MASCARA is a staple in many of our make-up bags, but one expert has warned that the magic wand could be causing 'mucus fishing syndrome'.
If you've ever been removing your makeup and experienced a string-like substance in your eye, then you shouldn't pull it out, Dr Anthony Youn said.
Posting to TikTok, Dr Youn, who has 7.3 million followers and 222.1 million likes, responded to a clip in which a woman is pulling out black mucus from her eye.
He said: "This is called mucus fishing syndrome and this is mucus that you pull out of your eyelid.
"The more you pull, the more it keeps coming back.
"It's turned dark because of mascara, it is not a piece of hair."
The reason more mucus is produced each time is because each time you remove it, the eye becomes irritated.
Most people use cotton buds or their fingers to remove the mucus which is often not sterile.
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This usually means you end up in a vicious cycle of removing the mucus, and some TikTok users said that they have to do this on a daily basis.
Experts at Meadows Eye Care said it's normal to have a little bit of mucus in the eye, but that the string-like consistency could be down to other conditions.
They said that the mucus could also be caused by conjunctivitis, which could be caused by an allergy, bacteria, or virus.
Another condition the mucus could be linked to it Blepharitis, which is an inflammation of the eyelids.
Mucus fishing syndrome could also be linked to dry eyes, which is common in the winter months.
Optometrist at Lenstore, Roshni Patel said: "As the seasons change, the weather gets drier and humidity subsides.
"Though this may be a welcome relief for some, others may start to experience drier eyes than usual due to high winds and low humidity.
"Some ways to help fight the effects of dry eyes in winter are by using over-the-counter artificial tears during the colder months to treat symptoms of dry eyes.
"Another way you can combat dry eyes in the winter is by switching to glasses rather than contact lenses, along with investing in a humidifier or an essential oil diffuser to help add moisture back into the air, which will help lubricate your eyes and ease the pain of them when dry."
She added that falling asleep in your contact lenses (which is easy to do if you're feeling unwell) can result in discomfort, dryness and an increased risk of infection since you're reducing the ability for oxygen to reach your eye
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