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Allergic Reaction to Eyelash Tint Treatment

I Was Hospitalised After Getting an Eyelash Tint, and Here's What I Learnt

Allergic Reaction to Eyelash Tint Treatment

I rarely wear makeup. During the week, I'm more inclined to sleep an extra 15 minutes in the morning than put on a full face for work. I have long lashes but they are blond at the tips, which makes them really hard to see if I don't have mascara on. So last week, after I got my brows done and the aesthetician asked me if I would like to get an eyelash tint as well, I said yes.

This seemed like a good idea at the time, but it wasn't. Let me start from the beginning.

Before I got the treatment — which uses a natural dye to make your lashes appear darker for up to six weeks — my aesthetician asked me if I had allergies, and I said I'm only allergic to henna. She then asked if I'd gotten my hair dyed before, to which I said yes. She deemed it safe for me, and I ended up getting the tint. It was a pretty easy and straightforward process. I went home satisfied.

A day passed, and my eyes started getting a little watery, itchy, and heavy. But I look at screens all day long, so I didn't think anything of it. This was the night before Thanksgiving, and I was staying at my best friend's childhood house in Armonk, NY. After a really lousy night of sleep, I woke up with red, watery, puffy eyes. My eyelids were irritated — they hurt, a lot. The moment my friend's mom saw me, her face changed. She immediately gave me an ice pack and some Benadryl. After five hours, I decided to go back to my Manhattan apartment, take a Benadryl or two, and try to sleep it off. I thought this would help, and I would meet my friend's family at Thanksgiving dinner. Well, I never made it out.

Check out what happened, plus a few tips from a doctor, ahead.

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