As part of our #NLHaveItAll quest to educate the masses in lash and eye health, we have enrolled masters in their fields so we can bring you expert advice. With trusted experience and incredible knowledge these ladies will help us all to take great care of our eyes.
The first panel member in the hot seat is Francesca Marchetti, a highly influential optometrist (AKA eye doctor) both inside and outside of the eye health sector with over 30 years’ experience in caring for eyes. She is a member of the Council for the College of Optometrists and past chair of National Eye Health Week. Francesca is also a regular media spokesperson for the profession…
“Eyelashes protect the eye. They catch all the bits of debris that could land in the eye and cause harm. Although we have a very fast blink reflex, we need the lashes there also to deflect anything that is coming towards the eye and can-do harm.”
“There is not really an optimum length. Lashes that are too long can be a nuisance if you wear spectacles even sunglasses as the lashes can hit the back of the spectacle lens. Short lashes and sparse lashes can be a problem as there are not enough lashes there for protection, and sometimes short lashes can be viewed as cosmetically undesirable.”
“Yes, as we age, we do suffer from hair loss all over our body and our eyes are no exception. Both our eyebrows and eyelashes do diminish with age, which is why thick long luscious lashes make us appear younger. You will find even in families that hair loss tends to be genetic, as it does with different ethnic groups. Our general health and certain medications can affect our hair, if it affects the hair on our head, it will affect our eyelashes.”
“Absolutely, poor quality lash extensions and poor application technique can cause damage to eyelashes, increasing the risk of lashes breaking, which in turn means that there is less eye protection. More seriously, poor lash extensions can lead to damage of the hair follicle, causing the lashes to drop out. Without eyelashes the eye will feel sore, dry and uncomfortable, and can lead to dry eye as the protection mechanism has been damaged.”
“I suggest looking at who they are certified with, their level of hygiene and their product supplier for formulas of adhesive (lash extensions). It is important that your lash artist has done all the correct training and obtained the relevant qualifications to perform any of the procedures. I also think a patch test is essential for any products that may come into contact with your skin and a good consultation with your lash artist, so that you have the opportunity to ask what products they use.”
“The skin is a lot finer and delicate around the eyes and therefore is more sensitive, so lotions and potions need to be very delicate and perfume-free. We can also sometimes experience some dispersion of face creams into the eye area itself so these need to be chosen wisely to not upset the eye, as it can cause irritation and inflammation. I would recommend using creams as far away from the eye itself to prevent any seepage, unless you are using a gentle hypoallergenic formulation which is deemed suitable for use on the eye area.”
“If people are prone to sensitive skin anyway, then the area around the eye will be even more sensitive. Avoid highly perfumed eye lotions and potions. Look out for the preservative Chlorhexidine (CHG) which can cause irritation inflammation and allergy, you should avoid CHG near the eyes at all costs.”
“Yes, there is no reason why this would not be suitable for both contact lens wearers and laser eye surgery patients. For contact lens wearers it is important that the contact lenses are removed prior to the treatment and that the contact lenses are not worn for approximately 1 hour after treatment. During treatment, the eyes may sting a bit and if your practitioner advises, they may apply a lubricating drop to the eye. If so, make sure that they are using an individual vial and not putting drops in from a bottle, as this could cause cross-contamination from another client.
Lash extensions are ideal for patients prior to laser eye surgery, cataract extraction and clear Lens Extraction (vision corrective surgery which replaces your internal lens with a corrective one to enable you to be spectacle/contact lens free). This is because post-procedure the patient will be unable to wear any eye make up for 3-4 weeks, due to the risk of infection. I recommend my patients to have lash extensions/LVL and eyelash tinting for that reason.”
“Using old formulas or unhygienic make-up bags will lead to: infection, infection, infection. Never ever share eye makeup and always throw your mascara and wet eyeliners away every 3 months. The lovely warm dark environment of a mascara tube is heaven for nasty bacteria. Make sure you wash your eye makeup brushes very regularly and allow them to air dry. If you have an eye infection, it’s important to stop wearing eye makeup and any eye makeup that you may have should be thrown away as the bacteria can live long in the eye makeup.”
“Cheapest is not the best, neither is the dearest. Get a recommendation, word of mouth recommendation (as with most things) is usually the best. Read reviews of the lash artist. Choose wisely, as a good salon with great reviews may have a ‘new member of staff’ that has recently started and has no track record or reviews yet. Make sure you know the person is qualified to carry out the procedure, feel comfortable to ask to see certificates. If possible, I would also make an appointment to have an informal chat with your lash artist prior to your actual treatment to ensure you are confident and relaxed.”
“Infection and eyelash damage are the main cause for concern. Make sure that no products are re-used as everything should be just for you. Any lubricants put in the eye to wash/flush any products out of the eye must be done using an individual vial, not with tap water nor an already opened bottle that has been used on other clients. If cheap imitation lash products are used, that perhaps have not been tried and tested, they may damage your lashes causing them to break off, fall out and damage the hair roots – which in turn could cause the eyelashes to die off and not grow back.”
“Certification, good reviews, a clean salon, recommendation from others.”
“Protection and cleanliness. Always wear sunglasses when it is sunny to protect the eye area and the eye itself. Any sun spectacles that you buy ensure that they will be 100% UV and to regulatory standards. Do not wear fake designer sunglasses, as fake sunglasses also carry fake markings.
Always remove your eye makeup at night, no matter how tired you are, as this will help prevent any infection. Use a gentle hypoallergenic eye makeup remover, massaging the eye area very gently to prevent stretching the fine skin, which can lead to more wrinkles. General make up removers tend to be too harsh around the eye area.
I would also recommend a regular eye examination. When you struggle to see, you often screw the eyes up, which again can lead to wrinkles. Other eye conditions can make the eyes look older – for example cataract, blepharitis, and dry eye – so a regular eye examination is essential to keep the eyes healthy.”
