Polly Bibby, 26, wanted to feel like a princess on her wedding day.
So, in early July, she got classic eyelash extensions in Cambridgeshire, UK. They cost around $88. She had an allergy test beforehand and there was no reaction, so she went ahead without suspecting anything.
Hours later, her eyes began to itch. She thought it was seasonal allergies. But by nightfall, they were already red, swollen, and burning so badly that she could no longer see clearly. Each blink made her eyelids stick together because of a thick yellow discharge, similar to that of a baby with conjunctivitis. At Hinchingbrooke Hospital, the staff were shocked by what they saw.
She was diagnosed with a severe allergic reaction to the eyelash glue. She was given antibiotics and antihistamines, and had to wait three days before the extensions could be removed, a procedure she described as feeling like acid being poured over her face. She screamed, cried, and felt tense: that is how she experienced it, with her wedding looming and her face still irritated.
