My teenager wants to wear eye make-up: eyeliner, mascara, glitter and lash extensions, and how to keep the eyes safe
The first eyeliner, the shared mascara at a sleepover, lash extensions before a graduation. Where liner should and should not go, how long make-up stays in use, why sharing is the real risk, and the signs an eye needs a doctor.
- Draw eyeliner outside the lash line, not on the inner rim. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says inner-rim liner can block the oil glands that protect the eye surface, and a Thai study of 42 adults found regular liner users had a tear break-up time of 3.0 seconds against 5.8 seconds in non-users.
- Never share eye make-up, and replace mascara about every three months (AAO). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives two to four months. Shop testers count as sharing.
- Do not tint lashes with hair dye. The FDA says no colour additive is approved for dyeing lashes or brows, and hair dye on the lashes has caused eye injuries, including blindness.
- Lash extensions can cause glue allergy, infection and lash loss. In a Japanese series of 107 women with problems, 64 had an inflamed eye surface and 42 an allergic lid reaction. Lash serums are medicines, not for casual teenage use.
- Red, painful, light-sensitive or blurred eyes, or a swollen lid, need an eye doctor the same day (AAO). Remove all eye make-up before sleep.
The first eyeliner pencil in the school bag. A shared mascara at a sleepover. Lash extensions booked before a graduation photo. Make-up near the eyes does not have to become a battle, but it needs a few habits, because the eye surface and lids are less forgiving than cheeks or lips.
This page is for the parent and the teenager together. The advice comes from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The studies are mostly in adults, because teenagers wearing make-up have hardly been studied on their own, and I say so where it matters.
Is it safe for my teenager to wear eye make-up at all?
Yes, with a few habits. The FDA says most eye cosmetics are safe when used properly, and names three risks: infection, injury from the applicator, and colour additives not approved for the eye area. Neither the FDA nor the AAO page sets an age limit for ordinary mascara or liner, so the family question is how, not whether.
Those risks explain most of the rules below. Hands carry bacteria, so wash them before applying. Never put make-up on in a moving car or bus: the FDA warns that a bump with a mascara wand in hand can scratch the cornea (the clear front window of the eye), and even a slight scratch can become a serious infection.
And use only products made for the eye. The FDA says a lip liner is not an eyeliner, because it may carry germs from the mouth or colours not approved near the eye.
Where should eyeliner go, and what is wrong with the inner rim?
Outside the lash line. The AAO advises applying make-up outside the lash line so it does not block the oil glands of the upper and lower lids (meibomian glands), which release the oil that protects the eye surface. Drawing along the inner edge of the lid, often called tightlining or the waterline, puts pigment right where the gland openings sit.
Studies point the same way, with limits. In a Thai study of 42 healthy women aged 18 to 40, regular eyeliner users had a tear break-up time of 3.0 seconds against 5.8 seconds in non-users (Prabhasawat, Cornea 2020). Break-up time measures how quickly the tear film (the thin layer of moisture over the eye) breaks apart, and shorter means less stable. Gland problems graded 2 to 3 were found in 85.7% of the liner group and 47.6% of the others.
A 2026 study of 49 adults found worse gland secretions in people who wore liner on the lid margin than in people who rarely wore make-up. Both studies were small, in adults, and show a link, not proof that liner caused it. So "outside the lash line" lowers the concern rather than removing it, and a light line, washed off every night, is the lower-risk way.
One traditional product needs its own warning. Kohl, also sold as kajal or surma, can consist of salts of heavy metals such as antimony and lead. The FDA says reports link kohl to lead poisoning in children.
Can my teenager share mascara with friends, and how long does it last?
No to sharing, and about three months for mascara. The AAO says never to share eye make-up, even with family or close friends, and to throw it away after three months, because infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid products. The FDA gives a range: manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase.
The sleepover is where this breaks. Shop testers count as sharing too: the FDA says to use single-use applicators such as clean cotton swabs. Bin dried-up mascara and do not add saliva or water to loosen it, because mouth bacteria can grow in it and water dilutes the preservative.
If an eye infection starts, the AAO says to throw away all eye make-up and wear none until it has gone. I explain the ordinary red, sticky eye in pink eye in children, and the recurring crusty lash line in blepharitis in children.
What about allergies, and tinting the lashes?
Introduce one new eye product at a time. The AAO advises this so that a reaction can be traced to its cause. If the lids itch, redden or swell, stop the product, keep the packaging and show the ingredient list to the doctor. A teenager whose lids are already itchy or scaly may have a tendency to eyelid eczema, so new products are worth starting slowly.
Lash and brow tints are a different matter. The FDA says permanent tints and dyes have caused serious eye injuries, including blindness, and that no colour additives are approved for dyeing the lashes or brows. Hair dye is not a substitute: hair dye labels say it must not be used on the lashes or brows. The one FDA provision, a silver nitrate product, is for professional use only and not intended for anyone under 16.
