The dangers of using fake lashes

Text by Latifat Opoola @LatifatOpoola

Your eye is the window to your world and your eye lashes are part of them. Beautiful eye lashes are catchy and therefore add to our overall beauty. Fixing of lashes have become an increasing trend for fashion-conscious ladies because it serves as an alternative to applying mascara for some but ophthalmologists have cited numerous side effects that comes along with wearing them.

While the natural lashes prevent dirt, foreign bodies, bacteria and sweat from entering the eyes by trapping and keeping any foreign body away from the eyes, these fake lashes on the other hand traps and holds anything that comes around it causing irritations to the eye lids and the eyes.

Speaking to YOUTHVILLE, the Managing Director and consultant ophthalmologist of Florida Eye Clinic, Dr Stephen Ume said the eyes are very delicate and must be handled with care and hence activities around the eyes must be limited.

The Ophthalmologist said “activities like fixing of eye lashes and wearing of contact lenses are very dangerous and should be avoided”. The reason he gave was because of the possibility of something going wrong “like the chemicals they use which may be very toxic around the surface of the eyes”.

He added that wearing of contact lenses for vanity either to make their eyes brown or green is also not advisable because it is one of the most common causes of infections to the eyes.