No, You Won't Get “Lash Lice” from your Eyelash Extensions

If you spend any time in the world of social media (especially if you follow the news outlets or are interested in beauty trends), you’ve probably seen it: the absolutely terrifying article reporting that eyelash extensions can give you “lash lice”. You might even have seen the disgusting picture where you can clearly see tiny bugs clinging to a person’s eyelashes. Well, take a deep breath and relax because what you have seen is something that has been commonly referred to as “fake news”. Eyelash extensions do NOT cause “lash lice”. As a matter of fact, “lash lice” aren’t even technically a thing. So, lets talk about the truth of the matter.

Are “lash lice” real?

Technically, no. However, those pictures are not photoshopped and it is possible to have lice on your lashes. The images in question portray something far more stomach churning and very rare. Those are pubic lice. Basically, what we’re talking about is three different types of lice you can have on your body: head, body, and pubic. Head lice are found on the neck and scalp, body lice mostly reside in clothing and only move to the skin to feed, and pubic lice are found mostly in the pubic hair but can live in any coarse hair on the body, including eyebrows and lashes. They are mostly transferred there by contact first with the genital area and then the eye area. But first you actually have to have pubic lice to transfer them. So essentially unless your lash artist is practicing some of the most unsanitary procedures I have ever thought about (in which case you should run screaming from the building before their hands get anywhere close to your eyes), they are not going to give you “lash lice”.

Okay, so what is that article talking about?

Mites. Common microscopic organisms called Demodex to be exact. They very definitively cannot be seen by the naked eye and cannot be photographed by anything less than an electron microscope. And guess what? We all have them. Every single one of us. Yes, including you. They are entirely harmless and for the most part we are almost completely oblivious to their existence. They eat our dead skin cells and pretty much just hang out living their lives. It’s called a symbiotic relationship, and even more specifically a commensalistic one. Basically, what that means is two different organisms have a long term biological interaction where one organism benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed. Everything has to eat, and these little buddies eat our dead skin. No harm, no foul.

Occasionally, however, we end up with a buildup of these microscopic organisms around our eyes because that’s one of their favorite places to live. When that happens, it can cause irritation and slight to moderate discomfort. You won’t have little bugs hanging off your lashes, but you might have some redness.

Well, what do we do about that?

Keep clean! Literally the only reason that a buildup of mites has become a common problem for people with eyelash extensions is that they are not following good hygiene procedures. Some people with extensions worry that washing their lashes too often will cause them to fall out and they want to keep their new lashes as long as possible. However, this is how the mites build up so, just washing the eye area daily with warm water will keep you from experiencing any difficulties. It’s that simple! Stay clean and you’ll have no problems.

Suburban Lash & Beauty adheres to every industry standard (and beyond!) regarding cleanliness and sanitation. We’re working near your eyes, so we take every precaution to make sure you are safe, clean, and healthy. Rest assured, lash extensions from us won’t cause you harm as long as you follow the care instructions you receive after your service.