A bride-to-be who wanted to look like a princess on her wedding day ended up with a severe allergic reaction to fake eyelash extensions. Polly Bibby, 26, an illustrator, decided to try classic eyelash extensions ahead of her big day. She had a patch test done and since she suffered no reaction, she went ahead with the procedure.

Allergic Reaction

Just a few hours after the appointment, however, her eyes became watery and sore. She shrugged it off as symptoms of hay fever. But when her eyes started to sting and then stick together due to a yellow discharge, alarm bells began going off. She called an urgent care medical line and was advised to head to the nearest hospital emergency room.

A shocking photo shows her red, raw and swollen eyes. After being seen by a nurse in the eye unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridge, it was confirmed she’d suffered an allergic reaction to the eyelash extensions. She was given a course of antibiotics and antihistamines, and told to wait three days for the swelling to go down before getting the false lashes removed.

Warning to Others

Bibby is now warning other brides about getting certain treatments so close to their big day. She said she’s been sharing her experience to caution others about the risks of beauty treatments. “I don’t wear that much makeup,” she said. “Getting married is the biggest day of your life, so I just wanted to test out different makeup and actually feel like a princess for the day.”

Rebecca J. Taylor, M.D., a board-certified ophthalmologist, said that to keep the eyes safe, artificial lashes should be applied by an experienced aesthetician in a sanitary setting, with chemicals that are safe for your skin. “The procedure does come with risks, namely trauma to or infection of the eyelid or cornea; allergic reaction to the glue; and permanent or temporary loss of eyelashes,” she said.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.