False lashes, despite having been around for decades, have recently taken the beauty industry by storm. Previously associated with celebrities who sourced them exclusively from expensive makeup artists, these lashes are now readily available at a multitude of stores for anyone that wants to enhance the appearance of their eyes. Moreover, since they are cost-effective and come in a variety of designs, it means that you are bound to find artificial lashes to suit whatever aesthetic you want! Nonetheless, simply because they are all the rage does not mean that they are safe. Unbeknownst to many, these additions are a source of a myriad of eye problems. Read on to learn about false lashes and your eye health.
What is the role of your natural lashes?
Before you can delve into the risk posed by lash extensions, it is essential that you understand why you have natural lashes in the first place. Your natural lashes are tasked with protecting your eyeballs and they do so in several ways. For starters, your lashes will control the amount of air that filters onto the eyeball and this ensures that your eyes do not dry out. In addition to this, your eyelashes filter sunlight, sweat and other external elements that could harm the eye. Thus, they are much more than a feature that contributes to the overall attractiveness of your face.
What dangers are posed by artificial lashes?
Since artificial lashes are foreign objects close to your eyeball, there are several risks that they could pose to your eye health, as illustrated below:
- Corneal abrasions: A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the surface of the cornea, which is the outermost lens of the eye. It has the primary function of controlling the amount of light that filters into this organ. Although corneal abrasions can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as from the edge of a contact lens, tiny particles getting into the eye as well as your fingernails, lash extensions pose a high risk of this injury in a couple of ways. First, the sharp corner at the base of the fake lash can scratch the cornea, resulting in this injury. Second, the glue employed to attach the fake lashes can harden and abrade the cornea. A corneal abrasion is a painful condition and if not diagnosed by an optometrist in time, could lead to an eye infection.
- Eye infections: Corneal abrasions are not the only reason why you could develop an eye infection from false lashes. The second thing that you should note about these extensions is that they are breeding grounds for bacteria. For starters, reusing or, worse yet, sharing these false lashes can lead to infections such as conjunctivitis. Furthermore, harmful bacteria can collect in the lash glue, which also increases your risk of infection.
For more information about eye health, contact a local optometrist.
