Picture this: you have finally booked an appointment at your salon to get those gorgeous eyelash extensions you’ve always wanted. The treatment and procedure go flawlessly, but when you get home, you notice a bit of redness, irritation and swelling around your eyes and eyelids. Well, if this scenario hits close to home - then chances are you’ve had a chemical burn or an allergic reaction. We know, we know - it’s not the best thing in the world, but - there are ways you can avoid a reaction in the future.
In today’s article, let’s break down the difference between chemical burns and allergic reactions, how you can avoid chemical burns and what you can do to minimize irritation.
To put it simply, both chemical burns and allergic reactions can be caused by the cyanoacrylate glue, used during eyelash extensions. Although both can cause discomfort, skin irritation and redness of the eyeball, the mechanisms behind these two reactions are different.
When it comes to allergic reactions, it’s the result of our immune systems responding to foreign substances coming in direct or indirect contact with our body. This type of reaction can occur in almost anyone, especially those who are already prone to allergies and may be delayed in onset. That is why, you may notice red, itchy, swollen eyes in a few hours, or even days after the eyelash extension treatment. Chemical burns, on other hand, manifest much faster and are the result of direct or indirect damage to the eye or the skin surface.
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How Can You Avoid Chemical Burns?
Let’s be honest, no one wants to go home with brand new lashes, and experience unpleasant irritation. So, how can we avoid chemical burns? Correct placement of eyepatches can be a great way to protect the surrounding skin to avoid contact with chemicals any cyanoacrylate glue contains and prevent the eyes from being opened during the lash appointment - which are the major reasons why chemical burns occur.
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What Can Be Done To Minimize Reactions?
What about minimizing allergic reactions? One thing you can do is ask for a simple patch test before your eyelash extension procedure. Your lash artist will place a few short eyelash extensions to the outer corners of your eyes a few days before the full set of lashes. This way, a negative reaction can be detected and successfully prevented, so you won’t have to experience unnecessary discomfort at all.