Back in 2012, Kristin Chenoweth appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman sporting a pair of sunglasses. When she took them off she revealed her swollen eyes, the result of an allergic reaction to her experimentation with eyelash extensions. While this relatively new trend has been making waves in the beauty world, not everyone is aware of the serious risks involved.
1. Infection
Just like our eyebrows, our eyelashes keep out sweat, dirt, and dust to protect our eyes. Extensions can trap all of this debris and cause infections such as pink eye. Eyes can become swollen, red, and sensitive, and you might even experience a fever or blurred vision. Yikes.
2. Loss of eyelashes
Glue can pull out your lashes—or maybe, you end up pulling lashes out when you’re picking at the extensions. Lashes might also fall out due to excessive tension placed on the shaft of the hair. This can damage the hair follicle and slow down or completely prevent the lash production.
3. Dry eyes
Typical lashes create a zone of still air in front of your eye to protect it from air and dirt. When lashes are extended, they act as a channel that will guide air right into your eyeball. Research shows that a lash length of one-third the width of the eye is optimal for the best protection.
4. Allergic reaction
Like they did for Kristin Chenoweth, lash extensions can cause an allergic reaction in some people that may not even show up after the first or even second application. The formaldehyde used in a lot of glue can cause a reaction that may result in oozing or crusting. Gross! Formaldehyde is also a known carcinogen, a cancer-causing substance.
Even if none of the above happens to you, extensions can still cause redness, irritation, and inflammation. If you decide to go through with it, be sure to avoid the following: excess glue, lashes with glitter, sleeping in falsies, cheap extensions, and lashes made out of synthetic fibers.
After learning about the dangers associated with eyelash extensions, would you take the risk, collegiettes?