False eyelashes, hair extensions... The tyranny of always being beautiful

• EYEBROWS Laminate, the latest trend of viral beauty thanks to Rosalía

• BODY The myth of the bikini operation

"

, you look great. From the moment you wake up you look perfect. You come out of the sea as if you were wearing makeup. You stop wearing mascara. The effect is wonderful and, of course, it hooks you. You never want to be without them again" .

Elena García, 35, speaks.

It started little by little.

(a treatment that lengthens and creates a slight curve)

2D hair-by-hair eyelash extensions (depending on the size of the false eyelashes that are placed on top of yours), then 3D... "Today they are not at all natural" , bill.

In fact, you don't have to look too hard to notice them.

Her eyes look like a Nancy doll's.

"

and mine began to weaken until they fell off," she slides sadly.

He consulted an ophthalmologist, who recommended that they be removed immediately and given time for his own to regenerate.

But instead, she has put on false eyelashes that she admits are exaggerated.

They remain glued to her eyes.

That makes her have a certain lack of hygiene, she says, because she cannot wash her face well in the morning.

"I just can't stand the thought of seeing myself without eyelashes.

," she confesses.

I

Elena Garcia, 35 years old.

You can theorize, a lot, about extensions, both eyelashes and hair, but

.

Today, the doctors consulted by ZEN explain, there are techniques and products that are really good and do not have to result in extreme cases like Garcia's.

But the truth is that wearing false eyelashes is a real

among women and the centers dedicated to this task, as well as those for hair extensions, proliferate like mushrooms.

Not all are equally professional and there are those who prefer to get carried away by the price.

CAN I LOSE MY LASHES?

"

or hair-to-hair extensions should not pose a risk to eye health. In general, they are well tolerated. But the biggest problem is usually the

used to adhere or remove them," he explains. Fernanda Fernández-Tresguerres, ophthalmologist at the Oculoplasty Unit of the San Carlos Clinical Hospital.

Since they can come into contact with the ocular surface, they can cause allergic reactions or irritation, warns the doctor.

"The

are also important . They must be consistent and not excessively disproportionate."

Not in vain, there are those who already call them

.

If they are very exaggerated compared to the natural ones, indeed, this ophthalmologist confirms, it can cause our own eyelashes to fall out.

"That also happens on a day-to-day

with mascara", she warns about the mistreatment we exert on them if we apply a wipe to remove

makeup (water resistant).

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HARMFUL SUBSTANCES

Eyelash glues usually contain

or similar components from the group of acrylates.

"They provide quick drying but there are patients who are allergic to these substances and they cause eye irritation, itching and/or tearing," says the doctor.

Some have methacrylate (PMMA), which

.

"They can be dark, with carbon, or transparent," says Fernández-Tresguerres, who recommends avoiding them if you are known to be allergic to any of these substances.

He also insists on putting himself in the hands of experts in these cosmetic treatments, because although there are more and more accredited centers and they are safe, not all practices are the same.

They must be consistent and not excessively disproportionate

Fernanda Fernández-Tresguerres, ophthalmologist

At ZEN we have consulted with some of the most popular centers and they assure that a

"Actually, they are to the glue, not the extensions."

These beauticians, who prefer not to reveal their names, do recognize situations of itching or minimal swelling when putting them on or after hours of wearing them.

"That also happens with manicures due to chemicals and with some creams in facial treatments that cause reactions," they justify.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Among the most repeated tips after one or two

  fillers are rest times

  and even apply some type of serum such as the famous

  RevitaLash

  to renew the eyelash.

  "Depending on the cosmetic product used and if there has been any hair loss, yes, it would be advisable to wait a while," advocates the ophthalmologist.

• The loss of eyelashes is usually transitory: "If we then do good eyelid hygiene and rest," the doctor points out.

  Normally the anagen phase, or express growth, lasts four to eight weeks.

  "There are products with prostaglandin analogs that

  stimulate real growth and increase

  their number, but there are still not enough studies and, in any case, they should be used under ophthalmological supervision."

• In the case of being a punctual setting and with good products, such as making sure that the glue is hypoallergenic, there will be no major consequences.

  "But it is true that when they fall off they can drag the eyelash itself and take time to come out," says dermatologist Paloma Cornejo, who agrees with the ophthalmologist in pointing out the problem of size and weight.

  "If they are big, heavy and we repeat the process a lot, due to traction,

  we are going to weaken the eyelash follicle."

• The dermatologist Cornejo warns of possible styes or infections due to the accumulation of fat by not cleaning them so that they do not fall out.

  "Careful with that".

• In addition, they can be twisted and nailed, "so we must be careful not to cause

  eye injuries

  if we put on very exaggerated eyelashes," concludes Cornejo.

• And, in the same way that extensions can lead to a bounce effect and deteriorate lashes that have not already been considered long and beautiful, there are certain behaviors established in the beauty routine that are dangerous.

  Like applying too many

  layers of mascara, not removing make-up with specialized biphasic cleansers

  that break down the product, or using a curling iron every day.

• As a final conclusion, it is recommended to choose very well the center where you are going to receive the treatment by an expert who, in general, will not cause problems.

  But if

  complications or ophthalmological symptoms

  arise , it is necessary to go to the specialist's office.

SUPERLATIVE BEAUTY

"When we get used to something,

", says Raquel González, cosmetologist and director of training at Perricone MD, who draws attention to consumerism, sometimes excessive, as the culprit of that erroneous thought of wanting everything in superlative terms.

"The same thing happens to certain people with cosmetics: you put on some eyelashes and when it's time to renew them, you increase them, for example, because your mind normalizes what was already not normal in itself."

It also happens with cosmetic products.

Many times, users who buy

go to what has the most power, without implying that it is the most suitable product for their skin.

"There are clients who acquire references of our brand that an expert would never prescribe if they went to a salon or clinic. We see another clear example in breast augmentations and the similes are endless. The key is

and to let us advice for our environment, but above all for experts, professionals who will always recommend what suits us best and what is healthier", concludes the cosmetologist.

WHAT IS UNDERLYING ALL OF THIS?

We dedicate a large part of the agenda to care, especially women.

The appointment for the manicure, the perfect eyebrows, false eyelashes, extensions, laser hair removal... Impeccable.

Experts already point out the behaviors derived from the use of social networks and the normalization of filters.

That's why celebrities who get out of that script of continuous pressure are applauded, such as the Miss who competes without makeup or the singer Rosalía disheveled and with dark circles in her social profiles.

Is it a tyranny to always be beautiful?

Are we forgetting more important things?

"We are in a society of increasingly equal faces and where

. We spend so much time keeping ourselves perfect and with such a high level of self-demand that, in the end, instead of enjoying being on the beach, you don't get in the water so as not to damage your hair and eyelashes. A

where you really lose living, "says the dermatologist Paloma Cornejo, who calls on doctors like her to put common sense in all this.

"Especially when we talk about aesthetic medicine techniques, which often involve

."

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