Bride-to-Be Has Allergic Reaction to Eyelash Extensions That Led to Vision Loss Just Weeks Before Her Wedding

A bride-to-be was shocked when she experienced an allergic reaction to her eyelash extensions just weeks before her big day. Polly Bibby from Cambridgeshire, U.K., decided to get fake eyelashes to feel like a “princess” on her wedding day, according to Kennedy News and Media. After getting a test patch done, the future wife decided to get the cosmetic procedure. She had the treatment done on July 5 and was pleased with the results.However, a few hours later she began to experience an allergic reaction.

Polly Bibby.Kennedy News & Media
Bibby, 26, said her eyes became watery and tender, and then they started to sting and stick together with discharge. Worried, the bride-to-be contacted emergency services and was advised to go to the hospital.
After being seen at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, a nurse confirmed that she had suffered an allergic reaction to her eyelash extensions.
Bibby was given antibiotics, antihistamines and advised to get the fake lashes removed after the swelling subsided.
Photos show her with red, swollen eyelids at different stages of the allergic reaction.
Polly Bibby.Kennedy News & Media
“The only way I can describe [how I looked] is the man from The Goonies with the big puffy eyes called Sloth. I just didn’t look like myself, I looked like a different person,” she said, per Kennedy News and Media.
Beyond the shocking appearance, Bibby also experienced a lot of pain in her eyes. “They were burning and it got to the point where I was losing my vision and I couldn’t see at all,” she recalled.

She continued, “Every time I blinked, my eyes were sticking together as I had discharge building up on my eyes.”
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Getting her fake lashes removed didn’t immediately resolve the problem. She recalled the painful process, saying, “It was like pouring acid [on my face].”
The bride added, “I was screaming, crying and tensing up… My eyes are still red, scabby and very rashy. The eyelids themselves are really swollen and I’ve still got quite blurry vision.”
Polly Bibby.Kennedy News & Media
Bibby shared her experience to caution other brides against getting new treatments shortly before their big day.
The bride, who eventually tied the knot with Benjamin May on July 27, said, “I didn’t realize that when people joke around and say things are going to go wrong [on your wedding day], I didn’t realize it would happen to me.”