An eyelash in the eye can be surprisingly frustrating. A tiny lash can lead to watering, blinking, redness, and the feeling that an eyelash is lodged under the eyelid. The good news is that most loose eyelashes are just fine and tend to be removed by blinking, tears, or by the force of gravity.
As long as the eyelash hasn’t been in for a long time or caused injury to the eye, the best thing to do when you see an eyelash is not to rub at or pick at the eye. Wash your hands thoroughly, then give your eye a chance to take care of the lash on its own, irrigate with tepid, sterile water or eye drops, if you wish, and the lash should work itself loose. Wear contacts? Put the lens in, and then blink repeatedly to encourage the lash to come out.
Why an Eyelash Can Feel So Irritating
A tiny foreign body on the surface of the eye is enough to make it feel extremely painful as the eye is very sensitive, making foreign body eye irritation an important concern. An eyelash can ‘sit’ on the surface of the eye, lodge along the edge of an eyelid or work its way underneath the upper or lower eyelid.
When learning how to get an eyelash out of your eye, remember that your body’s first response is usually protective. Blowing the eye will also helps to travel the tear across the eye and also flush it away if a loose eyelash. Filling the eye with more tear production helps the flush as well. Fine objects such as eyelashes or sand often are easily replaced this way.
Wear location can even makes a difference. For example, a lash that is sitting on the white part of the eyeball is likely to be more easily flushed away than one that’s pinned under the eyelid. If the object has stuck in the front, colored or clear, part of the eye it can cause damage if it is attempting to be removed by hand, with corneal injury symptoms requiring prompt attention. That’s why gentle has been always better than pulling the eye.
How to Get an Eyelash Out of Your Eye: The Safest Method
Normal loose lashes can typically be cleaned without any special tools. We want the lash to be swept along with the tear film rather than gripped tightly.
1. Wash your hands first
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching the eyelids or any area of your eyes. This is to avoid contamination with dirt or other substances.
Wipe your hands with a clean towel. Do not be in a hurry to insert your fingers into your eye just because it is inconvenient. It is worth spending a few seconds to play it safe.
2. Blink naturally several times
Attempt to blink normally and let tears wash over your eye. Do not deliberately close your eyes tight. Blinking may help dislodge a loose eyelash and bring it to the tear film, where you can then gently tweeze it out. If the eyelash gets to the corner of your eye, it may be possible to remove it without actually touching the eye ball.
In some cases, the best thing to do is nothing at all and patiently wait for your tears to do the work.
3. Look toward the opposite direction
If it’s still you feel the lash with a mirror in good light, look straight up, down, left and right without pressing on the eye. This might show you whether the eyelash is on or on top of an eyelid. Do not pull open the eyelids over and over, poking around. This will irritate and water the eye more, making it more difficult to see.
4. Gently rinse the eye
If blinking isn’t enough, the best solution may be a gentle rinse. Use clean, sterile water, or sterile artificial tears or eye drops. Rinse away from your eye, not straight at it, to avoid a powerful blast of water. Mayo Clinic also recommends rinsing away loose foreign bodies.
If you’re using eye drops, position the bottle so the tip doesn’t touch your eyelashes, eyelid or eye. Contact between the tip and eye, whether it’s accidental or intentional, can transfer bacteria from the tip to your eye.
A gentle rinse may also help dislodge the eyelash toward the corner of your eye, where it can be released naturally.
5. Check the eyelids if the sensation continues
If you know the lash is in your eye, but you cannot see it, it may be under an eyelid. Often, foreign objects stay in the inner margin of the upper or lower eyelid.
To look under the lower eyelid, pull it down and look up. For the upper eyelid, it is harder to see, but some people try to roll down the eyelid by pulling on the lashes and looking up. Do not force the lid if you are not comfortable doing so, and have a healthcare provider check for you. The bottom line is: looking for a tiny lash should never mean trying to pick or scrape at the eye.
What If the Eyelash Is Under the Upper Eyelid?
A particularly stubborn itchy sensation can occur if you have an eyelash under your upper eyelid. It may not be visible in the mirror, but you may still experience the sensation each time you blink. Another explanation for this sensation is because the upper lid will glide over the surface of the eye with each blink, and if a loose eyelash is caught underneath it this eyelash can get pulled back and forth.
When learning how to get an eyelash out of your eye, start with blinking and gentle irrigation rather than trying to reach underneath the lid with your fingers. If you are able to view the lash along the inside of your eyelid and it does not seem to be embedded, you may be able to remove it carefully. According to Medline Plus, such a check is recommended when a small foreign body cannot be seen on the front of the eye.
If you are unable to see the lash, do not continue trying to remove it yourself. Rubbing repeatedly can inflame the eye and lead to a scratch.
What If You Wear Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses change the situation slightly because a foreign object can become trapped between the lens and the eye.
