Long Lashes Bad For Eyes - What is the price of being beautiful? This is the question being asked by commentators this week after researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology revealed that fixing eyelash extensions could have negative health consequences.
At the annual gathering of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology this past week, researchers reported that long lashes are bad for the eyes because they leave the eyes vulnerable to dust and other particles.
"Long lashes catch the air and guide it to the eye surface," Guillermo Amador, the lead researcher said. "They act as a channel."
Although eyelashes are considered a component of beauty, scientists say they serve a vital function. Our eyelashes grow from when we are yet embryos of about 26 weeks old. Medical experts say the primary function of our eyelashes is to protect our eyes from dust particle and debris that are blowing in the air. However, long lashes are bad for the eyes because they have the opposite effect on the eyes.
The researchers reportedly studied about 22 animals and discovered that the average size of their eyelashes is one-third of the width of their eyes.
To check the effects of varying eyelash lengths on the eyes, the researchers constructed artificial eyes and monitored what happened when it was put in a wind tunnel.
Interestingly, when the eyelashes are normal length (one-third of the width of the eyes), they create a stagnant layer of air just in front of the eyes. This ensures little particles in the air do not reach the eyes and that there is little evaporation. However, when long eyelashes were fitted on the artificial eyes, it was observed that the lashes acted as a sort of 'channel', increasing the amount of air flow and evaporation from the eyes.
Dry eyes and the repeated flow of dust to the eyes could cause scars to the eyes and painful eye ulcers, and even the loss of vision in some cases. Researchers say another reason long lashes are bad for the eyes is that the glue used to fix them and the process could be damaging to the cornea.
