If you use eyelash extensions and suffer from eye irritation, a buildup of microscopic organisms may be eating your skin.Eyelash extension manufacturers
Recentmedia reports have labeled these creatures eyelash lice, but doctors tell USA TODAY that they're actually mites. And while mites live on all animals, eyelash extensions create risk for an irritating buildup of the tiny creatures.
Preventing the itching, redness and other symptoms associated with a mite buildup is simple: Establish a daily routine of washing around the eyes with warm, soapy water.
Washing is an important — often neglected — part of hygiene for people who wear false eyelashes. But the reports of a rise of eyelash lice are incorrect, doctors say.
Dr. Gregory J. Nixon, Associate Dean for Clinical Services at the Ohio State University College of Optometry, say people are confusing the medical term demodex for lice, when they’re actually mites.
He adds that the confusion between the two organisms is problematic because it's a very important distinction.Lice are a parasites that suck blood and are usually the size of a poppy seed, according to Dr. Craig See, an ophthalmologist at Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute. They can usually be seen by the naked eye, he said.
Mites, on the other hand, are microscopic organisms that that live on all mammals, See said. They don't suck blood, but instead eat dead skin cells.
Lice can be transferred from one person to another, but Nixon doubts that they can be transmitted through fake eyelashes or eyelash extensions. Nixon says this is a common issue among people who practice poor hygiene and don't wash around their eyes. A buildup of mites can cause itching, irritation, redness, scaling and flaking.
He says the best prevention method is to establish a daily routine of washing around the eyes with warm, soapy water. This helps break up the oils that fuel the mites.
Nixon says people who wear false lashes or eyelash extensions are more likely to neglect this daily routine.“When you get eyelash extensions, a lot of patients neglect the normal hygiene that go into taking care of your normal eyelash,” Nixon said.See says that irritation from false lashes or eyelash extensions is also commonly a result from the adhesive and usually goes away after the lashes are removed.