I have the same problem, noticed it about a month ago but unfortunately couldn’t get my lash extensions removed until yesterday. I started wearing extensions about 5 or 6 months ago & cleaned them well because I wore makeup everyday. I’m still trying to figure out how severe my case is though, because I only have a couple symptoms, mostly only on my left eye. Currently the only symptoms I have are some slight puffiness, a little redness on my left eye, & the crusties. I never got the dry eyes, teary eyes, or sore eyes.
It started with my eyelids getting really itchy, then I saw the crusties around the roots of my lashes & started googling. I started using hot compresses & hardcore cleaning with baby shampoo like 4-6 times a day (basically removing most of the extensions myself). Went to urgent care, got some ointment that I used in the morning & over night until it started irritating my skin more (I think) so I stopped using it. Started using the Wet Ones, those help a lot but can really dry out your skin, so I just bought some Manuka honey 24+ from Whole Foods yesterday. Put some on over night, left eye is unchanged but my right eye seemed to only be a little puffy today, no crusties or anything..
Also I’ve been wearing makeup almost everyday (for work & stuff) but not directly on the puffy spots & red spots, just the very ends of my eyes because I used to wing my liner everyday. I figured since it hasn’t spread over my entire eye by now that wearing slight makeup isn’t a big problem. I really want to continue to wing my eyeliner everyday though so I’m determined to get rid of it but it’s definitely taking a while.
Thanks for your note. I'm beginning to wonder if I have blepharitis. I don't have any crustiness, my eyes are a bit sensitive (always have been), and the only thing I see are occasional white bumps on my upper or lower lids. I'm going to see an opthamologist through my insurance. I don't think I'm in denial; I do think I need to see an MD who can shed more light on everything. In the interim, I'm washing my eyes very carefully with tea tree oil cleanser (made specifically for cleaning lids), and using very delicate facial cleanser, as well. I do think there's one correlation: I was diagnosed with rosacea about nine months ago. I believe that's when my eyes started bothering me. Is there a connection? The rosacea is under control, care of a topical medication. Again, thank you. I'm also determined to get this under control. I appreciate your feedback!
I’m having my lash extensions taken off today I wasn’t sure what was wrong until I started reading this site I’m sure that I have blepharitis. I feel the same way I love my lashes so much I hope that I can just heal my Eyes and get them put back on in a few months I’m 60 years old and literally have no eyelashes hardly at all but it’s better that my eyes are healthy ! I have an appointment with the ophthalmologist today I hope you can give me a quick fix but maybe an anabiotic for my eyes or something!!!
I had my extensions taken off and was miserable. The pain and iteration were exacerbated by using eye makeup and removing it. I realize I needed to be completely makeup free for anything to improve. I finally went to see an opthalmologist who gave me a prescription for gave me a prescription for fluorometholone drops. I use them three times a day and the relief was almost instantaneous. I'm back to my extensions and couldn't be happier. My doc said I should use the drops for about three to four weeks. He says they "zap" the swelling and blepharitis into submission. I'm on week one and wake up to happy, fresh eyes, no secretions, no crustiness around the lids. If you can swing it, I highly recommend going to an optho. Optometrist can't prescribe, which was what led me down the road to removing them, hot compresses, blah blah blah. Nothing really worked. I wash my lids carefully, use the drops, and am soooo happy at the relif. Good luck!
Susan,
I’m experiencing the exact same thing. How long did you take your lash extensions off for? And when you used the prescription eye drops how long was it before you could put your lashes back on? Could you use the prescription eye drops with your lash extensions?
I’m dreading take my lashes off😩
Thank you in advance for all of your advice. This is new to me and I’ve had my lashes for 2 years and after reading this forum, I’m pretty sure I have the same mess everyone else has.
Thank you again 😊😊
I have worn my extensions for 2 years never an issue until this past week. I got my normal 3 weeks refill and the next day I woke up with a swollen eyelid. It was red and have crust on it. Mind you, I wash my eyelashes 3 times per week as we are supposed to and my tech is very clean and professional. However here I was with a swollen eye. I went to work and of course everyone have to ask about my eyelid. I’m lucky to be working in a healthcare environment, so one of the doctors took a look at my eye and told me “ja! That’s blephiritis!” Washed them very throughly two times a day with baby shampoo, and use this antibiotic outopic in your eye lid every 12 hours. I asked her, should I take my extensions off, and the doctor said “if it doesn’t get better in 24 hours I would, but if you see improvement leave them, you do t want the tech messing with the already fragile skin of your eyelid. However, do not put them anymore and when you get better take them off”
Fortunately for me my eyes got better 12 hours after the treatment! And it wasn’t a necessity to take the extensions off, I feel some itchung and slowly is getting better. The inside of my eye is kind of red but that also can be because m washing it so much (you are not supposed to touch your eyes so much)
I’m planning to take my extensions off when my skin gets healthier and stronger. Right now is kind of sore, but I’m never going back to the extensions. If I would try something maybe would be a serum to make them grow and that it’s if I don’t fler up when I put make up on.
It was a very scary expirience and still is, but I guess I learn. I’ll keep you updated after I take them off and if I’m able to wear make up.
Good luck to all of you!
Hi ..I just found this site and I'm not sure its the right 1 4 me..My name is Mary and I have been diagnosed w/ bletharitus and dry eye ..I am trying everything and am going crazy, nothing seems to work and I could really use some help..u gals seem to have it pretty much under control..I use just wet wipes and baby shampoo and take doxiceline..but my eyes burn so much ..and the light bothers me ..does anyone have anything better they can help me with?
