Study: Cosmetics linked to 42,500 emergency eye injuries from 2005–2024
Research presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting found that cosmetics and personal-care products caused about 42,500 emergency-department visits for eye injuries between 2005 and 2024, with injuries concentrated in homes and a higher share among females.
A U.S. study presented in early October 2026 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual meeting in New Orleans reported that cosmetics and personal-care products led to roughly 42,500 people being taken to emergency departments for eye injuries during 2005–2024.
Researchers estimated that total at about 2,100 cases per year, roughly six injuries per day, based on a federal database that samples emergency-department visits nationwide to produce national estimates.
The study said women and girls accounted for about 82 percent of those injured, and the average age of patients was 24. Researchers also found that about two-thirds of injuries occurred inside the home, and that thermal burns and chemical exposures together made up about half of the cases.
The study recorded that products linked to incidents included hairsprays, eyelash glue, nail polish and hot hair-styling tools. It showed that risk patterns differ by age group.
Among children under five, who made up about a quarter of cases, chemical burns were the most common injury, and about 70 percent of them had accessed cosmetics without adult supervision. Adults were mostly injured while using the product on themselves, often as a result of scratches or burns from styling tools near the eye.
Previous research has linked regular eye-makeup use, especially applying kohl to the inner eyelid margin, with tear-film disturbance and reduced meibomian gland function, which can worsen dry-eye symptoms such as burning and a foreign-body sensation.
Ophthalmologists recommend avoiding applying kohl to the inner eyelid margin and limiting liner to the outer line above the lashes, removing makeup completely before sleep, not sharing eyeliners or mascaras, replacing eye products regularly, and discarding them if their smell or texture changes.
Researchers also advise keeping cosmetics out of children’s reach, handling hot styling devices carefully near the face, rinsing the eye immediately with copious amounts of water if any chemical contacts it, and consulting a doctor if pain, redness or blurred vision persists.
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