah Yu, an Integrative Rheumatologist, to break down rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, inflammation, diet, supplements, medication, and the symptoms patients shouldn't ignore. Dr. Yu brings a unique perspective to rheumatology, understanding autoimmune disease from both sides of the exam room. He explains why rheumatoid arthritis affects far more than the joints, what may happen when RA goes untreated, and how conventional medicine and lifestyle interventions can work together. In this episode, you'll uncover: 🎧 The early signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disease 🎧 The difference between rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other forms of arthritis 🎧 Why RA is a whole-body autoimmune disease—not simply a joint condition 🎧 Foods Dr. Yu recommends limiting and the role diet may play in inflammation 🎧 Whether lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms or medication needs 🎧 Supplements vs. medications for rheumatoid arthritis 🎧 What to do when you have persistent symptoms but your lab tests are "normal" 🎧 Why rheumatologists ask questions about symptoms from head to toe 🎧 What can happen when rheumatoid arthritis progresses without adequate treatment 🎧 The lifestyle habits that may support people living with autoimmune disease If you or someone you love is living with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation, unexplained joint pain, or autoimmune symptoms, this conversation will help you better understand what may be happening in the body—and the questions worth asking your healthcare provider. At Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal brings you conversations at the intersection of longevity, women's health, mental health, self-advocacy, and healthcare innovation, helping you understand the hidden systems shaping how you feel, move, and heal. 🎧Tune in and join Dr. Meenal Agarwal as we reimagine what it means to be well in today's complex healthcare system. Because healing starts with understanding—and Uncovering Your Eyes. Learn more about Dr. Micah Yu on Instagram @MyAutoimmuneMD, at MyAutoimmuneMD.com, and his clinic at DrLifestyle.org Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.

More than half of older adults with dementia have at least one vision impairment. And researchers estimate that up to 19% of dementia prevalence could be attributable to vision impairment. So what if the eyes could also help us detect changes in the brain earlier? Your retina isn't just connected to your brain—it's neural tissue and part of the central nervous system. And researchers are increasingly studying whether changes in the retina could become biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline. In this episode of the Uncover Your Eyes podcast, optometrist Dr. Meenal Agarwal explores the rapidly evolving science connecting the retina, Alzheimer's disease, dementia and brain health. In this episode, you'll uncover: 👁️ Why the retina is considered part of the brain 🧠 What researchers are finding in the retinas of people with Alzheimer's disease 👁️ Why vision impairment is associated with dementia risk 🔎 Why contrast sensitivity may matter more than simply seeing 20/20 🤖 How AI is learning to identify disease patterns from retinal photographs 👁️ What advanced glaucoma teaches us about the eye-brain connection 🧠 Why the future of your eye exam may extend far beyond checking your prescription Could the eye eventually become one of medicine's earliest warning systems? The science is still evolving—but it may change how we think about Alzheimer's prevention, dementia risk, retinal imaging and the role of optometry in preventive healthcare. Whether you're a healthcare provider, patient, parent, or anyone interested in how the eyes & brain work, this episode will change how you think about the retina, Alzheimer's, dementia, and more. Join the waitlist for Dr. Meenal's upcoming book, Stuck in a Flat World: How Screens Rewire Our Brains, Spatial Awareness, and Sense of Safety, coming Fall 2026. At Uncover Your Eyes, Dr. Meenal Agarwal explores the powerful body–brain connection, revealing how vision, neuroscience, mental health, and preventive care intersect — empowering listeners to recognize early signals before they become diagnoses. 🎧 Tune in and join Dr. Meenal Agarwal as we reimagine what it means to be well in today's complex healthcare system. Because healing starts with understanding — and Uncovering Your Eyes. Subscribe to Uncover Your Eyes on your favorite podcast platform and YouTube, and learn more about Dr. Meenal on Instagram @Dr.MeenalAgarwal