Eyelash (File photo)
The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) has advised women to always engage the services of optometrists if they have to attach false eyelashes to their eyelids or want to go for contact lenses.
The Lagos State Chairman of NOA, Dr John Samssedi, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
According to him, contact lenses are very good medical devices, especially, for people who are very myopic, and those who are highly astigmatic or highly hyperopic.
“There has been a significant growing number of trauma cases arising from people using fake lashes.
“Women just patronise anybody to get their lashes fixed and because these people are not experts, they use super glue to fix the lashes on the eyelids.
“ This gum is dangerous to the eyes, it can cause severe burns on the cornea and once it has damaged the cornea, the person’s vision will be impaired.’’
He said that before any one should use contact lenses or anything to beautify him or herself, the person should get an eye examination to ascertain the stability level of the eyes.
“The eye examination will tell whether she has any diseases that can compromise the cornea; also, contact lenses, if not properly managed, can also cause heavy damage to the eye,’’ Samssedi said.
The chairman said in recent times, his organisation had treated three people who had super glue spilled into their eyes in the process of fixing fake lashes.
He advised women to always consider their health and welfare first, before beautification adding that it is good to look good but it must be handled with caution.
Samssedi also advised people who were prone to allergies to always go for non-allergenic or hydro-allergenic products for their make-ups or facials.
He stressed that using non-allergenic products would prevent them from coming down with allergy conjunctivitis and things that were within that spectrum.
NAN also interviewed some Nigerians on how they felt about fixing false eye lashes and beautification of same.
Mrs Nofisat Adepoju, a beautician, told NAN that she did not see anything wrong in a woman fixing false eye lashes provided it did not cause irritation to the eyes.
“Eye lashes, nose piercing and contact lenses fixing are what women know me for, I fix eye lashes for my customers and I also wear it though my husband does not like it.
“As a beautician, I like artificial beautification because it adds beauty to my face and advertises my work.
“The most important thing is that I ensure I observe strict personal hygiene in fixing the lashes and lenses and I follow the prescribed guidelines by the manufacturers while using them,’’ Adepoju said.
Also, Miss Opeyemi Ayodeji, a teacher, said that artificial eye lashes would make women more attractive to men.
“Women fix artificial eyelashes because they are attractive and turn most men on.
“Women who are used to fixing false lashes see themselves as incomplete without them due to the addiction,’’ she said.
Richard Akinlade, an entertainer, said artificial beautification, especially to the eyes, could be dangerous and could cause blindness.
“Some women don’t see anything wrong with fixing fake lashes; I have witnessed where the glue almost caused a woman to go blind but for immediate medical attention.
“Besides causing one to go blind, it gives the wearers fake and unpleasant looks, especially, when a heavy wind blows,’’ Akinlade told NAN.
Similarly, Mrs Ruth Isibor from Ijegun, a suburb of Lagos, said that any artificial beautification to the body if not properly handled, could be risky.
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