News

#I had ‘zombie’ eyes, was blind after botched lash extensions

Table of Contents

“I had ‘zombie’ eyes, was blind after botched lash extensions”

It was the “Dawn of the Dead” eyes.

A waitress claims she was left with “zombie” eyes after a botched eyelash extension procedure — which left her holed up in her house as she feared she’d scare kids. Footage of her bloodshot, pus-oozing peepers is eliciting mass vomiting online.

“I felt that I looked like a scary zombie and if I went out I’d scare little kids,” Haley Fetzer, 17, told Kennedy News of the “complete disaster.”

“When it first started it looked like little broken blood vessels all pooled in the bottom of my eye,” the horrified high schooler said. “My first reaction was ‘oh my gosh they’re getting worse, it’s going to go to my pupil and I’m going to go blind.’ “

The ocular fiasco occurred after the Ohio resident went to get her eyelashes done before her high school prom. Following the procedure, her eyes turned “very pink,” so the teen administered herself eye-whitening drops, which fortunately seemed to clear up the condition before the big night.

"I felt that I looked like a scary zombie and if I went out I'd scare little kids," said Haley Fetzer, 17. — “I felt that I looked like a scary zombie and if I went out I’d scare little kids,” said Haley Fetzer, 17.

"It's the worst feeling not being able to leave your own house because you're embarrassed," Fetzer lamented. — “It’s the worst feeling not being able to leave your own house because you’re embarrassed,” Haley lamented.

Fetzer shows off her post-op "pinkeye." — Haley shows off her post-op “pinkeye.”

Thinking she was simply suffering from hay fever from dwelling in the country, Haley decided to undergo yet another lash enhancement — which sparked a cosmetic catastrophe for the ages.

“Within two hours, my eyes were bloodshot red,” described the terrified teen of the horrifying reaction. “I was at a college meeting with my mom and she looked at me and was like ‘your eyes are really red, are you OK?’ “

She added, “It looked like there was blood pooling in my eyes and every time I blinked goop was coming out of them.”

"I was never aware in a million years that that would happen," said Fetzer. "I've seen allergic reactions where people's eyes are pink for a few days, but it was to the point where my eyes were swollen shut." — “I was never aware in a million years that that would happen,” said Haley. “I’ve seen allergic reactions where people’s eyes are pink for a few days, but it was to the point where my eyes were swollen shut.”

The Ohio resident's lashes were so encrusted in mucus that she couldn't open her eyes. — The Ohio resident’s lashes were so encrusted in mucus that she couldn’t open her eyes.

"I started getting very severe headaches and felt a shocking sensation in one of my eyes, it felt like a little zap at the bottom of it," said Fetzer. — “I started getting very severe headaches and felt a shocking sensation in one of my eyes, it felt like a little zap at the bottom of it,” said Haley.

If that wasn’t eye-pocalyptic enough, Haley’s peepers were also “very heavy,” and as the night wore on, they became “so watery that the lashes were already coming off.”

Alarmed, the youngster contacted the lash technician, who reassured her that the side effect would pass.

However, flash forward to the next day, and Haley’s symptoms had worsened to the point that she couldn’t open her eyes, Kennedy reported.

Fetzer initially chalked up her symptoms to hay fever. — Haley initially chalked up her symptoms to hay fever.

"I feared going out in public until the whole reaction was done," she said. "I go the gym, hang out with friends and I'm hardly ever home and it was really different for me to have to stay home all because of something that happened to my eyes." — “I feared going out in public until the whole reaction was done,” she said. “I go to the gym, hang out with friends and I’m hardly ever home and it was really different for me to have to stay home all because of something that happened to my eyes.”

"Another hard transition for me was, you go from having these pretty lashes to when you get them taken off, you can't wear any mascara.

