# Eyelash stuck on eyeball **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351 "2012-03-20T21:30:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bigshift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d26b3c/32.png) [@Bigshift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bigshift)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/1 "2012-03-20T21:30:35Z")
Hello everyone. I had an eyelash stuck on my eyeball earlier today. It happens quite often and I usually manage to get it out. Sometimes I would inconveniently get one stuck in public or during a time when I’m too busy to be trying to get an eyelash out of my eye, so I would just leave it be or I would quickly wipe my eyes until I couldn’t feel it there anymore. I’m just wondering, what happens if you do not get the eyelash out? What if the eyelash got so far under the eyelid and somehow ends up at the back of your eyeball (if that is even possible)? Someone on yahoo answers said that it will eventually make it out someway but didn’t go into specifics. I don’t call yahoo answers a reliable source anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Vicullum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vicullum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicullum)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/2 "2012-03-20T22:39:01Z")
There’s a thin membrane, the conjunctiva, that should stop any hairs from migrating to the back of your eyeball. I, too, suffer infrequently from eyelashes getting into my eye and have gotten adept at removing them with tweezers or a needle-nose pliers. Just gotta keep your hands _verrry_ still. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/3 "2012-03-20T22:45:21Z")
I’ve had a contact lens get folded up and “lost” under an eyelid for a little while once or twice…a bit nerve wracking but they eventually work their way out. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/4 "2012-03-20T23:21:49Z")
It WILL work its way out. You’ll eventually find it in the inside corner of your eye, with a tremendous coat of goo. If I have a stubborn lash, I get a Kleenex and fold it to a tight corner, and wet the corner just a little. Then, while holding my eye open with one hand, I use the other hand to sweep that corner across the top surface of my eye, beneath the upper eye lid. If you can actually SEE the eyelash on the surface of your eye, the wet Kleenex corner can be used to pick it up. AFTER you get the damned thing out, your eye is gonna feel DRY. Use a lubricating eyedrop freely. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/5 "2012-03-20T23:53:04Z")
As someone with ridiculously long eye lashes, I get this quite a bit. Flushing with saline solution (I used to carry some around for my contact lenses, too) can help, if you can’t produce enough natural lubrication. ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/6 "2012-03-21T00:01:12Z")
I find that sometimes I can grab my upper lid and bring it down over my lower lid - this can “grab” onto the stray eyelash and bring it away from the eyeball. It doesn’t always work - but most of the time. I guess it depends on where the eyelash is on your eyeball. It’s kinda fun typing eyeball. eyeball. eyeball. ---
**Author:** ![Bigshift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d26b3c/32.png) [@Bigshift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bigshift)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/7 "2012-03-21T01:33:46Z")
> [@Vicullum](#): > > There’s a thin membrane, the conjunctiva, that should stop any hairs from migrating to the back of your eyeball. > > I, too, suffer infrequently from eyelashes getting into my eye and have gotten adept at removing them with tweezers or a needle-nose pliers. Just gotta keep your hands _verrry_ still. Thank you for clearing that up because the thought of having an eyelash stuck back there FOREVER makes me cringe :eek:! ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/8 "2012-03-21T13:22:00Z")
> [@Bigshift](#): > > Thank you for clearing that up because the thought of having an eyelash stuck back there FOREVER makes me cringe :eek:! It was needle-nose pliers part that made me cringe. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/9 "2012-03-21T13:36:50Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > It was needle-nose pliers part that made me cringe. Me too. Ow. I just take eyelashes out of my eyes with my finger. No need to make a big production out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Aurelia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@Aurelia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aurelia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/10 "2012-03-21T14:33:58Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > I’ve had a contact lens get folded up and “lost” under an eyelid for a little while once or twice…a bit nerve wracking but they eventually work their way out. When this happens to me, I hold my eyelids open and roll my eye around until the contact lens is dislodged. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/11 "2012-03-21T15:06:03Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > Me too. Ow. > > I just take eyelashes out of my eyes with my finger. No need to make a big production out of it. It really depends on how large your eyes are and how squeamish you are about touching them. Me, I have the quintessential doe eyes - large and easily accessible and I am totally not squeamish about touching my eyeball due to years of wearing contacts. I just fish it out. Plus my hairs are long and thin and easy to see. If you have narrower eyes, and are uncomfortable about touching your eyes (NOT your irises, just the white part) directly, this makes it much more difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Vicullum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vicullum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicullum)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/12 "2012-03-21T15:40:48Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It really depends on how large your eyes are and how squeamish you are about touching them. Me, I have the quintessential doe eyes - large and easily accessible and I am totally not squeamish about touching my eyeball due to years of wearing contacts. I just fish it out. Plus my hairs are long and thin and easy to see. > > If you have narrower eyes, and are uncomfortable about touching your eyes (NOT your irises, just the white part) directly, this makes it much more difficult. Using the pliers is a method of last resort, for those stubborn hairs that you can see sticking to the white of your eyes that refuse to budge any other way. It’s actually an old set of pliers I inherited from my father, with a fine tip that’s been blunted somewhat by age. I wouldn’t recommend doing this for everyone, as poking yourself in the eye isn’t for the squeamish, and as I said it takes very steady hands and a gentle touch. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/13 "2012-03-21T16:52:31Z")
_Did you ever get it out???_ I hate suicidal eyelashes, and I poke my peeper with tissues till I get it out, if it takes _days_. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/14 "2012-03-21T16:54:55Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > _Did you ever get it out???_ > > I hate suicidal eyelashes, and I poke my peeper with tissues till I get it out, if it takes _days_. My other half has extremely thick, sharp hair. Seriously, I’ve called them little spears before - they’ve actually penetrated my skin. And I’ve seen them actually stick in his eyeballs, I mean point first. :eek: Pretty horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eyelash-stuck-on-eyeball/616351/15 "2012-03-21T17:20:30Z")
> [@Vicullum](#): > > There’s a thin membrane, the conjunctiva, that should stop any hairs from migrating to the back of your eyeball. > > I, too, suffer infrequently from eyelashes getting into my eye and have gotten adept at removing them with tweezers or a needle-nose pliers. Just gotta keep your hands _verrry_ still. I prefer a wire brush.