Is sleeping in mascara dangerous?
When you get into bed after a long day, the last thing you want to do is get back up and remove your makeup.
Sleeping with mascara on isn’t known to cause wrinkles, lines or other blemishes on your face. However, some cases have shown that by sleeping with mascara on for years at a time, clumps can build up under your eyelids and cause irritation and other potential health risks.
Despite these cases, Dr. Laura Sanders, an ophthalmologist affiliated with Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, doesn’t think you have much to worry about.
Although she recommends removal of mascara daily, the majority of people don’t have any problems with leaving mascara on from time to time.
“I’ve really never seen a problem directly from mascara in 17 years. However, I am not a fan of eyelash extensions, which have been prone to result in permanent damage to the lash follicles, stuck eyelids from poor application of glue or chemical injuries from the adhesive,” Dr. Sanders says.
That being said, Dr. Sanders says mascara may become problematic for patients with sensitivities to ingredients in the products, patients with dry eyes, blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid), eczema or other skin conditions. Dry eyes can become scratchy due to a lack of tear production or a more rapid break up of the tear film from unhealthy makeup use.
Using mascara could worsen this issue, so it’s important to know how your eyes will react to certain products.
There are several precautions one can take when using mascara. The wrong mascara will dry out quickly and in the end will crumble. These “crumbs” can be irritating to the eyes. To avoid this issue, consider buying thickening mascara because that will last longer without crumbling.
Dr. Sanders advises patients to remove their makeup daily and avoid placement on the water line of the eyes.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
Interesting! I noticed that my eyes have been irritated lately, and I dismissed it to seasonal allergies. I recently switched to a different mascara so I could remove it more easily. Apparently ease of removal will need to be sacrificed for a healthier mascare.
What about these new products that are made to help your lashes grow. Are these dangerous?