Clinical Scorecard: Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Linked to 42,457 U.S. ER Eye-Injury Visits From 2005 to 2024
At a Glance
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Condition | Cosmetic- and personal care product-related eye injuries |
| Key Mechanisms | Thermal injuries and chemical exposures; injury patterns varied by age. |
| Target Population | People of all ages with cosmetic- or personal care product-related eye injuries, including children 4 and under. |
| Care Setting | United States emergency departments; national visit totals were estimated from a sample of emergency department cases. |
Key Highlights
- The study estimated 42,457 cosmetic- and personal care product-related eye-injury visits to U.S. emergency departments from 2005 through 2024.
- Women and girls accounted for 81.8% of injuries; the average patient was 24 years old.
- Children 4 and under made up nearly a quarter of cases; 70% of injuries in this age group followed unsupervised access to a product.
- Thermal injuries accounted for about 26% of cases and chemical exposures for about 25%.
- Chemical burns accounted for 45.8% of injuries among young patients and 0.5% among adults. The study linked 83.2% of chemical burns to a child getting hold of a cosmetic product.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Management
Monitoring & Follow-up
Risks
- Cosmetic and personal care products were associated with thermal injuries and chemical exposures to the eye.
- Most injuries occurred at home (63%).
- Children 4 and under were often injured after reaching for products without supervision; adults were largely injured while applying products themselves.
Patient & Prescribing Data
The analysis included 42,457 cosmetic-related eye injuries recorded from 2005 to 2024. Women and girls accounted for 81.8% of cases; the average patient was 24.
The article does not report treatment data. Study lead author Aatif Syed suggested safe storage and limiting children's unsupervised access to cosmetic products, particularly liquids and sprays, and safer handling of heated styling tools and grooming instruments for adolescents and adults.
Clinical Best Practices
- Study lead author Aatif Syed suggested storing cosmetic products safely and limiting children's unsupervised access, particularly to liquids and sprays.
- Syed suggested safer handling of heated styling tools and grooming instruments for adolescents and adults.
- The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers a free patient guide on safe cosmetic use around the eye.
Related Resources & Content
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.