_(2).jpeg){kind=small}
A woman has said she was left looking like a 'zombie' after taking a severe allergic reaction to her eyelash extensions.
Haley Fetzer, 17, was initially 'on top of the world' after getting the extensions, but things took a dramatic turn for the worst when she had them infilled two weeks later.
The teen from Ashland, Ohio, said her eyes started secreting what she described as 'goop' and were bloodshot within hours.
Advert
The next morning, she was unable to open them altogether.
She had the last extensions removed as soon as possible and said it was so painful that it felt 'like getting bitten by a million ants'.
Haley visited her doctor for treatment and was told to treat the extreme allergic reaction with lubricating eye drops and antihistamines.
While she saw an improvement within days, it was weeks before she felt ready to leave the house.
Speaking of the incident, she said: "It was a complete disaster. When it first started it looked like little broken blood vessels all pooled in the bottom of my eye.
Advert
"My first reaction was 'oh my gosh they're getting worse, it's going to go to my pupil and I'm going to go blind'.
"Even when I had my glasses on, I didn't want to go out in public.
"It was embarrassing, I had to call off work. At the time I worked in a smoothie shop and I was like 'no one's going to want a smoothie from me'. I looked scary.
"I felt that I looked like a scary zombie and if I went out I'd scare little kids."
Haley said that while she did experience a small reaction - her eyes went slightly pink - when she first had the lashes done, but put it down to hayfever.
Advert
When her lashes swelled up, Haley said that it was 'almost impossible' to get the goop off them.
"I had to blindly walk myself into the bathroom and put my eyes under running warm water and eventually I could peel them open," she explained.
"But there was so much goop. It was like a very thick mucus. When it's on every single lash, it's almost impossible to get it off."
Haley believes she was allergic to the eyelash glue and wants more people to know about this seemingly hidden danger.
She said: "I was housebound for five weeks. I feared going out in public until the whole reaction was done.
Advert
"I go the gym, hang out with friends and I'm hardly ever home and it was really different for me to have to stay home all because of something that happened to my eyes.
"It probably took the full five weeks before my eyes were completely white again and for me to be motivated to go the gym and out in public."
The teenager has now vowed to never get eyelash extensions again and is hoping that others learn from her experience.
Advert
She said: "I got them done thinking it would be a good idea and wasn't aware of any of the severe reactions or consequences that can happen afterwards
"Just be aware that this can happen and if you have sensitive skin, it's probably not the best idea."
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media