Spring Cleaning and Your Lashes

Spring is the air ...let's clean! It's time to clean out the cob webs, old junk and make room for some new stuff and routines. New shoes, new purse and of course, some new lashes too! Lash extensions are a luxury, so why wouldn't you want to take care of them? Did you know you should be cleaning your lashes at least 2 times per day? Clean lashes are sexy and your retention will rock! Take a look at what healthy eyelashes look like under a microscope: [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]

(Photo: fineartamerica.com) The healthy hair follicle growing out of the skin is magnified so you can see the true beauty of your natural lashes! But what about your eyes? Did you know that dirty lashes can cause multiple eye issues such as blepharitis or conjunctivitis? If you notice any infections or crusting of your eyes, please seek medical assistance to get it cleared up. Conjunctivitis (aka pink eye) is a viral infection that is highly contagious and must be treated completely before considering extensions. Blepharitis is typically caused by an overgrowth of bacteria living along the base of the eyelids. Here's what an infected eye looks like:

Over time, this bacterial build up creates a structure called biofilm. To put it into perspective, think of sludge or an oil spill in a lake. This film becomes a toxic breeding ground for parasites... but not just any parasite! Let me introduce you to the parasitic eyelash mite called Demodex folliculitum. As much as I would love to save you the grossities of what these critters look like, you need to know what to look for. Below is a picture of infested lashes:

Now back to the cleanliness of your lashes. Remember the biofilm I was mentioning above? Well this bacterial film provides the necessary breeding ground for these eyelash mites to proliferate. In other words:

Demodex(mites)+ biofilm( food)= inflammation, irritation and infection! You wanna hear more? Normally, your tear ducts secrete oil and produce tears. If the parasites spread to your tear ducts, less tears equals less antibodies which are needed to keep your eyes clean, clear and moist. The morale of the story? If you want to preserve your investment and keep your eyes healthy, take the time to keep your lashes clean!