{"id":79416,"date":"2024-12-13T12:12:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T19:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=79416"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:29:23","slug":"got-nail-or-eyelash-glue-in-your-eye-avoid-these-painful-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/got-nail-or-eyelash-glue-in-your-eye-avoid-these-painful-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Accidentally put eyelash glue in your eye? Tips to avoid painful mistakes."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some people are accidentally reaching for eyelash glue instead of eye drops. What to do if you accidentally glue your eyelids shut. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A painful mix-up between makeup glue and eye drops is sending an increasing number of people to ophthalmologists and ER doctors for help.<\/p>\n

As false eyelashes have become more popular, so too, is makeup glue to attach the lashes. Many people also keep eye drops handy.<\/p>\n

As a result, doctors now are seeing patients who have fished around for eye drops, inadvertently grabbed eyelash glue and are accidentally gluing their eyelids shut.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actually surprisingly common, and I\u2019ve seen it a few times,\u201d said Dr. G. Conner Nix, a senior ophthalmologist resident at the UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus.<\/a> \u201cThe good news about this mix-up is that usually people do fine, although it can be very annoying and very scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the glues used in beauty products are similar to what ophthalmologists use on corneas<\/a> for various eye diseases. Nix explained that sterile versions of what we know as \u201csuperglue\u201d are used when treating conditions such as a hole in the cornea.<\/p>\n

The cornea is like a \u201cclear windshield for the eye,\u201d he said, with five layers that protect the inside of the eye from debris, as well as providing the eye its focusing power. The top layer of the cornea is what typically becomes stuck to the lid because of a foreign substance such as glue.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think they\u2019ve permanently glued their eyes shut, but usually there are no long-term vision consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

In most instances, the eye itself is protected by our eyelids, as well as the tears we produce when the eye comes into contact with dust and debris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe glue usually hardens on the eyelids, and the tears provide a buffer, so often people get lucky when an accident like this occurs.\u201d<\/p>\n

How do people mistakenly use nail or eyelash glue instead of eye drops?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are several reasons why this mishap is a more common occurrence than many might think, both across the country and here in Colorado.<\/p>\n

According to Nix, more people are mixing up eyelash glue and eye drops. Here are some of the reasons why:<\/p>\n