Navratri and Garba Eye Care

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Nine nights of garba mean heavy eye makeup, glitter, coloured contact lenses, dust and very little sleep. Each is harmless with care, but together they send many young people to the eye clinic with red, painful eyes in the week after Navratri. ગુજરાતીમાં વાંચો (Read in Gujarati).

Eye makeup and glitter

• Use branded, in-date cosmetics. Never share kajal, eyeliner or mascara, and replace mascara every 3 months.
• Some traditional kajal and surma contain lead; choose products labelled lead-free.
• Apply liner outside the lash line, not on the inner rim of the lid, where it blocks the oil glands.
• Avoid loose glitter near the eyes; use cosmetic-grade glitter fixed with an eye-safe base.
• Remove all makeup before sleeping, however late it is. Sleeping in makeup is a common cause of styes and lid infections.
• For false eyelashes, test the glue on the skin first; stop if the lids itch or swell.

Coloured contact lenses

• Coloured or "fashion" lenses are medical devices. Get them fitted by an eye care professional, even if you do not need power.
• Never share lenses, never sleep in them, and do not wear them for more than 8–10 hours. Long garba nights are a common cause of lens-related infection.
• Wash hands before handling lenses, and use fresh solution every time, never water or saliva.
• Remove the lenses at once if the eye becomes red, painful or blurred, and see an eye doctor the same day: a corneal ulcer can threaten vision.

Late nights, dust and dry eyes

Short sleep, dust from the garba ground and air conditioning all dry the eyes. Use lubricating drops, drink water, and keep at least one or two nights for proper rest. If you drive home late, take extra care: tired eyes react slowly to glare from headlights.

See an eye doctor the same day if

• Vision is blurred or reduced and does not clear with blinking.
• Pain, redness or watering continues after rinsing, or the eye cannot be opened.
• There is a cut on the eye or eyelid, blood in the eye, or something stuck in it.
• A chemical, cracker powder or lime (chuna) went into the eye.
• Light hurts the eye, or you see flashes, floaters or a shadow.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Halloween Eye Safety, Contact lens care, Uttarayan Kite Festival Eye Safety.