Don't Lash on the Waterline

Do you wear false eyelashes?

The makeup trend-du-jour is to apply/glue fake eyelashes underneath the lash line, on the waterline. Really NOT a good idea.

Application of fake eyelashes to the waterline, aka meibomian gland openings, block the necessary release of a fat & oil mixture onto the eye's surface. Your eyes need this fat & oil release and lubrication for many reasons (like taking the salad dressing off your salad — BAD idea… who wants to eat dry lettuce?!)

The waterline is that inside-line of your eyelids where a lot of women like to apply makeup. This waterline is packed with meibomian glands, the delicate glands which line the top and bottom eyelid (sort of like pores in the eyelids). By applying false eyelashes along the waterline, these glands are basically suffocated, e.g. the glands cannot do-their-job and release a moisturizing fat & oil mixture onto the eye's surface. Okay, yuck, but, truly, when meibomian glands are compromised, they do not function properly — This malfunction of the glands is more specifically called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), which is a leading cause of dry eye disease.

The fake lashes might be beautiful, but MGD is not.

This gland-clogging can increase the inflammation-inducing evaporative load of patients with dry eye disease, aka ocular surface disease (OSD). Over time this can contribute to the gland obstruction, or in simple terms, they don't work. Your risk for getting a “stye” or hordeoulum is greatly increased — in other words, a big ugly inflamed-red bump on your lid. Eye styes aren't a good addition to anyone’s beauty routine — especially because then you won’t even be able to wear the lashes.

Furthermore, the eyelash glue has formaldehyde, a known-offender of meibomian glands & eye health.

Don’t offend your eyes, keep the eyelash adhesives away from your waterline!