Be careful you don't burn yourself, the skin on the lids is so sensitive & if skin is dry will be not protected well. To answer your question. Heat pads/masks are to loosen glands, soften oils & work oil through glands if they're clogged (due to damage from scar tissue or infiltrates in the people with autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's). It's meant to help the oil/lube part of tears release more easily into the mix to coat eyes normally. Steamy showers may help but dries the skin further. Helps many people, not all. Depends on cause of dryness. If someone is no longer or never was able to make the oil part of tears normally (salt, water, oil are the 3 parts), no matter the massage or heat or steam or cleaning for that matter, it can be sort of futile. In autoimmune diseases, tiny nerves &/or muscles may not function normal any longer either, or even produce oil at all to be "massaged" through. Other affected organs can play into process of making needed oils & mucous linings all over the body, so that can play into lack of oil in the eyes. I'm writing on severe dry eye, not age-related normal decrease of oil/body function. These things help me a bit but it's hard to say as it varies daily. I've tried the massage, heat, showers, scrubs & near all over the counter drops too. Every annual eye visit my Dr. suggests the same regime: daily compress, scrub, massage, new or RX'd or serum drops if it gets worse. So far, I manage best with oil (castor, flax) based drops & I consume lots of fatty omega 3 fish or fish oils. Would hate to know how bad it'd be if I didn't. I can't scrub as lids are sensitive & dry so it burns & causes damage to lids. Recent years I hold my tongue during Dr. visits as repeatedly I've had to relay to the Doc since I have Sjogren's, all that isn't helping like it would a normal person with ducts that may be blocked for other reasons, or who is experiencing normal age related decrease/eye issues, but explain, yes I do all that but my problem isn't just blocked glands or dirty eyelids! Warm compress & gentle cleaning I do several times daily, mostly to get any dried crust off which happens due to more salt than oil in the mix, so I get salty crystals forming all day long. I know I'm missing the oil part most, same as most people with Sjogren's. Steamy showers for help temporarily or it may be a placebo affect from just feeling better after that! Moistens the nasal lining too & relaxes the muscles. I cry fine, so I know liquid is getting through, there's just no normal amount of oil in there so drops with flax or fish or castor oil such ingredients are a must. It takes a few minutes for the oil to spread & vision to not be blurry. Difference in vision is very good when eyes are lubricated, horrible if not. Some days I could get by with no glasses, others I fear I'm blinder overnight. Then, good again next day! Always put extra drops in before eye exam or it looks like I can't see at all. Blinking a lot readjusts vision during exams and all other times also. I haven't had luck with microwaveable masks, too hot, not hot enough, & wash cloths heat lasts briefly. Thinking of trying one of the Brute masks with regulated heat recommended here if I can order on line.