Why Do Eyes Get Red After Lash Extensions?

The main rule we live by is: do no harm. Lash extensions can be natural or super-voluminous, done with short lashes or long ones. What matters most is that they don’t cause harm. But even if you do everything by the book, you can still run into an angry client waving a doctor’s note about a chemical burn in your face, or in your DMs.

So why do eyes get red after a lash service?

The client’s eyes opened during the application: she dozed off and woke up, heard her phone ring, was talking, or you pulled the eyelid skin too tight and the eye cracked open slightly without you noticing. In that case, adhesive fumes really could have gotten into the eye and caused a chemical burn.

It also happens that a client’s eye simply doesn’t fully close on its own. Then you need to close it with a thin strip of tape.

When too much adhesive is applied to the fans, the fumes can affect even fully closed eyes. The more adhesive, the higher the level of fumes, which is what causes the irritation.

With pads placed incorrectly, or when the tape over them is stuck too close to the eye, the edge of the pad or tape can injure the white of the eye (the sclera). Also, if tears reach the pad, the gel in it can swell and start touching the eye, which can cause redness.

One of the liquids got into the client’s eye. When working with remover, cleanser, or primer, it’s important to make sure not a single drop reaches the surface of the eye.

The client is allergic to the adhesive.

Say we’ve figured out the cause. How do you handle it with the client from there?

Honestly, there’s no single right answer, it all depends on how reasonable the client is and how much harm was done:

If the client is being very aggressive and demanding a refund, it may be worth giving it, even if you’re sure you did everything right. That’s better than burning your nerves on a drawn-out dispute or something more serious.

And of course, never forget the “do no harm” rule. If you have any doubt about whether a client has contraindications to lash extensions, don’t risk her health or yours, and it’s better not to do the service. To protect yourself, always have the client sign a consent form before every appointment that lists all the contraindications and states that you, the artist, aren’t liable for eye redness or an allergy to the adhesive.