Mum forced to have eyeball scooped out and replaced with ‘marble’ after lash glue made her go blind
A MUM had to have her eyeball scooped out and replaced with a “marble” – after getting lash glue in her eye.
Kaitlyn Humphrey had bought the lash glue for the first time after running out of her regular branded adhesive.
While applying her false lashes on July 4 last year, she claims a small amount of glue accidentally got into the corner of her left eye, causing irritation.
At first, the mum-of-two tried to rinse her eye out at home following the directions on the back of the product package.
She booked a doctor’s appointment when the irritation contain, but was told she had suffered an allergic reaction to the lash glue and sent home with antibiotic eye drops.
The 26-year-old said over the next eight months her symptoms persisted and despite numerous trips to the hospital, she claims no further investigation was conducted into the infection.
When the accountant’s vision blurred and she started to feel “pressure” behind her eye in March 2024, she booked an appointment with a specialist eye doctor.
But after reportedly informing her there was nothing wrong, Kaitlyn was sent home by the health professional and her symptoms continued to worsen – until she woke up “blind” five months later.
Horrifying photos show Kaitlyn’s left eye red, blood shot and glazed over as she suffered with irritation for months.
As a result, Kaitlyn was forced to have her left eye removed and replaced with a “marble” last month.
She is now waiting to have a lens fitted. While she won’t be able to see again, it will make her eye look “real” for aesthetic purposes.
Kaitlyn from Charleston in Missouri, US, said: “When I initially used the glue a small amount had got into the corner of my eye and it started to burn.
“It was irritating for the rest of the day but this was something I expected as it was a new product and it had gotten into my eye.
“It stayed irritated for a few days and I went to a doctor to get my eye flushed out after I tried to do it myself.
“One day I would be fine and the next day I could wake up and my eye would be swollen and inflamed.
“It would be bloodshot and itchy and burn. It felt like an eyelash was in my eye, that was the feeling.
“The flare up would keep coming and going and I would go to the hospital and they would say the same thing and send me home with the same products.
“Finally once I started to experience blurred vision and pressure behind my eye I decided to contact an eye doctor.
“The eye doctor looked at my eye and said they couldn’t see any pressure behind my eye and nothing was wrong.
“The eye doctor did less than the hospital. It made me feel like I was being a hypochondriac.
“It made me feel that I was experiencing something that I wasn’t experiencing.”
‘Horrible pain’
After visiting the first eye doctor, Kaitlyn claims she continued to battle with impaired vision which saw her give up her job and struggle to play with her kids.
It was only when woke up blind in August this year that she pushed for a second doctor’s opinion and was shocked to discover her cornea had nearly “melted” off from the infection.
Kaitlyn then underwent a cornea transplant to try and save her eye and restore her vision.
Sadly, her body rejected the implant and after a “dime-sized” mass was found on her optic nerve, she decided to go ahead with full eye removal surgery.
It felt like when I closed my eye, my eyelid was like sandpaper and this was because my cornea had almost all melted away from the infection
Kaitlyn Humphrey
Kaitlyn said: “The symptoms remained the same [still blurry and pressure].
“Sometimes my eyes would be swollen shut and I would be extremely sensitive to light and I wouldn’t even be able to look at my phone.
“In August I woke up and my eye was swollen shut and it was just black and I couldn’t see anything.
“There was so much pressure on my right eye too that I couldn’t see out of this one either.
Possible risks of lash glue
Though donning a pair of fluttery lashes can elevate any makeup look, lash glues can spark allergic reactions.
They can cause various symptoms, including redness, swelling, and itching. In severe cases, it can even result in anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction that can be life threatening.
Generally, lash adhesive contains chemicals such as formaldehyde, cyanoacrylate, and latex, potentially triggering allergic reactions.
Additionally, some people may be sensitive to other glue ingredients, such as fragrances or colourants.
If you already have sensitive skin or existing allergies, your chances of experiencing a reaction will increase.
But anyone can be allergic to the adhesive used for false eyelashes and lash extensions.
The symptoms of a false eyelash glue allergy include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Itching
- Flaky skin around the eyes
- Blisters and hives around the eyes
- A burning sensation in your eyes or on your face
If you experience difficulty breathing or swallowing, seek medical help immediately, as this could be a sign of anaphylaxis—a severe allergic reaction that requires emergency treatment.
Do a patch test of the glue if you’re using it for the first time.
Wearing falsies can also put you at risk of eye infections if bacteria collect under the eyelash glue and on the false eyelash itself.
If you store and reuse your false lashes, or drop your eyelash onto a surface before applying, there is a risk of harmful bacteria and dirt entering the eye.
Sources: False Eyelashes UK, Howerton Eye Center
“That same day my right eye regained vision but my left didn’t. I was in a lot of pain. The pain was horrible.
“It felt like when I closed my eye, my eyelid was like sandpaper and this was because my cornea had almost all melted away from the infection.
“My grandma then took me to another eye doctor. As soon as they looked at my eye, they didn’t even have to examine it and they told me I needed to see a surgeon the next day.
“I was dumbfounded. He told me I was in the in-stages of losing my eye and I couldn’t grasp what he was telling me.”
‘Fed up’
Kaitlyn first underwent a cornea transplant but began to experience worrying symptoms.
This lead to her having have her eye fully removed in four-hour eye operation, during which a surgeon wrapped the tissue and muscles from her left eye around a marble to ensure her prosthetic would move like a real eye in the ball socket.
Kaitlyn said: “[Following my transplant], I began to experience mild headaches at first.
“I had a headache so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed and was laying in the dark all day so I went back to the hospital.
You hear things like this happen but you never think it is going to happen to you
Kaitlyn Humphrey
“I explained that I had had a cornea transplant and I was airlifted to another hospital. They did a CT and they found a mass the size of a dime [5p coin] growing on my optic nerve.
“This was from the infection that had been caused by my body rejecting the transplant. At this point I was so ready for everything to be over.
“They gave me the option to have a full eye transplant but at this point my body had already rejected one transplant and I was tired of going through the pain. I was fed up so I said I wanted to go ahead with the removal.
“The surgeon went in and cleaned my eye out and left the white part of my eye and wrapped the tissue and muscles around the marble so the marble would move around like my other eye.”
Kaitlyn’s warning
It has now been a month since Kaitlyn underwent her surgery and is now urging others too keep pushing for professional help if you think something is wrong with your health to stop this from happening to them.
Kaitlyn said: “I was so scared to look at my eye at first. I was terrified. You hear things like this happen but you never think it is going to happen to you.
“I’m a girly girl and do my makeup so even from the very beginning I was so self-conscious about how I was going to look with the transplant.
“I have pretty much come to terms with it now and it doesn’t really bother me as I’ve grown used to it. I’m excited to get my lens fitted. They hand make these to match my original eye.
“I never thought using a product like this [eye lash glue] would cause this as it’s meant to go around your eye.
“I just want to spread more awareness about what I’ve been through.
“Those symptoms that you believe to be normal and every day symptoms can lead to very life changing and permanent.”