Are Lash Extensions Putting Your Eyes at Risk?

Beauty can come at a price but you should ask yourself if your lash extensions are worth putting your eyes at risk for bacterial or fungal infections. It seems like every time I look around I see most women wearing faux lashes and the length ranges from natural-looking to “I believe I can fly” to space with my eyelashes big. 

Eyelash extensions may seem to be the latest cosmetic trend of our time to some folks, but to be quite honest this multibillion-dollar industry has been around since the early to mid-1900s. Some of us ladies, get lash extensions to give our onlookers that bold, sultry, sexy cat-eye look and others just like to be glamorous, dramatic and daring. 

Regardless of your reason for wearing the lashes, these single synthetic fibers that are individually glued to your natural lashes can become your worst nightmare having you seeking medical attention at your nearest ophthalmologist.

READ: Doctors Warn Against Lice Hiding In Eyelash Extensions

The glue used for the lashes are usually made with formaldehyde-based adhesives which can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, throat, nose and high levels of this toxin may even cause some types of cancers. 

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Some researchers have reported that lash extensions can cause allergic reactions creating pink eye (conjunctivitis) and repeated use can also result in hair loss creating alopecia due to the excessive weight from the extensions.

Even if you wear your lashes once in a while, pulling them off and on can attract bacteria and dirt which could cause a stye or a chalazion to form creating more issues with your sight.

Can you imagine having a red swollen bump on the edge of your eyelid ?!  That’s definitely not the look you are trying to achieve when it comes to enhancing your beauty. 

A stye and chalazion are very similar, however, there are some sudden differences between them. Most styes are caused by abacterial infection in the hair follicle of your eyelash which could look like a pimple.

You can get styes inside your eyelid too which again is created by an infection in the oil-producing gland of your eyelid. 

A chalazion may start as a stye but as it continues to grow your eyelid may get red, swollen, feel painful, and may cause blurry vision. I also want to give caution to all pimple poppers out there, DO NOT SQUEEZE OR TRY TO POP YOUR STYE OR CHALAZION!

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If you do, the infection can spread into your eye and further create more problems with your vision.

To make matters worse, a chalazion or stye can remain on your eye for several weeks to months even with treatment and some are so stubborn it may require an ophthalmologist to perform surgery to drain the area. 

READ: Does Crying Make Your Eyelashes Longer?

Here are some ways to treat your chalazion or stye and stay lash infection-free:

1. Wash your hands before you touch your face. Do this before you apply make-up/lashes, or put in your contacts to prevent bacteria from forming on your face or in your eye. 
2. Apply warm compresses to your eyelid for 15 minutes at least four times a day. The warm compresses helps the clogged gland allowing it to open and drain.
3. Follow your doctor’s orders faithfully if you are prescribed antibiotics, ointment treatment or a steroid shot. If you don’t take your medication as suggested, long-term usage of the medication can create side effects that could impact your vision and prolong your healing time. Therefore it’s best to finish up your medication as soon as possible.
4. Wear mascara instead of lash extensions. Some mascara products provide almost the same length you may desire in extensions if you are going for the thick, long dramatic, volume look. Some brands even provide smudge, clump-free, waterproof and natural ingredient options. Just check out your beauty supply store or speak with a makeup consultant for more information.
5. Don’t borrow, lend out, or share your lashes/mascara. I know you have a best friend that you may share everything with, but truly your makeup, toothbrush, underwear, your mate, and a few other things should not be one of these things. Sometimes you have to say, ‘NO!’ because germs, infections/diseases and bacteria are hard to get rid of once you’ve encountered them. 
6. Don’t wear your contacts or makeup if you see any sign of infection.
7. Surgery, if the above options do not work. You can also get lash implants similar to hair implants but do you really want some sharp tool that close to your eyeballs? I would pass on that option.
8. Beware of the latest eyelash trends. Sometimes blinging out your eyelids or gluing things to your eye isn’t smart. You can have an allergic reaction to the glue or worse the jewels may fall off into your eye.
9. Be naturale’. If you can avoid wearing the lashes then you don’t have to worry about eye infections, cancers, surgery, or eyelash loss.

As the old saying goes, beauty is [literally] in the eye of the beholder so make sure you fully understand the risks you are taking with your eyes when you apply those “BIG and without apology” eyelashes as the reality tv Kardashian family says.