When learning how to get an eyelash out of your eye, if you are wearing contacts and suspect the eyelash is underneath the lens, remove the lens carefully before or while irrigating the eye. Mayo Clinic specifically recommends removing a contact lens before or during irrigation because a foreign body can become stuck to the underside of the lens.
Do not persevere in wearing the lens just because the eye “becomes better” when worn for a short while. If the eye still shows signs of irritation when the lens and eyelash have been removed, it is worth giving it time to settle down, and try glasses until the irritation is gone.
For ongoing pain, redness, sensitivity to light, or blurry vision, consult with an eye-care professional instead of changing to a new lens repeatedly.
Things You Should Not Do
Removing a tiny eyelash can become more difficult when people become impatient. The most common mistake is treating the eye like skin and trying to pick out the object.
Don’t rub your eye
Rubbing might flick the eyelash to another area and cause irritation. It may also cause a surface scratch if the eyelash or another object is pulled across the cornea. Medical first-aid advice always includes a warning against rubbing when an object is inside the eye.
Don’t use tweezers
Tweezers have no place on the surface of the eyeball. A sudden movement could cause an injury.
Even if the lash appears close to the edge of the eye, use irrigation or seek professional assistance rather than bringing a sharp instrument near the cornea.
Don’t scrape the eye with a fingernail
A fingernail can scratch the eye and introduce contaminants. It is also difficult to judge depth and pressure accurately when working on such a sensitive surface.
Don’t repeatedly poke around looking for the lash
The more you manipulate an irritated eye, the harder it can become to tell whether the original foreign object is still present. Give gentle rinsing a chance to work before attempting anything more involved.
Don’t try to remove an embedded object
An eyelash is normally loose, but not every object that feels like an eyelash actually is one. If something appears stuck in the eye, particularly after an injury, leave it alone and seek medical care. Do not try to pull it out yourself.
Why Does My Eye Still Feel Like Something Is in It?
One of the most confusing parts of this is that you may still have a sensation even though the lash is gone. An object the size of an eyelash can be irritating to the surface of the eye. If it had been rubbing on the cornea, it can still cause irritation for a while after the lash is removed.
The Mayo Clinic says that the sensation of an object in your eye can last for a day or so after removing it, and Medline Plus says that minor scratching sensations after removing a tiny object can last a day or two.
That doesn’t mean you have another eyelash in there. It’s really about the overall pattern. Mild irritation that gets better is one thing, but pain intensifies, there’s persistent redness, sensitivity to light, or changes in your vision is another. If you aren’t getting better, or you’re getting worse, it’s probably best to have an examination instead of trying to find something you might not have.
How to Tell Whether It Is Really an Eyelash
This feeling of a foreign body is not specific to eyelashes. Dust, sand, makeup particles, contact-lens debris, and others can cause this same feeling. Think back to what you were doing right before you felt this way. Were you using mascara, touching your eyelashes, taking off makeup, or had a loose eyelash fall into your eye?
When learning how to get an eyelash out of your eye, remember that a sudden sensation after sanding, grinding, drilling, cutting metal, or another activity involving flying particles is different. High-speed fragments can cause more significant eye injuries and should not be treated like an ordinary eyelash. MedlinePlus advises against attempting removal when metal fragments may have entered the eye, including after activities such as hammering or grinding.
Likewise, an object that appears embedded, causes significant pain, or affects vision deserves professional evaluation.
When You Should Stop Trying Home Removal
Most loose eyelashes do not require medical treatment. The situation changes if the eye is painful, the vision changes, or the object cannot be removed with gentle methods.
Seek prompt medical attention if you have:
- Significant or worsening eye pain
- Blurred, double, or reduced vision
- Strong sensitivity to light
- Persistent redness or watering
- A foreign-body sensation that does not improve
- An object that appears embedded in the eye
- An eye injury or penetrating trauma
- A metal fragment or other high-speed particle that may have entered the eye
- Significant discharge or other unusual symptoms
See your doctor if there is a lot of pain, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, or if there is an object in your eye that you can’t remove.
Mayo Clinic also recommends seeing your doctor or going to the ER if the object can’t be removed with a quick flush, if it appears to be stuck, or if you experience persistent pain, redness, or the sensation of something in your eye after removal.
If you have impaired vision or you’ve sustained an eye injury, no more home-remedies.
What to Do After the Eyelash Comes Out
Once the eyelash has been removed, don’t keep putting your fingers on your eye again as part of proper eye care. If you need to, rinse your hands once more and relax the eye. It may water temporarily or it may feel a little scratchy.
If you can use lubricating eye drops – but don’t go for the general eye drops you can buy if you have warning signs of an eye problem, which actually wouldn’t be advisable in this situation.
Don’t rub the eye if it’s still sensitive. If you wear contacts, it might be better to take out your lenses until the eye feels back to normal. A good rule of thumb is whether it gets better or worse – if you have a slight scratchy irritation, this should tend to be less uncomfortable.
