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A small study presented at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons this week found high rates of eyelid and ocular surface issues among young women who regularly used eyelash extensions (semipermanent fibers glued individually to natural eyelashes for cosmetic enhancement). Among survey participants who had received extensions at least 10 times, 85% showed signs of meibomian gland dysfunction. Nearly half (47.6%) of women who had extensions reported discomfort, redness, tearing, or itching after the procedure. Microscopic examination of eyelashes from regular extension users detected Demodex folliculorum mites in 24 of the 25 users evaluated. Of these women, 18 had signs consistent with mite-related irritation, including eyelid itching, redness, swelling, scaling at the lash base, and lashes sticking together.
Popular beauty trend: For urgent care clinicians, the findings suggest consideration for demodectic blepharitis in patients with persistent eyelid irritation who use eyelash extensions. However, D. folliculorum can normally inhabit the ocular surface, so its presence alone does not establish disease. Eyelid hygiene may be a simple suggestion for patients with irritation related to extensions, according to the authors.
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