Having thick, long lashes is every lady's dream, but how far will she go to achieve this dream?

Ladies have gone beyond the trusty mascara wand to extreme measures just to get the dramatic look they desire.

The fad - fixing false lashes - has swept through salons and spas, coming at a cost in cash and even and at the cost of the natural lashes of these ladies.

The eye is an important organ of the body. One of the essential components of the eye is the lash which is essential because it reduces the airflow into the eye.

The reduction of airflow is important because less air moving across the eye keeps evaporation at bay and stops irritating dust from getting into the eye.

As if to build a strong resistance for the eye against dust and other intrusive elements, ladies these days are employing the use of artificial lashes - but clearly, there are other motives.

Nana Akua is a professional in the business of eyelash extension. She tells me women come to her saloon to plump artificial lashes because they want to look pretty.

Her assessment was corroborated by a lady in her shop, who did not mince words in telling me, “I have been fixing artificial lashes because I look sexy whenever I fix it.”

“Men of today also admire women who fix artificial lashes it's just better to go to a professional to have it fixed”, Nana Akua, the Beautician interjected.

"I look beautiful and the men admire me whenever I fix it”, another client at Nana Akua’s shop, Constance Agyei reveals. “I have been fixing these artificial lashes for more than six years and I have not encountered any health implications”, she adds.

But that may not be exactly accurate.

Some women cry because of the pain that comes with it.

Nana Akua says sometimes the pain is too much for ladies to bear so some of them beg for it to be removed a few days after she has fixed it.

Ophthalmologist Dr Serwaa Acqua says women who use artificial eye extensions risk their natural ones.

“When you wear the eye extensions you weaken your natural eye lashes and you know your natural eye lashes serve as a protective cover, it prevents dust from entering the eye so as you keep fixing it, it gets to a time where you don’t have any lashes. Where are you going to fix the artificial lashes? That is dangerous”, says Dr Acqua.

Also, there are bacterial and fungal infection to the eye that can come about due to sometimes unhygienic conditions at spas and parlours that fix these extensions.

The price to pay for beauty is high, and as women risk these health warnings and go through the subtle irritating moments to look good, one can only hope that those they wish to impress - their admirers and loved ones - would appreciate the effort.