When learning how to get an eyelash out of your eye, remember that if the eye continues to feel as though something is stuck, particularly with blurred vision, significant redness, or increasing pain, professional assessment can determine whether there is a corneal scratch or another problem.
Can You Prevent Eyelashes From Getting in Your Eye?
You can’t completely prevent natural eyelashes from getting in the eye. Like all hair, eyelashes fall out, and blinking sweeps away any that have become loose. How to keep your eye comfortable Avoid irritants from falling into your eye by wearing contact lenses properly and cleaning makeup applicators and wash hands before touching your eyes, and preventing eyelashes from loosening.
If you’re always feeling as if something’s in your eye, take note of when you feel it. Recurring eyelash sensations may actually be from dry eyes, eyelid irritation, contact-lens discomfort or another ocular issue, rather than repeatedly-shuffled eyelashes.
A Simple Decision Guide
If you are dealing with a suspected eyelash right now, the safest sequence is straightforward:
- Wash your hands.
- Blink normally and allow the eye to water.
- Look in a well-lit mirror without pressing on the eye.
- Gently rinse with clean water or suitable eye drops if the lash does not clear.
- Remove contact lenses if you are wearing them and suspect the lash is underneath.
- Stop manipulating the eye if you cannot locate or remove the object easily.
- Seek medical care for significant pain, vision changes, light sensitivity, an embedded object, trauma, or persistent symptoms.
The key distinction is between a loose surface eyelash and an object that may have injured the eye. The first usually responds to blinking and gentle irrigation; the second should be evaluated rather than pulled out.
Final Takeaway
Knowing how to get an eyelash out of your eye safely mostly means resisting the urge to rub or poke at it. Start with clean hands, blink naturally, and let tears move the lash. If it remains, gentle irrigation with clean water or appropriate eye drops can often clear a loose foreign object.
If you still feel a scratchy sensation, it doesn’t necessarily mean an eyelash has still stayed in, as some surface irritation can continue after it’s been taken out. Allow your eye time to settle but don’t dismiss extreme pain, light sensitivity, redness, blurred vision or what appears to be an embedded foreign body, all of which require a doctor’s attention, not further home removal attempts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does it take for an eyelash to come out of your eye?
A loose eyelash may come out within minutes as blinking and natural tears move it toward the corner of the eye. If it remains irritating after gentle blinking and rinsing, avoid repeatedly rubbing or touching the eye.
2. Can I use water to get an eyelash out of my eye?
Yes. Gently rinsing the eye with clean, lukewarm water can help wash away a loose eyelash. Avoid using a forceful stream directly against the eye, and do not let the tip of a water bottle or eye-drop container touch the eye.
3. What should I do if I cannot see the eyelash?
If you cannot see the lash but still feel something in your eye, blink several times and try gentle irrigation. The eyelash may be underneath an eyelid. Do not use tweezers, fingernails, or other objects to search for it.
4. Can an eyelash scratch your eye?
A loose eyelash can irritate the surface of the eye, and repeated rubbing or movement of a foreign object may contribute to a corneal scratch. Persistent pain, light sensitivity, redness, or blurred vision should be evaluated by an eye-care professional.
5. Should I remove my contact lenses if an eyelash gets in my eye?
Yes. If you wear contact lenses and suspect an eyelash is trapped underneath the lens, remove the lens carefully. Continuing to wear it while the eye is irritated can make the discomfort worse.
6. Why does my eye still feel like something is in it after the eyelash is gone?
The eyelash may have irritated the eye’s surface, so the foreign-body sensation can continue temporarily after removal. If the discomfort does not improve or becomes more painful, have the eye checked.
7. Is it safe to rub my eye to remove an eyelash?
No. Rubbing can increase irritation and may drag the eyelash across the cornea. It is safer to blink naturally, allow the eye to water, and use gentle irrigation if necessary.
8. When should I see a doctor for an eyelash in my eye?
Seek medical attention if you cannot remove the suspected object with gentle methods or if you develop significant pain, persistent redness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, or an object that appears embedded in the eye. Eye injuries involving metal or high-speed particles also require prompt professional evaluation.
CONCLUSION
The surest way to get rid of an eyelash in your eye is to be gentle. Rinse your hands, blink naturally, and let your tears help move the eyelash to the corner of your eye. If it doesn’t help, rinse your eye with clean water or an appropriate eye drop solution, again without rubbing or going into the eye.
If you wear contact lenses, remove the lens if it appears possible that an eyelash is trapped underneath.
Mild discomfort after losing an eyelash will subside on its own, but painful vision changes, sensitivity to bright lights, increasing eye redness, or a foreign body sensation should not be tolerated. Stop attempting to retrieve an object if pain, vision loss, or redness worsens, or if an object appears embedded.
