A complete guide to lash extensions Lash extensions are the ultimate morning time-saver, while also ensuring you can step out with lashes that look perfectly done without any annoying mascara smudges. They are applied by a professional beauty therapist who carefully applies one extension to each of your natural lashes using semi-permanent glue. Lash extensions help to lift and contour the shape of your eyes, enhancing your natural look. Once they are applied, you don’t need to worry about mascara or eyeliner, but can simply get on with living life. They aren’t the same thing as false eyelashes. False eyelashes aren’t applied individually to each lash. Instead, they are applied directly to the skin, and need to be removed regularly. False lashes can’t take into account your own unique eye shape like extensions can. How long do lash extensions take? When lash extensions are first applied, you can expect a lengthy beautician appointment of up to 2 hours. This is because the extensions are applied one by one using safe glue, to each of your lashes. Subsequent applications are called ‘in fills’ and take less time, as they are simply replacing the lashes you’ve lost naturally over time. Lash extension application First, the therapist gently tapes down your bottom lashes, to keep them out of the way. The glue used is waterproof and black, giving the perfect illusion of mascara. The beauty therapist carefully applies the glue to each extension lash before fixing it to the natural lash using tweezers. This is repeated over and over until all lashes are extended. It’s a completely painless, and usually very relaxing process. How long do lash extensions last? A full cycle of your natural lash growth and shedding is 6-8 weeks, although this does vary from person to person. Your lash extensions can last this long. However, we recommend having in fills done every 2-3 weeks, to account for the fact that shedding doesn’t happen evenly, or all at the same time! Lash extension aftercare Lash extensions are a fantastic timesaver on your daily beauty routine. However, you’ll want to take a little extra care of them in the first few days and afterwards. The good news is that most of the ‘taking care’ simply involves not doing things! The most important tip about how to look after lash extensions is to not get them wet for the first 48 hours after having them applied. This is because the glue takes this long to cure, or set, properly. Getting the glue wet before then could mean that your extensions don’t last as long because they become brittle, and are more likely to break. After this, lash extension aftercare is very simple. How to clean lash extensions Lash extensions are lower maintenance than application and removal of mascara each day. However, you do need to know how to clean lash extensions properly. After the initial 48 hours of keeping them dry, you can then use a special foam eyelash cleanser every 3 days to remove any dust or make-up residue. Your beauty therapist can advise you which to use. You can simply make this part of your cleansing routine. You can also brush through the eyelash tips each morning, using a soft brush, as part of your make-up routine, to keep the lashes looking pristine. How to look after lash extensions – what not to do There are a few things you should avoid when you’ve got lash extensions. Try not to sleep on your face, or rub your eyes. This will bend, and potentially break the lashes. Also avoid oil-based products near your eyes as this can loosen the adhesive used to hold the extensions in place. Mascara or no mascara? Our beauty therapists are often asked if you can put mascara on lash extensions. We promise you that you won’t need to! With extensions, your lashes will look full and lustrous, without any need for mascara. They will look like you’ve succeeded with the most perfect mascara application. Also, if you do use mascara with your extensions then it can easily clog up between the lashes. Without being able to use an oil-based cleaner, this is very difficult to clean. Trying to clean off the mascara can lead to broken lashes, and irritation to your eye. How to remove lash extensions As your lashes naturally shed, you don’t need to have lash extensions removed. Instead, most clients get into a routine of regular in fills, to keep their lashes looking wonderful. If however, there’s any problems following your appointment, then just get in touch with the beauty therapist and they will be able to help. Try to avoid any home removal methods you’ve come across. You can end up hurting your eyes, or breaking lashes. Your natural eyelashes after extensions It’s normal to have questions about your natural eyelashes and the effect of extensions on them. Unfortunately, there are lots of myths doing the rounds which can leave you concerned. Do eyelashes grow back after lash extensions? If you take care of your lash extensions then they will only typically fall off when your eyelash was ready to shed naturally. However, rubbing your eyes, applying mascara, or using oil-based cleansers, can make the eyelash shed prematurely, or snap. Your eyelashes will grow back, but it may take a little longer than usual, if you’ve lost lashes before their time. So, do eyelash extensions ruin your lashes? Done properly by a professionally trained beauty technician, and by following the lash extension aftercare above, no, they won’t. However, damage to your natural lashes can occur if you rub your eyes, and therefore break the lashes. This is why it is important that you know how to look after lash extensions. The beauty of lash extensions Lash extensions create the luxuriously long and captivating eyelashes that you’ve always dreamt off, whilst also cutting the length of your morning beauty regime. Eyelash extensions and in fills are just two of the at home beauty treatments we offer.
