Burnley woman’s warning after eyelash extension horror

Madeline Edwards, 24, was left with a swollen and painful eye after going to get her eyelashes done before a gig.

Madeline, who has been getting eyelash extensions for around six years, said: “Many salons required a 24-hour patch test and wouldn’t do my eyelashes, even if I signed a disclaimer.

“I took to Facebook and asked if any eyelash technicians had any last-minute availability and one woman messaged me saying she did. She didn’t even ask about a patch test.

Madeline Edwards after getting eyelash extensions, which left her eye infected (Image: Madeline Edwards)

“It was quite irrational and stupid of me to do something like that, I think I was complacent as I’ve had so many over the years without issue.”

Madeline said the pain started during the appointment. Days later her eye was swollen and too painful to open.

She said: “As I left I noticed my right eye was bloodshot but dismissed it as fumes from the glue.

“Two days later I woke up and my eye was swollen. Throughout the day my symptoms got worse. My eyesight was blurry, it was painful to blink and I felt the scratching.

“I wanted to rip my eyeball out.

“I tried so many different products to try and get the eyelashes off but only managed to get two off over a few hours.”

Madeline said it was the worst pain she had ever experienced, despite overcoming kidney stones and glandular fever previously.

The dizziness from the poor vision has also made her sick.

She said: “I am not able to drive. I threw up twice from the dizziness caused by the poor vision.

"I burnt my hand on the oven while cooking because my judgement of movement and proximity is so off.

“I slept all day Sunday, June 11, because it was exhausting and it was easier to sleep than have my eyes open and in pain.”

As her symptoms continued to worsen, Madeline made a makeshift eye patch and went to A&E.

The doctors said she had severely scratched her eye, which had led to an infection.

Had she left the eye untreated she may have gone blind.

“We think the scratching was caused by the glue in the lashes, which were too close to my eyelash line,” said Madeline.

“Any glue that might have fallen off would have fallen straight into my eye.

“The doctor said I had an infection as the lashes had been scratching my waterline which is why it was so swollen.

“She said if I hadn’t have come in and received antibiotics it would have infected my eye that much that I could have ended up going blind.

“I was so happy I went to A&E in the end. I was so scared and couldn’t believe how cautious I now had to be; really cautious in order to prevent losing vision in my eye.”

Madeline is now urging the public to learn from her mistakes and do their research before getting any beauty treatment.

She said: “I think it is the last time I will ever get lashes done. I am not letting anyone near my eyes again as I have never been in so much pain.

“I would urge the public to be more cautious about who they trust.

“Don’t rush into any appointment without doing your research. If I hadn’t have gone to A&E I could be sat here now with a blind right eye, just because I was impatient.”