"So I felt almost naked, the only make-up I'd usually wear was mascara," said Fetzer. "If I didn't have anything on my lashes at all, I didn't feel pretty, [just] bare and naked." — “Another hard transition for me was, you go from having these pretty lashes to when you get them taken off, you can’t wear any mascara. So I felt almost naked, the only makeup I’d usually wear was mascara,” said Haley. “If I didn’t have anything on my lashes at all, I didn’t feel pretty, [just] bare and naked.”

“It felt like a terrible case of pink eye,” she lamented. “Usually whenever you have pink eye, you can put a cold washcloth on them. I tried that and it didn’t work, I tried a warm one and it also didn’t work.”

The Ashland resident added, “I had to blindly walk myself into the bathroom and put my eyes under running warm water and eventually I could peel them open.”

However, this was only a temporary victory as her eyes would clam shut for another four days.

One of the biggest issues was the “thick mucus”-like goop that caked each lash and was nearly impossible to get off, according to Haley. Even when she managed to wipe the goop away, the beleaguered gal’s vision was reportedly so blurry she could barely see.

Fetzer's lash technician told her the symptoms would resolve on their own. — Haley’s lash technician told her the symptoms would resolve on their own.

Fetzer said the technician prescribed her lubricant to clear the mucus from her lashes -- a process that was excruciating. — Haley said the technician prescribed her lubricant to clear the mucus from her lashes — a process that was excruciating.

"At that time my eyes felt very heavy," said Fetzer. — “At that time my eyes felt very heavy,” said Haley.

She was also in constant pain. “I started getting very severe headaches and felt a shocking sensation in one of my eyes, it felt like a little zap at the bottom of it,” Haley said.

Finally, not able to take it anymore, Haley went back to the lash technician, who prescribed her antihistamines and a lubricant to take the mucus off. The gal said it “burned so badly every time she’d take a lash off,” analogizing the procedure to “getting bitten by a million ants.”

Thankfully, once her lashes were moved, the redness dissipated over the course of several weeks.

During that time, Haley refused to leave her house — even with her glasses on.

Even when she managed to wipe the gloop away, the beleaguered gal's vision was reportedly so blurry she could barely see. — Even when she managed to wipe the goop away, the beleaguered gal’s vision was reportedly so blurry she could barely see.

"I had to blindly walk myself into the bathroom and put my eyes under running warm water and eventually I could peel them open," said Fetzer. — “I had to blindly walk myself into the bathroom and put my eyes under running warm water and eventually I could peel them open,” said Haley.

"Everyone's beautiful in their own ways and you don't need lashes to feel confident," Fetzer said. — “Everyone’s beautiful in their own ways and you don’t need lashes to feel confident,” Haley said.

“I feared going out in public until the whole reaction was done,” she said. “I go to the gym, hang out with friends and I’m hardly ever home and it was really different for me to have to stay home all because of something that happened to my eyes.”

The retail worker said her appearance was so “embarrassing” that she had to call off work at her smoothie shop as she “looked scary.”

Haley explained, “It probably took the full five weeks before my eyes were completely white again and for me to be motivated to go the gym and out in public.”

Haley is now using her ordeal to “put the word out” about potential reactions to lash extension glue.

Fetzer pre-pink eye. — Haley pre-pink eye.

The retail worker said her appearance was so "embarrassing" that she had to call off work at her smoothie shop as she "looked scary." — The retail worker said her appearance was so “embarrassing” that she had to call off work at her smoothie shop as she “looked scary.”

In light of her plight, Fetzer has since vowed to "never wear false lashes or get extensions" again. — In light of her plight, Haley has vowed to “never wear false lashes or get extensions” again.

“I got them done thinking it would be a good idea and wasn’t aware of any of the severe reactions or consequences that can happen afterward,” she rued. “Just be aware that this can happen and if you have sensitive skin, it’s probably not the best idea.”

In light of her plight, Haley has vowed to “never wear false lashes or get extensions” again.

The high schooler isn’t the first to suffer from a lash disaster. In April, a UK woman awoke after an extension procedure with swollen, oozing lids that made her look like she’d gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on Google News too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.