Japan's consumer center warned Thursday that eyelash extensions can damage users' eyes and skin, with the number of associated problems remaining high in recent years.
The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan said it received 599 complaints in the five years through fiscal 2014 about damage suffered, with the number never falling below 100 per year during the period.
Consumers complained that they felt abnormalities after the treatment, as therapists lacked sufficient skills or knowledge amid an increasing number of treatments by unlicensed therapists, the center said.
Eyelash extensions are an enhancement technique in which a therapist bonds false lashes to a customer's natural lashes. The procedure became popular a few years ago as prices fell.
The center said one consumer complained of swollen eyes as she was allergic to the adhesive used in the procedure, while another said the adhesive caused irritation.
Sufficient explanation of the risks should be provided before the treatment, the consumer center said.
Of 1,000 women who had the treatment in the past year, nearly half said they did not confirm before the treatment whether the therapists had a proper license and 25 percent said they felt pain or irritation afterward, according to the center.