Eyelash mites and lash extensions.
The cleaning habit that matters.

The headline that made everyone itch

You are lying on the couch scrolling, your fill is booked for Saturday, and a headline floats past: eyelash extensions linked to skin mites, eye irritation and blocked glands. Suddenly every tiny itch along your lash line feels like evidence.

The story is real, and it is worth taking seriously. It is also more nuanced than the headline. The researchers themselves did not tell people to give up extensions. What they flagged is a habit many clients have been taught for years: don't wash your lashes. That habit, not the lashes themselves, is the part you can change today.

What the September 2026 study actually found

The research was led by Dr. Tetiana Zhmud of the Department of Ophthalmology at National Pirogov Memorial Medical University in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, and presented on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the 44th ESCRS Congress in London, according to the ESCRS press release. It was a congress presentation, not yet a peer-reviewed journal paper, and the ESCRS reported no external funding.

• The survey: 345 women aged 16 to 28. Almost a quarter had ever had eyelash extensions. Of those, 58% had them every three to four weeks, and 47.6% said they had discomfort, redness, tearing or itching after the procedure.
• The glands: Among women who had had extensions at least ten times, imaging of the eyelid oil glands (meibography) showed signs of meibomian gland dysfunction in 85%. The release does not say how many women were in that group.
• The mites: Lash samples from 25 women who regularly wore extensions were examined under a microscope. Demodex folliculorum was found in all but one. Eighteen showed signs of the kind of irritation mites typically cause, such as itching, redness, swelling, lashes sticking together and scaly skin at the lash base.
• The glue: In Healio's report on the presentation (September 17, 2026), Dr. Zhmud said mites were also found in the adhesive.

Dr. Zhmud's own conclusion, in the ESCRS release, was measured: “Our findings do not suggest that people should completely avoid eyelash extensions.” She recommended simple hygiene, including “a preservative-free, hypoallergenic gel designed for therapeutic eyelid hygiene” used “twice daily using an eyelash cleansing brush,” with anti-parasitic treatment considered when an infestation is confirmed. Healio quoted her saying poor hygiene is probably the cause, because clients are usually told not to wash their lashes.

What it does not prove

This is where the headlines ran ahead of the science. The ESCRS release says plainly that this was “a small study that did not include a comparison with young women who had not had eyelash extensions.” Healio's write-up describes a 10-woman control group of non-wearers, which conflicts with the release; neither source reports a statistical comparison between groups. Without one, nobody can say whether extension wearers have more mites than anyone else.

Context matters too. EyeWiki, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's clinical wiki, cites estimates that Demodex is found in about 13% of children aged 3 to 15, 69% of adults aged 31 to 50, 84% of people by age 60 and essentially everyone over 70. A 2023 study in Clinical Ophthalmology from a Dutch eye clinic found Demodex on the lashes of 94% of 106 patients, most of them older adults, while only 14% reported blepharitis symptoms. Professor Sorcha Ni Dhubhghaill, chair of the ESCRS Cornea Committee, who was not involved in the research, put it simply in the release: finding Demodex “does not necessarily indicate disease, as these mites may be part of the normal ocular microbiota.”

So the honest summary is this: mites on the lashes are common, extension wearers in this small study often had them, many had irritation and gland changes, and the most plausible fixable factor is how the lash line is cleaned.

Meet Demodex: the facts without the horror movie

Two species live on human skin. According to EyeWiki, Demodex folliculorum is about 0.3 to 0.4 mm long and clusters around lash follicles, where it is linked to inflammation of the front of the eyelid (anterior blepharitis). Demodex brevis is slightly smaller and lives in the oil glands, including the meibomian glands that line the eyelids and keep tears from evaporating; it is linked to posterior blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction. UCLA Health's physicians note that as long as their numbers stay low, the mites are harmless, and that populations tend to increase with age.

Trouble starts when numbers climb. Cleveland Clinic lists itchy eyes as the most common symptom of Demodex blepharitis, with dry or irritated eyes, a gritty or foreign-body feeling, puffy or red lids, crusty flakes on the lashes, lashes growing in odd directions and lash loss. It estimates the condition may affect about 25 million people in the United States, and notes that young people with no known risk factors can develop it too.

The sign eye doctors look for is the collarette: a waxy cuff around the base of a lash, which Cleveland Clinic describes as being made of the mites' waste. EyeWiki calls these cylindrical cuffs a pathognomonic sign, meaning they point strongly to Demodex. Here is the extension-specific catch Professor Ni Dhubhghaill raised: adhesive sits near the base of the natural lashes, exactly where collarettes form, so they can be much harder to spot on a full set.

The real mistake: “never get your lashes wet”

Many people with extensions were told to keep them dry, skip cleansing and avoid touching the lash line, often to protect the bond. The first-day part is real: most adhesive makers want the bond left alone for a set period after application, so follow your artist's instructions for that window. The problem is when “don't get them wet for a day” turns into “don't clean them for three weeks.”

Here is why that backfires. Your eyelids make oil all day. Add skin flakes, makeup, sunscreen, pollen and the dust that blows through Orange County on dry, windy fall days, and that mix collects in the narrow space where extension meets natural lash. It is the same zone where Demodex folliculorum lives and where collarettes form. Leaving it untouched does not protect your lashes; it gives buildup somewhere to sit. Our guide to why lash extensions fall out early explains how oil and residue also weaken retention, so a clean lash line tends to help your set last, not the other way around.

A daily lash-cleansing routine that is gentle on your set

This is general hygiene for healthy, comfortable eyes. If you already have symptoms, or an eye doctor has given you a routine, follow theirs.

