Yes, you can get lice in your eyelash extensions — and doctors are seeing more of it

Whether for special occasions or a little everyday glamour, people everywhere have hopped on the eyelash extension bandwagon.

Whereas false lashes can come unglued and end up stuck to your cheeks by the end of the night, eyelash extensions are attached one at a time by professionals using a semi-permanent adhesive and typically last between six and eight weeks.

Doctors, however, say fans of eyelash extensions are facing a creepy-crawly new threat: lice.

Cases of eyelash lice are getting more common, doctors say, and the critters are especially insidious; they’re smaller than head lice and invisible to the naked eye, KCBS reported. It’s the debris they leave behind that gives them away.

They’re also easily transferable, according to KTRK.

Dr. Sairah Malik, an optometrist in Houston, says some people with eyelash extensions don’t clean them properly for fear of making them fall out, the news outlet reported.

She says this leads to a buildup of bacteria that can cause a smattering of problems, including infection, itching, redness and you guessed it: lice.

But lice cases aren’t confined to extensions — doctors say there have been a number of cases on natural eyelashes as well, Prevention reported. These are often pubic lice that have been transferred to eyelashes after contact with towels, clothing or linens, according to the website.

Symptoms of these lice include itching around the eyes and nits — lice eggs — on the lashes, Prevention reported.

But while the thought of lice on lashes might make your skin crawl, experts say treatment is simple: Use tea tree oil.

“Typically patients will clean with tea tree oil, to remove debris in the eyelids,” Dr. David Samimi told KCBS. “We can also do deep cleanings in the office.”

He says treatment takes roughly six weeks.

This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 9:54 AM.