watch: we take a close look at eyes with the #mucusfishing trend

in one video with 34,000 views, the tiktoker uses a q-tip to swipe at her eyes, while another video , with more than 50,000 views, shows a woman using only her fingers to do the deed. the hashtag #mucusfishing has 7.6 million views on the platform and is often accompanied by the hashtags #eyegoo and #oddlysatisfying.

“the potential risks of mucus fishing are bacterial or viral infections, eye redness, irritations, or cuts on the delicate surface of the eye, and potentially blindness ,” melissa toyos, m.d., board-certified ophthalmologist and facial cosmetic surgeon told shape magazine

mucus naturally collects over the eyeball, mixing with your tears to create a protective film, according to cleveland clinic . this moist layer prevents your eyes from drying out and also lubricates the eyelid so it can move smoothly as you blink or close your eyes. the film also has properties that protect the eye from some bacteria and microbes — so removing it isn’t ideal.

not a good way to deal with makeup

in some of the videos, the mucus pulled out of the eyeball has a black, stringy appearance. dr. anthony youn , a u.s.-based plastic surgeon, took to tiktok to explain that this was from mascara that had got into the eyes. and while there are some negative side effects of consistently getting makeup in your eyes, pulling at the mucus layer isn’t a great way to deal with it. instead, according to the cleveland clinic , gently rinse the eye with clean tap water or an eyewash solution (if you are wearing contact lenses, remove them first).

the american academy of ophthalmology also recommends applying makeup outside of the lash line to protect the eyes and the delicate oil glands found on the upper and lower eyelids.

mucus fishing syndrome

because our eyes need the mucus to stay healthy, when we remove it our eyes will naturally produce more. if someone were to get into the habit of removing the mucus layer, the eyes will also consistently produce more mucus than is typically needed. this can lead to “ mucus fishing syndrome ,” a spiral where you can end up pulling out the excess mucus more often, leading to even more mucus production.

“what people don’t realize is that by removing the mucus, the eye can become even more irritated resulting in more mucus,” kerril hickey, specsavers ireland chairman and optician told the irish mirror .

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watch: we take a close look at eyes with the #mucusfishing trend

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