Sunday, June 29, 2025 - A 31-year-old woman from Midrand, South Africa, Refilwe Motiang, is recovering after a traumatic experience during a beauty treatment nearly left her blind.
What was meant to be a routine salon visit for eyelash
extensions turned into a medical emergency, forcing her into hospital care with
damage to her cornea.
The incident occurred last Thursday when Motiang visited a
local salon ahead of a planned trip to North West. During the eyelash
application, she began to feel an intense and unusual burning sensation in her
eyes.
“My eyes were burning,” she recounted. “I started feeling
cold and shivering, then I asked to go outside. Next thing I was struggling to
open my eyes. My eyes were tearing up and I was struggling to lift up my
eyelids. That’s when I realised something was bad.”
Despite her complaints, Motiang says the technician assured
her the pain was normal, attributing it to the strength of the glue being used.
But the situation quickly escalated. She was rushed to a Netcare hospital,
where doctors diagnosed her with corneal damage.
“I was really scared. I couldn’t see, I could only hear
people talking to me,” Motiang said. “I kept wondering, what does this mean?
Does it mean they're going to take out my eyes? I was worried, but I tried not
to show it.”
Following her admission, Motiang spent several days with her
eyes patched and remained indoors in a dark room to avoid exposure to light.
She described the ordeal as not just physically painful, but emotionally and
mentally draining.
“I felt alone and sad, thinking, all this just because I
wanted to look pretty?” she said. “Even mentally I was not OK - but I was
hopeful that I would be fine.”
Now recovering and gradually regaining her sight, Motiang
says she deeply regrets the decision and is considering legal action against
the salon. She also raised concerns over the emotional impact on her family and
the financial burden of hospital treatment.
“My children were worried. I regret it because of the way it
affected my family. The hospital bills were also expensive.”
Experts in the field say Motiang’s experience is a
cautionary tale. Paballo Mbabama, an eyelash technician at Blackdime Beauty
Bar, warned that using the wrong type of glue, poor ventilation, and incorrect
application techniques can result in serious harm.
“If the smell of the glue is too strong, then the glue is
not for sensitive eyes,” Mbabama explained. “If the burning sensation is too
much, it’s not normal. The glue shouldn’t burn to a point where you get
extremely red eyes or can’t blink properly.”
Motiang continues to undergo medical check-ups as her
recovery progresses.
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