In Love Is Blind Season 10, contestant Elissa Finley experienced a medical emergency after accidentally instilling nail glue into her eye, believing it was eye drops. The incident, broadcast in the season premiere of the Netflix reality series, led to her being rushed to an emergency room for treatment.
Elissa, a 39-year-old nurse from Ohio, was filmed appearing distressed in the women’s lounge before crew members advised she needed medical attention. She reported her vision became blurry and painful immediately following the mistake. Medics at the hospital flushed her eye with saline solution, and she received treatment to remove the adhesive.
Despite the frightening experience, she was able to return to filming and continued her participation on the show, describing the ordeal and expressing relief that her vision was not severely harmed.
Most commercial nail glues, like many “superglues” and instant adhesives are based on a chemical class called cyanoacrylates. These are fast-acting adhesives used widely in household, cosmetic, and craft products because they bond quickly on contact with moisture.1
Cyanoacrylate chemistry: The compound is a monomer that rapidly polymerizes when exposed to water, including the moisture on human tissues, turning from liquid to solid. This property makes it useful as an adhesive but can cause significant problems if placed in the eye.1
When cyanoacrylate adhesive enters the eye accidentally, it typically triggers an immediate burning or stinging sensation.
Common clinical consequences reported in the medical literature include:
Intense pain or burning immediately after contact due to the chemical burn.
Inability to open the eyelids, because the adhesive bonds eyelid margins or eyelashes together.
Conjunctival inflammation (conjunctivitis) or discomfort in the eye surface.
Corneal abrasion (scratching or surface injury of the cornea).
Eyelash clumping or adhesion to lids.
These effects are typically managed by thorough saline irrigation (flushing) of the eye and careful mechanical removal of any adhesive particles by a clinician.
Most documented cases of accidental cyanoacrylate eye injury respond to this treatment without lasting visual damage, provided care is prompt.
Accidental cyanoacrylate eye injuries have been reported in both adults and children worldwide and are considered a preventable source of ocular injury. Shared safety recommendations include clearer product labeling and child-proof packaging to reduce similar incidents in the future.
References
Brambilla, Elena, Marta Crevani, Valeria M. Petrolini, Giulia Scaravaggi, Maria Di Primo, Elisa Roda, and Carlo A. Locatelli. “Exposure to Nail and False Eyelash Glue: A Case Series Study.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 12 (June 2020): 4283. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7345203/.
Wang Elise, and Shari R. Lipner. “Adverse Effects of Do-It-Yourself Nail Cosmetics: A Literature Review.” Skin Appendage Disorders 10, no. 3 (2024): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1159/000536381.
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