Another thing we love Molly-Mae Hague for, aside from her unreal fashion sense, is how candid she is on socials about everything from her relationship with Tommy Fury, to her recent endometriosis diagnosis.
Now, the former Love Island star has revealed another health concern on her Instagram Stories – and warning: it's not for the faint-hearted (essentially, if anything eyeball-related make you squeamish, this nahhht one for you).
After sharing an update on her day, Molly-Mae explained that she was in the gym with a friend when her pal pointed out a mark on her eyeball. On her Stories, the influencer told her 5 million followers, "Earlier this morning I noticed this really strange thing on my eye, I hope you guys can see that?" Before leaning closer towards the camera, revealing a brown-yellow smudge on the white part of her eye.
"Steph actually noticed that at the gym last night and was like 'There's a weird thing on your eye, I've just seen it'," Molly-Mae continued. "Then when we tried to look for it again, we couldn't find it... it's right tucked under here."
However, she explained, while doing her mascara later on, Molly-Mae discovered the mark on her eyeball again. "I was like 'What the hell is that!', I literally thought I was gonna faint," she said. "Eye stuff, out of everything, sends me under."
Revealing what she believes to be the cause of her eye injury, Molly-Mae added that she's been lifting weights recently and that it could possibly be attributed to that. "I've come to the conclusion it's from squeezing and lifting weights in the gym," she laughed. "Why do I think I'm a weight lifter? Don't know."
She then asked, "Do you think that's maybe what it is?"
One person who knows the answer for sure is optometrist Dhruvin Patel (who also founded Ocushield, which makes blue light blocking glasses and screen protectors). Speaking to Cosmopolitan after watching Molly-Mae's video, Patel confirmed that it is indeed a burst blood vessel in her eye.
"It's known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is a red spot on the white part of your eye (called the sclera) caused by a broken blood vessel," he explains. "It might look scary, but it's usually harmless, and will typically clear up in 3 to 7 days."
Patel adds that the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers your eye, actually has a lot of tiny blood vessels in it. When blood gets trapped beneath this layer, it's called subconjunctival – and the following (including strenuous exercise, such as lifting weights like Molly-Mae) can definitely cause this:
- Strenuous exercise
- Sneezing
- Straining
- Vomiting
He also notes that in some cases, a subconjunctival hemorrhage may result from an eye injury, which could be caused by roughly rubbing the eye or trauma, such as a foreign object injuring your eye.
"If your vision changes, or the ability to see is affected at the same time, then you should seek expert professional guidance," Patel stresses, too.
So, there you have it. If you've also noticed an off-colour patch on your eye and have been hitting the gym hard, it could well be down to that!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
