A woman in Malaysia had to pull out her freshly-done eyelash extensions “one by one” after being told she could not have them on when having her passport photo taken.

Facebook user Shakira Mamii said in a post on Wednesday that an immigration officer at the Urban Transformation Centre in Johor told her she needed to keep her face “original” and that eyelash extensions were not allowed.

Ms Shakira said she already waited for two hours at the immigration office and did not want to make another trip.

“I went to the toilet and pulled out (the extensions) one by one, even my natural eyelashes came out,” she added.

She said she woke up early on Tuesday morning to prepare for the photo-taking – pulling her hair back into a ponytail and forgoing contact lenses.

“I knew I couldn’t wear contact lenses, but I really didn’t know that eyelash extensions weren’t allowed.”

Eyelash extensions are semi-permanent synthetic or natural hair fibres that are attached to the natural eyelashes, strand by strand, using an adhesive.

Ms Shakira said she made the post to remind other women in Malaysia about the little-known requirement, adding: “I successfully renewed my passport, but the ‘caterpillars’ on my eyes were wronged.”

In Singapore, such extensions can be priced around $50 for a set but can go up to several hundred dollars, depending on the quantity and quality.