Dry eye disease treatment has remained unchanged for decades despite affecting the majority of people at some point during their life and with increasing prevalence with age. Treatment itself is a misnomer as the mainstay has been symptomatic relief with drop therapy rather than cure. Studies show that adherence to even the newest drop regimens is patchy at best. Recent innovations using pulsed light therapy offer a paradigm shift in the treatment of dry eye disease and meibomian gland dysfunction, both as a monotherapy and as part of an innovative maintenance programme.