Eyelash extensions seem to be a trending fad recently, as more girls seem to be cashing in for sky-high, glamorous lashes. Although ditching the mascara and waking up pretty makes lash extensions a desirable beauty option, it’s important that you do your research on extensions beforehand. You should also choose a promising lash technician that will do a good job and won’t harm your natural lashes! After envying my friends’ long, thick lash extensions, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try extensions myself. Here’s my own personal experience with lash extensions and some things to look out for anyone who is considering on trying them out!
1st Experience: Full set of Synthetic Mink Lashes
I have had my eyelashes done twice at the same location, at an eyelash extension boutique in Toronto, where I found a pretty good deal on Groupon.com. The first time, I received a ‘full set’ of ‘mink’ eyelashes (which I later learned were actually just synthetic mink lashes).
During my appointment, I was brought into a room with what looked like a massage bed. Then I discussed with the woman what length and how much of a curl I wanted for my lashes. We decided on a ‘C’ curl and 13’ length lashes with a few 14’ length lashes at the corner of my eyes to create a glamorous, cat-eye look. The appointment took much longer than I expected (it ended up being over an hour), and there were a few times that I almost fell asleep. Overall, the appointment was not too bad, although there were points where my eyes burned quite a bit from the adhesive lash glue, but it thankfully went away. Once they were done, I was very happy with my results. I ended up getting about 70 lashes per eye and had a nice doe-eyed look. However, my mom also got them done with me at the same place, and ended up getting quite a bit more lashes than I did (100 per eye), and I was quite envious of her dramatic look.
A week or so later, however, I noticed that my lashes were falling out quite rapidly. After two weeks, most of the extensions had fallen out, which was disappointing for me because my roommate’s extensions seemed to last her about a month or so. During my research, I learned after that each individual extension should be attached to each single natural eyelash, so the extensions should fall out as your natural lashes shed. However, I observed that my lashes were falling out much more quickly than they do naturally, which concerned me. I also noticed that when they did fall out, more than one extension was attached to some of my single, natural lashes.
2nd Experience: Re-fill of Synthetic Mink Lashes
Since New Years was just days away, I decided to get my lashes refilled. Also, refills are cheaper (only $40) than the original set of extensions (which I paid $60 for). I also noticed that my mom still had a lot of her lashes left and thought that I maybe didn’t get enough lash extensions the first appointment. Therefore, I decided to try 100 extensions per eye during my refill.
My second experience back at the salon was unfortunately not so great. I wanted to address with the lash technician some of my concerns from my last appointment and asked her to make sure to only apply ONE extension per eyelash, rather than ‘cluster lashes’ (sets of two lash extensions attached to one natural lash). Apparently, when more than one lash extension is applied to each eyelash, it causes your natural lashes to break and fall out more easily, because the extensions are too heavy. Unfortunately, there was language barrier between the technician and I, as she didn’t speak much English. For this reason, it was really hard to communicate with her and receive some professional advice and information about what she was doing. I ended up just trusting her and was pretty happy with my final results. This time, I got 100 lashes per eye and my eyelashes looked much more glamorous than the first time. The lash technician took significantly less time to do my lashes this time around and apparently hurried out afterwards because she had a family emergency, which was concerning for me. Nonetheless, I liked my results and went home pretty satisfied.
After I went home, I had some worries and alarming signs about my lashes. First of all, they looked REALLY false. It was definitely not a natural look this time. My eyelashes were way longer and there were SO many lash extensions. What really concerned me, was the fact that it was obvious that the technician applied more than one extension per lash, because there was no way I had this many natural lashes to start off with!
The Aftermath
A few weeks passed and I started to warm up to my extensions as they began to shed, but I was still concerned about how they were applied. I noticed that a lot of adhesive glue was used and there was some significant clumping of the extensions. This made it near to impossible for my natural lashes to fall out individually. I also started to notice that some of my lashes were almost twisted or turned sideways on one eye. After doing some research online, apparently twisting is an indication that the extensions were done improperly and that too much adhesive glue was used.
As my extensions on my one eye started to look wonky and concerning (not to mention they kind of hurt a bit and felt heavy), I decided to get them removed as soon as possible here in Waterloo just to be safe. The woman who removed them told me that there was some significant clumping of my extensions, but that sometimes happens after appointments are done if you aggravate the lashes in some way. However, I followed all instructions for extension care (I didn’t wear mascara or shower/ get them wet for at least 5 hours after my appointment) and didn’t see what I could have done differently.