Many hair dyes contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD), the ingredient the FDA names as most prominently linked to allergic reactions. People can become sensitised to it from other sources, including some temporary tattoo inks sold as "black henna". A teenager who has reacted to hair dye or a black henna tattoo has a clear reason to skip tints.
Are lash extensions and lash serums safe for a teenager?
Lash extensions carry real risks even in adults, and serums are medicines, not make-up. The AAO lists trauma or infection of the lid or cornea, allergic reaction to the glue, and temporary or permanent lash loss. Rubbing, tugging and pulling can damage the follicle.
In Japan, 107 women aged 21 to 52 came to eye clinics with problems from extensions: 64 had keratoconjunctivitis (an inflamed eye surface) from glue or remover getting in, and 42 had allergic blepharitis (an allergic, inflamed lid) from the glue. All three glues analysed contained formaldehyde above the standard threshold, and all 107 recovered with eye drops or ointment (Amano, Cornea 2012). These were adults, so it cannot say how common problems are in teenagers.
The AAO and FDA pages give no minimum age. If a family chooses extensions for a one-off occasion, the AAO advises a trained professional in a clean setting, a check of the glue's ingredients and expiry date, a spot test on the inner wrist, and special occasions only. A reaction is not something to remove or treat at home; the AAO says to see an ophthalmologist. Dr Catherine Chow, an eyelid specialist, writes about the adult side in allergic and irritant eyelid reactions after lash extensions and cosmetics.
Serums come in two kinds. The prescription kind is a prostaglandin analogue, the class also used in glaucoma drops. The AAO says it needs a prescription after a check of eye health, and lists red or dry eyes, lid itch and darker lid skin as side effects that fade when it stops, and a browner iris that does not.
The US prescribing information (2024) describes a trial including adolescents aged 15 to 17 with sparse lashes, so it can be a medical decision. Non-prescription lash-growth serums are not FDA tested, and the AAO says neither their safety nor their effect is proven. For cosmetic use, neither kind is one to buy online for a teenager.
What about glitter, contact lenses and taking it all off at night?
Keep glitter off the lids and lash line, and take everything off before sleep. The AAO says glitter flakes can enter the tear film and irritate it, that glitter eye make-up is a common cause of corneal irritation or infection, especially for people who wear contact lenses, and that larger pieces can scratch like sand. Party glitter is in face paint, glitter and party poppers.
For lens wearers, the sources cited here set out no order for lenses and make-up, so ask the optometrist who fitted them. A coloured lens bought online is the larger risk, covered in coloured contact lenses bought online, and ordinary lens care is in contact lenses for children and teens.
The AAO says to remove all eye make-up before sleeping, especially mascara. Rinse remover off the lids, run a clean cotton swab along the base of the lashes, and keep gritty scrubs away from the eyes. If lashes clump, never separate them with anything sharp.
When does a make-up problem need an eye doctor?
When the eye itself is red and painful, sensitive to light or blurred, or when a lid swells. The AAO lists these among the symptoms of a corneal ulcer, an open sore on the cornea: redness, severe pain, a feeling of something in the eye, tearing, discharge, blurred vision, light sensitivity and swollen lids. It says to see an ophthalmologist immediately, because ulcers can permanently damage vision if untreated.
Mild irritation from a new product is different. The FDA says to stop using it immediately and see a doctor if the irritation persists.
- The eye is red and painful, or feels as if something is stuck in it, after make-up, glitter or lash extensions.
- Light hurts the eye or vision becomes blurred.
- A lid swells, or there is pus or thick discharge.
- An allergic reaction follows lash glue or a tint. Do not remove the extensions yourself.
- A contact lens wearer's eye turns red or sore. Take the lens out and have the eye seen.
Common questions
Is eyeliner safe for a teenager?
How often should my teenager replace mascara?
Can my teenager share make-up with friends at a sleepover?
Are lash extensions safe for a 15 or 16 year old?
Can my teenager use a lash growth serum?
Can I dye my teenager's eyelashes with hair dye?
Is glitter on the eyelids safe?
When should an eye doctor see a teenager after eye make-up?
- US Food and Drug Administration · Eye Cosmetic Safety · www.fda.gov
- American Academy of Ophthalmology · How To Use Cosmetics Safely Around Your Eyes (2024) · www.aao.org
- American Academy of Ophthalmology · Eyelash Extension Facts and Safety (2018) · www.aao.org
- American Academy of Ophthalmology · Prescription eyelash growth drug (bimatoprost): uses and side effects (2019) · www.aao.org
- DailyMed · Bimatoprost eyelash product, US prescribing information (2024) · dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- US Food and Drug Administration · Hair Dyes · www.fda.gov
- American Academy of Ophthalmology · What Is Keratitis? Corneal ulcer symptoms (2025) · www.aao.org
- Cornea · Eyeliner Induces Tear Film Instability and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (Prabhasawat et al., 2020) · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Journal of Clinical Medicine · Marginal Eyeliner Use and Meibomian Gland Function (Alkawally et al., 2026) · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Cornea · Ocular disorders due to eyelash extensions (Amano et al., 2012) · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov