Polly Bibby, 26, wanted to feel like a 'princess' on her wedding day, so she tried classic eyelash extensions. After a patch test showed no reaction, she went ahead with the £65 treatment on July 5. Initially happy with her 'dressier' appearance, hours later her eyes became watery and sore, which she dismissed as hay fever.
Allergic Reaction Sets In
When her eyes began stinging and sticking together with yellow discharge, Polly called 111 and was advised to go to A&E. A photo shows her eyes red raw and swollen closed. She compared her appearance to Sloth from The Goonies. At Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridge, a nurse confirmed an allergic reaction to the eyelash extensions.
Polly was prescribed antibiotics and strong antihistamines and told to wait three days for the swelling to go down before removal. Though her skin is slowly healing, she feared her eyes would still be red on her wedding day to fiancé Benjamin May, 29, on July 24.
Warning to Other Brides
Polly, from Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, said: 'I don't wear that much make-up. Getting married is the biggest day of your life, so I just wanted to test out different make-up and actually feel like a princess for the day.' She added: 'The only way I can describe [how I looked] is the man from The Goonies with the big puffy eyes called Sloth. I just didn't look like myself, I looked like a different person.'
During removal of the lashes, Polly said it felt like acid being poured on her face. 'I was screaming, crying and tensing up,' she said. 'My eyes are still red, scabby and very 'rashy'.' She now fears she may have to go makeup-free on her wedding day.
Polly shared her experience to warn other brides: 'Going through that pain was not worth it. If I knew in hindsight, I'd just use mascara. I'd hate anyone else to go through this.'
