New eyelash enhancements could be risky

One of the many things men don't have to worry about when it comes to appearances is their eyelashes.

Women have used mascara forever. False eyelashes have come and gone. Now they're back with other lash-enhancing trends. The problem is that some of them are risky.

You can't miss the super-long lashes of celebrities like Adele and Nicki Minaj. But Consumer Reports' medical adviser Dr. Orly Avitzur said to be careful how you get that long-lash look.

"False eyelashes can trap dirt and bacteria, creating irritation and infection,” Avitzur said. “And they can be difficult to remove."

"I had to, like, soak my eye and pull really hard,” Racioppo said. “And then I kind of pulled some of my eyelashes out. There was irritation."

Actress Kristin Chenoweth wore sunglasses on the David Letterman show after her eyelids swelled up. She got what are called eyelash extensions, where single fibers are glued to your individual eyelashes.

"It looked like I had lips on my eyelids," Chenoweth said.

The Internet promotes even more exotic eyelash enhancements, like weaving tiny glass beads onto ultra-thin wire and applying them with an adhesive to your eyelids.

"The risks of eyelash extensions are not only an allergic reaction to the glue but erosion of the inner surface of the eyelids,” Avitzur said. “And they can cause permanent damage to your natural lashes. It doesn’t take an expert to see trouble coming with sharp objects placed so close to the eye."

Consumer Reports said you're better off doing what Racioppo does now -- just using mascara for fuller, thicker lashes. Consumer Reports also said you should replace mascara every few months, but you don't necessarily need to buy expensive mascara. A tried-and-true choice is Maybelline Great Lash Mascara for a little more than $6 per tube.