1. Respect the first-day window. Follow your lash artist's and the adhesive maker's instructions for how long to keep the new set dry.
2. Choose an adhesive-safe cleanser. Ask your artist which lash cleanser or foam is compatible with the adhesive they used. Oil-based cleansers and heavy creams near the lash line can loosen the bond. If you are prone to irritation, fragrance-free, preservative-free formulas designed for the eye area are the gentler place to start.
3. Use a soft, clean brush. A dedicated lash cleansing brush lets you work the cleanser along the lash line without rubbing. Rinse it after each use, let it dry, and replace it regularly.
4. Brush in the direction of growth. Eyes closed, sweep gently from the base outward. Never scrub side to side or pull.
5. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat around the eye. Let the lashes air-dry or use a cool hair dryer setting from a distance, then brush through with a clean spoolie.
6. Make it a habit, not an event. Once a day is a sensible baseline; on heavy makeup, sunscreen, workout or windy days, cleanse at night so nothing sleeps on your lash line. Cleveland Clinic's prevention advice includes removing makeup before bed.
7. Wash what touches your face. Cleveland Clinic suggests routinely washing sheets, pillowcases and washcloths in hot water and drying them on high heat.
8. Never share eye makeup. UCLA Health's physicians advise never sharing eye makeup, particularly mascara, and throwing away eye makeup used during an infestation. (Sources disagree on how easily Demodex spreads between people: EyeWiki says skin-to-skin transfer is easy, while Cleveland Clinic says experts have not yet determined whether the condition is transmissible. Not sharing is the safe default either way.) Our eye makeup brush hygiene guide covers the rest of your kit.

Do and don't, at a glance

Questions to ask your lash artist

• Which cleanser and brush do you recommend with the adhesive you use, and how soon can I start cleansing?
• Do you check the lash line for buildup, redness or flakes before a fill, and will you tell me if you see something?
• Are tweezers and tools cleaned and disinfected between clients, and are brushes and spoolies single-use or mine to keep?
• If my eyes are irritated on the day of my appointment, can I reschedule without pressure?
• If an eye doctor asks me to remove my set, can you remove it safely?

A good lash artist will welcome these questions. Our first lash appointment question list and sensitive-eyes guide go deeper.

How eye doctors treat Demodex blepharitis

In July 2023 the FDA approved Xdemvy (lotilaner ophthalmic solution 0.25%) from Tarsus Pharmaceuticals for Demodex blepharitis. According to HealthDay's report on the approval, it was tested in two randomized, vehicle-controlled trials, Saturn-1 and Saturn-2, with 833 patients; it is used twice daily in each eye for six weeks, and the most common side effect was stinging and burning at the drop site, reported in 10% of patients. Cleveland Clinic calls it the first and only FDA-approved treatment for the condition. It is a prescription medicine.

Depending on what they find, eye doctors may also clean debris from the lid margin in the office, recommend medicated lid scrubs or wipes, warm compresses and lubricating drops, or treat associated inflammation. Some lid products contain tea tree oil or its active component, terpinen-4-ol; EyeWiki notes that early high-strength tea tree oil scrubs irritated some patients, and Cleveland Clinic says tea tree products may irritate skin. That is why we suggest leaving those choices to your eye doctor. EyeWiki also notes that finding Demodex without symptoms does not warrant treatment.

If you are diagnosed while wearing extensions, ask your doctor whether the set should come off. If it should, have it removed by a trained artist, never pulled or picked off at home; our guide to removing extensions safely explains why. For a broader look at reactions, our allergy, irritation or infection guide helps you tell the patterns apart.

Why this matters for Orange County lash wearers

Extensions are an everyday beauty service here, from Little Saigon salons in Westminster and Garden Grove to studios near South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, and many clients keep a three-to-four-week fill rhythm year-round, the same pattern as 58% of the extension wearers in the study. Our fall weather adds its own twist: dry, dusty Santa Ana wind days and, on many days of the year, sunscreen worn right up to the eye. Both add to what collects at the lash line, so a nightly cleanse matters more, not less, in our climate. Our Santa Ana winds guide covers the dry-eye side of wind season.

What the good version looks like

Picture your next set going right. Before booking, you mention to your artist that you want to keep your lash line clean, and they tell you which cleanser works with their adhesive. You wait out the first-day window, then make the nightly cleanse as routine as brushing your teeth: a little foam, a soft brush, a lukewarm rinse, a quick brush-through. Your mascara stays yours. At your fill, your artist looks at the lash line before starting and it is clear, no flakes, no clumps, no redness. Your eyes feel comfortable through the whole three weeks. And if something ever does feel off, you know exactly what to watch for and who to call. That is the goal: not fear of your lashes, just a lash line that is clean, calm and easy to check.

How this works at Enclave

At Enclave in Santa Ana, a lash appointment starts with your eyes, not just your look. If your lash line looks irritated or you mention symptoms, we will suggest postponing and checking with an eye doctor rather than applying a new set or fill. We are glad to talk through aftercare and lash cleansing at any appointment, and to tell you plainly when something is a question for a clinician. Classic Lash Extension Sets start from $95, Wispy or Wet-Look sets from $125 and Volume sets from $145; if you would rather skip extensions for a while, a Lash Lift & Tint starts from $80. You can see every option on our lash extensions page. If you're coming from Fountain Valley, Tustin or Irvine, we are at 2231 W 5th St, Unit K, in Santa Ana's Little Saigon.

Frequently asked questions