Doctors warn of the dangers of eyelash extensions

Many women dreaming of long, luscious lashes opt to extend what nature bestowed upon them.

But while they may seem harmless, one doctor has warned eyelash extensions can pose serious health risks, from eye infections to allergic reactions.

They can even damage a person's natural eyelashes and make them look thinner, he warned.

Eyelash extensions, normally applied in salons but also available in DIY kits, are individual synthetic lashes that are glued onto a woman's own lashes.

They promise to lengthen, add volume and last up to six weeks.

But Dr Robert Dorin, from True and Dorin Medical Group in New York City told Medical Daily that the glue used to bind them to a woman's natural lashes can cause allergic reactions in some people.

He said: 'And for some reason bacteria wants to stick with it, and it could cause fungal or viral infections as well.'



Some glues contain formaldehyde, which can cause allergic reactions.

In addition, the fashionable lashes can trigger eye infections as dirt and bacteria get caught in them, he said.

But the biggest risk is that the extensions weigh down on the eyelids, damaging the natural eyelashes, causing them to become thinner.



'The weight of using [eyelash extensions] on a regular basis can put stress on the hair follicle and eventually make it fall out and not grow back,' Dr Dorin said.

'The incentive to use it is to make your lashes fuller, and it can actually do the reverse and make them thinner.'

The weight of using eyelash extensions on a regular basis can put stress on the hair follicle and eventually make it fall out and not grow back.

In Japan, eyelash extensions are becoming hugely popular, but this has led to eye doctors seeing a rise in patients with problems, Dr Dorin added.

Most visits to eye clinics in the country are for infections caused by extensions, he told MedicalDaily journalists.

In my opinion it's best to use eyelash extensions infrequently and for short periods only.



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