After she removed the extensions, I was shocked to see what was left of my natural lashes, especially on the one eye where the clumping occurred. My lashes were significantly much more sparse than they were prior to the extensions. It seemed as though I had about HALF the lashes I use to have. My eye lashes felt naked! Not to mention many of them were much shorter and seemed really weak. I was really upset because glamorous eyelashes are definitely something I pride myself on. Although my eyelashes aren’t particularly curly, I have always had very long, natural lashes. Although I was sad to see the damage that the extensions had caused, I was happy that I decided to get them removed early, before more damage was done!
This photo is an example of eyelash extensions gone WRONG. There is way too much adhesive glue used here.
What I learned from my experience…
Overall, my personal experience with lash extensions was quite negative. After doing a significant amount of research and communicating with a certified lash technician, I learned that lash extensions would not cause that much damage to your natural lashes if applied correctly.
After speaking with the lash technician, I learned that it is not safe or healthy to apply more than one extension to each natural lash, as the extensions become too heavy and cause your lashes to fall out rapidly. She also noted that lots of adhesive glue used and clumping of extensions does not allow your natural eyelashes to grow in. I personally noticed that my eyelashes almost looked curled in and learned that the twisting of the extensions is a sign that your natural lashes are having difficulty growing in naturally.
Would I try lash extensions again?
As of right now, I don’t think I will be getting lash extensions again anytime soon. I definitely don’t think that the extensions were worth over $100. My first priority right now is to trying to grow back my natural lashes, which is actually going quite well with a little bit of help from my trusty caster oil. If I ever did try extensions again, I would make sure that I go to a reputable lash technician and do my research on the location beforehand.
A few tips for those who are considering lash extensions are to make sure that you can view your technician’s previous work (many technicians post online portfolios) as well as reviews from other customers. I suggest not only doing your research online, but also communicating with your technician personally to ensure that they are knowledgeable and are applying the extensions safety and correctly. Not only should you make sure that your technician is certified, but also make sure that he or she has a fair amount of experience.
Lash Extension Alternatives
If you don’t think lash extensions are for you, here are some other options to help make your lashes grow!
1. Caster oil: I’ve been experimenting with caster oil for the past few weeks with very positive results. Caster oil is a natural alternative that is rich with vitamin E, protein, and Omega Fatty Acids, which help strengthen and stimulate hair (and nail) growth. It’s relatively thick oil, which I have been applying with an unused, tester-mascara brush directly on my lashes at night. Caster oil is also a great makeup remover and hydrating mask. I purchased mine on Amazon.ca for under $10.
2. Vaseline: Vaseline is another great natural and low maintenance option to strengthen your natural lashes and help them grow. The petrolatum jelly in Vaseline helps to moisturize your lashes, which leads to healthier and luscious lashes.
3. Vitamin E oil: As an antioxidant, vitamin E oil helps protect, shield, and strengthen your lashes and is believed to help stimulate lash growth. You can buy vitamin E in gel capsule form at your local drugstore. Just poke small holes in each individual capsule and apply the oil directly on your lashes and lash line. You can also purchase pure vitamin E oil in a small bottle from Amazon.ca and other supplement or health/vitamin stores.
4. Lash Lift: If you are willing to spend some money and take a trip to the salon, try a ‘Lash Lift’ instead of lash extensions. Lash Lifts are basically an eyelash perm and dye, which keeps your natural eyelashes dark, lifted, and curly. This gives your eye a natural pop for about 6-8 weeks. Without the need for an eyelash curler or a lot of dark mascara, it is a good alternative to lash extensions. The reason is that it doesn’t damage your natural lashes and lasts a little bit longer, as well as gives you a more natural look with less maintenance.
5. Lash-growing serums: If you are willing to spend some money, you could also look into guaranteed lash-growing serums such as Revitalash and Latisse. Obviously do your research beforehand, because these serums use a lot of harsh chemicals. You also need to talk to your doctor and get a prescription in order to use Latisse.
After my experience, I hope you have learned some helpful tips regarding eyelash extensions! Do your research beforehand so you do not end up making my same mistakes. If eyelash extensions are not your thing but you want flawless lashes, then make sure to consider my tips for the alternatives!