Extra-Long Eyelashes Have a Dangerous Side Effect ? | Dayz Entertainment

While XXL eyelashes might make you feel extra *pReTtY*~, they could also lead to painful eye issues, according to research recently published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

After measuring the eyelash-to-eye ratio in 22 mammals, researchers found that the average eyelash length for both humans and animals is one-third of the width of the eye. Next, they built a model eye and a wind tunnel to simulate air flow around average-length eyelashes, no lashes, and extra-long ones.

While the average-size lashes beat no lashes for keeping your eyes clear and safe, (they helped shield the model eye by redirecting wind), extra-long lashes forced air, dirt, and other icky stuff directly into the model eye. If that doesn't make you squint, it might make you itch: In real eyes, this kind of contamination (which could include dust mites, animal dander, and viruses released when people sneeze and cough) can dry out your eyes in a way that increases the likelihood of contracting eye infections like pink eye, says study co-author Guillermo Amador, a graduate student in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.

"It's like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears," he says. "Short eyelashes don't protect the eye [enough], long eyelashes channel more airflow toward the eye, while eyelashes with a length of one-third the eye width are just right."

If you're not willing to settle for average-size lashes, you don't have to give up on mascara: Enhance them safely with a thickening mascara formula, which can help protect the eye, according to Amador. And if long lashes are your thing? At least opt for mascara (or false lashes) that lengthen and thicken (like Physician's Formula Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension Kit Mascara, $14.95) to see the difference.



SOURCE: cosmopolitan