Can Eyeliner Cause Blindness?

Can Eyeliner Cause Blindness? Although eyeliner does not harm the eyes, putting it too near to them might be dangerous.

Especially if someone has dry or sensitive eyes, the particles present in the eyeliner might go into their eyes and might create issues. 

We have a related article for you, you can read Can a Blind Person Live Alone? 10 Tips for Living Independently as Blind.

What Is An Eyeliner? Can Eyeliner Cause Blindness? 

With the advent of the modern era, makeup has revolutionized as well. Today, the market offers a large variety of makeup products for almost all face parts. 

Among these, one crucial product is eyeliner. This is available in either liquid or pencil form and can be applied above or under eyeliner, the upper lashes, below the lower lashes, or both, as well as along the waterlines of the eyes. 

Its primary function is to make the lashes seem thicker, and eyes look bigger, all while drawing attention to one’s eye and changing its shape.

Risks of Wearing Eyeliner

Although eyeliner does not harm the eyes, putting it too near to them might be dangerous. Especially if someone has dry or sensitive eyes, the particles present in the eyeliner might go into their eyes and might create issues. 

It’s considerably worse for contact lens wearers, particularly when eyeliner is applied to the inner lid border.

If you use eyeliner regularly, there are high chances that tiny particles will begin to accumulate inside the eye. The accumulation of this debris in the eyes can cause infection, discomfort, and blurriness of vision.

Issues Linked With Wearing Eyeliner

Although wearing eyeliner, as the case with any kind of makeup, is considered harmless since all good brands release their products after they pass several kinds of safety tests, prolonged use of such products, especially if using lower quality ones, can cause specific problems. 

Some of these include:

• Allergic Reactions such as eye irritation, redness, infection, or swelling.
• Conjunctivitis, since older containers and products can become an ideal place for bacteria to grow, causing pink eyes.
• Cornea Scratch, as the application of eyeliner, could cause damage to the cornea, or the pencil/brush applicator can scratch the eye surface.

Even though using eyeliner can not cause blindness of one’s eye, any one of these issues, as mentioned earlier, if not treated at the right time, could cause significant damage to your eye, which could eventually lead to partial or even complete blindness.

Symptoms of Eyeliner Reaction

In case of any reaction or scratch, one might experience one or multiple of the following signs, case of which it is recommended to visit the doctor immediately:

• Eye pain
• Light Sensitivity
• Blurred vision
• Eyelid Swelling
• Corneal discharge

Prevention: 

• When driving or traveling in a moving vehicle, avoid applying eyeliner since the eyeliner pencil or brush might easily scratch the eye surface, especially on a bumpy road. 
• Discard any old makeup after a few months. The ingredients in the product might expire, causing infection, but the product might also harden. Moreover, since the applicator comes in contact with your face, it is an ideal place for the growth of bacteria.
• Makeup should not be applied at the eyelid and the eyeball intersection. Dry eyes can be caused by eye makeup blocking essential meibomian oil glands at this point of the eye, which results in redness and irritation.
• If you’ve undergone eye surgery recently, avoid wearing any kind of eye makeup unless your doctor says it’s okay to do so near your eyes. Also, whenever you start wearing makeup again, buy new cosmetic items to avoid any unwanted issues.
• It is essential to use clean eye makeup applicators after every use. Furthermore, all brushes and sponges should be washed or replaced on a regular basis.
• Read labels and stay away from potentially dangerous ingredients. Several brands add you lead to their makeup products, which could cause lead poisoning. Talc, BHA, urea, sulfates, and phthalates are among the other compounds to avoid.
• Apply eyeliner to the lash line on the outer eyelid. The eyeliner should not be used on the interior of the eyelids, i.e., the lash line. This would protect your eyes from scratches and keep cosmetics from going into them.
• Remove eye makeup as soon as you can, especially before sleeping. Even the tiniest flake of eye makeup, such as eyeliner, can irritate or cause infection in the eyes.
• Replace all old makeup products if you have an eye infection to prevent bacteria from spreading further.
• If you get makeup in your eyes, rinse them thoroughly to remove any traces of makeup. Don’t use it again for as long as your eyes are irritated.

Also, you have to check out my post on Can Lasers Blind You?