Eyelash extensions are beautiful and are becoming more and more popular these days, which unfortunately is causing us to see more patients experiencing complications from them. Many women do not know that eye infections can be caused by lash extensions. Think of your eyelashes as the windshield wipers of your eyes. They moisturize your eyes and remove debris every time you blink, keeping things healthy and helping you avoid potential pathogens that cause eye infections. Lash extensions make it so the lashes do not work as well to remove debris. A good comparison is using an old pair of windshield wipers that cause the car windshield to streak. Lash extensions make it harder for your lashes to keep your eyes clean and moist. This makes it much easier to catch an eye infection, and may exacerbate problems such as dry eye.
Even worse, I have seen patients catch infections such as pink eye and mite infestations at the eyelash margins (yes mites, the bugs! I know gross, right?) that came from getting eyelash extensions at perhaps a place with less than adequate disinfection techniques. If the lash studio does not properly sterilize their equipment, infections and mites can spread quite easily. Luckily this is not an issue at most lash studios, but it is still concerning. Lash extensions are often adhered with glue that contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogenic.
Lash extensions are gorgeous, but consumers often aren’t aware of the risks involved. There are alternatives to lash extensions such as the medication Latisse, which boosts growth of your natural lashes. We are happy to prescribe this medication to patients looking for alternatives to lash extensions.
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