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Inioluwa Ogunleye
1 week ago
Overview
Refilwe Motiang, a 31-year-old woman from Midrand in Johannesburg, recently had a harrowing experience that almost left her blind.
What was meant to be a pampering session at the salon turned into a nightmare. Last Thursday she went to the salon to get her eyelash extensions done in preparation for a trip to the North West province. During the process she felt an intense burning sensation in her eyes, which she described as unbearable.
“My eyes were burning,” Motiang said.
Despite informing the technician, she said she was told it was normal and the glue was strong to make the lashes last longer. However, the pain persisted and she soon found herself struggling to open her eyes, with excessive tearing and difficulty lifting her eyelids.
“I started feeling cold and shivering, then I asked to go outside. Next thing I was struggling to open my eyes. My eyes were tearing up and I was struggling to lift up my eyelids. That's when I realised something was bad.”
Motiang was rushed to a Netcare hospital, where doctors discovered that her cornea had been damaged.
“I was really scared. I couldn’t see, I could only hear people talking to me. I couldn’t manoeuvre around them. I kept wondering, what does this mean? Does it mean they're going to take out my eyes? I was worried, but I tried not to show it.
“I can't explain the pain I had in my eyes. It felt like I had boxes inside my eyes.”
Motiang was discharged the following day but spent several days with eye patches, unable to see, and was forced to stay indoors in a dark room to avoid direct light.
She explained how traumatic the experience was, not just physically but also emotionally.
“I felt alone and sad, thinking, all this just because I wanted to look pretty? Even mentally I was not OK — but I was hopeful that I would be fine.”
Motiang now regrets getting her eyelash extensions and is considering legal action against the salon.
“The whole thing was traumatic. My children were worried. I regret it because of the way it affected my family. The hospital bills were also expensive.”
She is still undergoing check-ups and slowly regaining her eyesight.
According to Paballo Mbabama, an eyelash technician at Blackdime Beauty Bar, using the wrong type of glue, inadequate ventilation and insufficient space between lashes can cause a burning sensation and damage.
She advised clients to be aware of unusual pain and recognise potential damage.
“If the smell of the glue is too strong, then the glue is not for sensitive eyes. If the burning sensation is too much, it's not normal. The glue shouldn’t burn to a point where you get extremely red eyes or can’t blink properly,” she said.
