A medical practitioner, Dr Ayopo Adeyemi, on Sunday warned women against
the use of artificial eyelashes, commonly used to enhance beauty, in
view of its grievous consequences.
Adeyemi told the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the health implications of fixing false
eyelashes included corneal abrasions or ulcers, damage of the natural
eyelashes, eye sensitivity, amongst others.
She said fixing of
artificial eyelashes had become an increasingly popular trend in the
fashion world as most ladies, regardless of the health implications,
seek perfection and glamour.
According to her, natural eyelashes had
its natural way of preventing dirt, sweat, bacteria and other foreign
materials from entering into the eye by trapping and keeping out
anything that comes near.
Adeyemi, a practitioner at Mushin General
Hospital, Lagos, said false eyelashes would accommodate the dirt,
thereby causing different forms of allergy and infections.
“The use
of harmful chemicals on the eyelashes can cause them to fall out quicker
than they naturally would and it is also dangerous when tools to be
used come in close proximity to the eye.
“Artificial eyelashes can
cause trauma to the eye either through the glue and other materials used
or unprofessional operators; there could be introduction of microbes
into the eye causing conjunctivitis of all types.
“The lashes
themselves can cause allergic conjunctivitis trapping and retaining dirt
around the eye,” she said.Adeyemi advised ladies to minimise the rate
at which they fix false eyelashes if they must retain healthy natural
ones.