I spray isopropyl alcohol on my eyelash curler, my liner pencil, my powder eyeshadow when I have a flare-ups. It seems to help me get over an episode without tossing my make-up.
I spray everything with isopropyl alcohol. Wash brushes and spray. Spray eyelash curler, powder eyeshadow and liner pencils.
Dear Pamela,
I know it can be transferred as I did it. I had it in one eye and then put it in the other. I then used 1 wash cloth for each eye to clean them. I read, later, on the internet a Dr. said to do that too.
I killed my Bepharitis but it did take over 3 months. I found it to be a Staph infection. My husband had the little white dots on his eyes and he thought it was an allergy. He was told it was Bleph and he used the wipes and killed his too.
Tea Tree Oil kills Staph too.
I never use any makeup at the store counters on my eyes. I put it on my hand or arm to see the color. Some people could have Blepharitis and not even know it and try makeup on.
I am sorry I missed this question.
Lynda79
I wore lash extensions for about 2 years when I had a very bad reaction at my fill in December. My eyelids got red, swollen, itchy, and when I woke up the next morning there were flakes of crust at the base of my lashes. When I used tweezers to peel off the flakiness then I saw that the pores at my lash base were oozing pus. I went to my optometrist who said it was blepharitis. I washed them 3 times a day with baby shampoo and tried just about everything from cerave lotion, neosporin, and other first aid ointments and hydrating lotions. The swelling went down after about a week, and then I had my lashes removed. But the flaking, crusts, itching, redness, continued for two months. Nothing worked for like 2 months. My eyelid still looked like something was wrong with it. I did wear some eye makeup to cover it up and to look semi decent at work. It was such a horrible time and it never seemed like it was getting better at all even after using baby shampoo 2-3 times a day, got compresses, moisturizing lotions and healing ointments. Finally, after two months I decided to try this ointment that my Dr prescribed for some eczema awhile back and also started using tea tree oil when washing my kids. The blepharitis cleared up like in less than a week! I am debating on whether I should try extensions again in another month or so since I’ve been blepharitis free for about a month now. Good luck! It sounds like the effects are very variable and not very consistent for everyone. I’ll report back again if I get lash extensions put back on again.
hi, how did you ever get this to go away.
i just had my lashes done last night and noticing the same issue you described. you mentioned you went to urgent care, that was going to be my next step. I dont know where to go or what to do!
Some folks have good luck with Manuka honey. Keep reading the forum -- there are conversations describing how they use it. Each person responds differently. Good luck.
I was also getting lash extensions and they looked so good I never had to wear a drop of makeup. After a few years of that my eye lashes were thining out so bad she had to put on shorter lashes which I hated. Not long after this happened and I was getting crust along my lashes. I had to stop wearing the extensions at that point and I almost had no lashes left and that was partly cause the extensions pull out your natural lashes everytime you go in for a fill in and they remove the old ones. It took three months to grow back my own lashes. I found out I got bleh and severe dry eyes from doing that to them. I decided not to do extensions ever again. I never did think it was very safe because of how much my eyes burned doing that. She was very good at her job but did say if she ever missed with the solution and got any in my eyes it could blind me. Everyone can make a mistake.
I wasn't going to take that chance. I have gone back to makeup.
Hi,
I had my ladhes freshly done, never done before, just wanted to try for a change, as I never had many lashes.
So I got the infection in mo time, googled up what to do and it was gone, 2 months in wearing lashes and I'm still under control.
You have to have a good cleaning routin every night and rinse in the morning, including your lashes, you might lose few, but if you are gentel it will be minimal and better than having eye infection.
1. Run water tap, short of in between luke warm water to cool.
2. Scoop it with your hsnd over your face.
3. Don't rub your eyes!!
4. Take your gentel cleanser, like simple, foam it in between your hands and gently foam your face including your eye area, very gently (super siper gently) massaging your lashes too.
5. Rinse it off by scooping water over your whole face.
6. Take a soft face towel and gently pat dry your face, including your eye are.
7. Take a clean lash brush (no mascara, nothing) and gently brush/separate your lashes.
I did this, no infections and lashes lasted long (3 weeks and still going strong, no need in fills yet).
I've had lash extensions for the last year. Last 3 times really red, swollen, sore, itchy, really heavy crusting. Patch testing in various salons all good.
I don't wear lots of makeup.
I need a diagnosis so seeing my doctor tomorrow. Really don't want to remove yet another set.
I am going through much the same. I had my extensions for about a year and a half. However, there was one occasion when the woman who did my lashes had a sore-looking eye herself and surprise, surprise, two days later I had one too. Eventually this cleared up but I think it was the start of everything. I have never suffered from anything like this before and have used eye make-up all my life. Finally I had the extensions taken off because I seemed to be getting conjunctivitis off and on for much of the time. I then used false eyelashes whenever I wanted to look a bit glam, but soon they were causing problems as well. Finally have been to the Eye Clinic and have had blepharitis diagnosed and there is NO chance of having extensions again. Even with wearing no eye make-up at all (ugh) it flares up in one eye or another and I am now so careful to keep my eyelids clean, and use hot compresses twice a day to help unblock the pores. Have bought a good one which is electrically heated so don't have to flog up and downstairs to a microwave. Hopefully given time, I may get this under control. But lash extensions? - never again!!