Fashion

Why Eyelash Extensions Might Not Be A Good Idea

by Sienna Fantozzi

Feb. 10, 2016

Getting eyelash extensions seems like an amazing idea in theory. They'll make your lashes look longer without having to apply falsies everyday (or piling on the mascara and risking "spider lashes"), but there are some concerns you have to consider before taking that step, like, can you be allergic to eyelash extensions? Unfortunately, the answer to all your mascara and falsie woes comes with its own set of problems.

Thick, long lashes are definitely desirable, but at what cost? As you may already know if you wear contacts/glasses, putting any type of object near your eye can be dangerous, and yes, that does include eyelash extensions. While there are plenty of obvious risks that you may have already thought about, such as infections or the eyelash extensions falling out and into your eye, what you may not have thought about is an allergic reaction. It seems a strange thing to be allergic to, but you definitely can be allergic to eyelash extensions — or, well, not the extensions themselves, but the glue, especially those glues containing formaldehyde. “The glue, for some people, can cause allergic reactions," Dr. Robert Dorin says.

But don't worry, even if the glue gets in your eye and you're allergic, you are not going to go blind. According to lash expert Courtney Akai, "No matter how bad an allergic reaction may get, you will never go blind. The worse case scenario is that you need to go to the eye doctor to get specific eye drops to treat an allergic reaction."

It's probably a good idea to get allergy tested before getting extensions, but if you want to avoid the risk altogether, here are a few products to try for longer lashes without getting lash extensions.