Refilwe Motiang, 31, from Midrand, was hospitalised after a lash extension procedure nearly left her blind. The incident occurred last Thursday before a planned trip to North West.
During the appointment, Motiang experienced intense burning in her eyes. Despite her complaints, the technician dismissed the pain as normal, blaming strong glue. Her condition worsened, and she was rushed to Netcare Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with corneal damage.
“My eyes were burning,” she recalled. “I was shivering, tearing up, and couldn’t open my eyes. That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
She described the experience as terrifying: “I couldn’t see—only hear voices. I kept thinking, are they going to take out my eyes?”
Motiang spent several days with eye patches, isolated in a dark room to avoid light exposure. The ordeal left her emotionally and mentally drained. “I felt alone and sad, thinking, all this just because I wanted to look pretty?”
Now recovering, she regrets the decision and is considering legal action. “My children were worried. The hospital bills were also expensive,” she added.
Lash expert Paballo Mbabama warned that strong glue, poor ventilation, and bad technique can cause serious harm. “If the burning is too much, that’s not normal,” she said.
Motiang continues to undergo check-ups as she works toward full recovery.
Leave a Reply