Whether it’s a heated eyelash curler, facial spray, or a tube of eyelash glue, cosmetics can cause serious injuries if not stored and used properly. A new study presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting estimates that cosmetic and personal care products sent 42,457 people to US emergency departments with eye injuries from 2005 to 2024. That is roughly 2,100 visits a year, or nearly 6 every day.

The research drew on the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a federal database that samples emergency room visits nationwide and is used to project national injury totals. Their analysis included 42,457 cosmetic-related eye injuries from 2005-2024.

The typical patient was young and female. Women and girls accounted for 81.8% of injuries, and the average patient was 24. Children 4 and under made up nearly a quarter of all cases. Most injuries, 63%, happened at home. Burns dominated: Thermal injuries accounted for about 26% of cases and chemical exposures for about 25%.

But the starkest pattern was how differently the injuries played out across a lifetime, according to Aatif Syed, the study’s lead author and medical student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. "The differences by age were very interesting," he said.

Among young patients, chemical burns made up 45.8% of injuries. Among adults, they made up 0.5%. And 83.2% of all chemical burns in the study were linked to a child getting hold of a cosmetic product. In the youngest group, children 4 and under, 70% were hurt after reaching for a product without supervision. Adults, by contrast, were largely hurting themselves in the course of their own routines. Ninety percent of injured adults were applying the product themselves rather than having it done by a professional.

Researchers also noted a change in behavior over time. Over the 20-year period, injuries involving heated products were less common, while injuries involving another person increased. Syed said he hopes this new information helps make prevention more targeted.

“For children, that means emphasizing safe storage and limiting unsupervised access to cosmetic products, particularly liquids and sprays. For adolescents and adults, safer handling of heated styling tools and grooming instruments may help reduce injuries,” Syed said.

To help educate the public on safe cosmetic use around the eye, the American Academy of Ophthalmology offers a free patient guide.