If you find yourself wondering how to keep your natural eyelashes healthy even when you wear extensions regularly, don’t panic. This article is for you.
The best ways to keep your eyelashes healthy with extensions are:
- Cleanse eyelashes thoroughly
- Don’t pull your eyelashes
- Trust your lashes
- See a qualified esthetician
- Use lash growth serum
- Sleep on a silk pillow
- Use a 3D sleep mask
Let’s explore these methods in more detail.
Types Of Eyelash Extension
There are three main types of eyelash extensions: mink, synthetic, and silk.
Different lash technicians will have different preferences for what kind of eyelash extension they choose to work with.
Please note: We do not encourage our readers to use mink eyelashes and therefore will not be promoting or recommending these in any articles related to false eyelashes.
Mink and silk lashes typically look more natural than synthetic, which offers a bolder, more dynamic look.
Your technician should be able to talk you through different lash lengths, curls, and volume, and help you to establish which will look best, working with the natural shape of your eyes.
It’s worth knowing that some lash extensions that are labeled as ‘mink’ can be synthetic lashes that mimic the texture and look of the mink without actually originating from the animal.
If you’re prone to allergies or are vegan, be sure to enquire as to whether your technician is using real mink eyelash extensions or if they’re synthetic.
For more on this, check out our other post – Are Eyelash Extensions Vegan?
Do Eyelash Extensions Harm Your Natural Eyelashes?
Even if you take great care of both your natural eyelashes and your extensions, your natural lashes will likely suffer some harm as a result of the extensions.
That’s why knowing how to keep eyelashes healthy even with extensions in is so important.
Your natural eyelashes have a natural growth cycle.
This cycle consists of three different stages, from a growth stage right through to a shedding stage.
Not all of your eyelashes will be in the same stage at the time. As some of your natural lashes are shedding, others will be growing.
As your natural lashes grow, any extensions that you’ve applied will grow out, too.
This can become too heavy for your natural lashes, and this may result in lash breakage.
If your eyes become irritated for whatever reason, you will also be more likely to itch them.
Any friction or tugging caused as a result of this will also cause damage to your natural lashes.
In the worst cases, this might even cause traction alopecia, so you need to take care to not rub or pull at your extensions in order to protect your natural lashes.
If you can invest in a 3D cupped sleeping mask or a silk pillowcase, this can also help, as it will reduce any friction between your lashes and your pillow as you sleep.
How To Keep Eyelashes Healthy With Extensions
Keep your eyelashes healthy even with extensions doesn’t have to be complicated. From using a lash serum to sleeping with a 3D cupped eye mask, there are a number of things that you can do to prolong the life of your extensions whilst caring for your natural lashes.
Lash extensions are, of course, designed to enhance the look of your natural lashes.
Depending on which type of eyelash extension you go for, they can be a low-maintenance way of ensuring that your eyes always look bold and beautiful.
They can save you valuable time and an extra few minutes of beauty sleep in the morning.
However, even whilst eyelash extensions offer those benefits, you should still aim to take care of them as well as you possibly can.
This will extend their life, and mean that you don’t need to see your esthetician as often for touch-ups, which saves you valuable time and money.
After all, you’re likely to have a skincare routine that keeps your skin looking its best, and possibly even a gym routine for the maintenance of your body and physical wellbeing.
So, why wouldn’t you want to take as much care of your eyelash extensions as possible?
These are our tips for keeping both your natural eyelashes as healthy as possible and for the maintenance of your extensions, too.
For Eyelash Extensions
1. Cleanse properly
It’s essential to clean your eyelash extensions regularly.
Don’t apply eyeshadow or liner too close to your lash line, as eyelash extensions can make this difficult to clean.
Any leftover residue from makeup might then lead to infections.
Oil-based cleansers will dissolve the glue of your extensions, so it’s best to go for water-based alternatives and take care to remove any dirt or debris from your lashes.
2. No tugging
As we detail above, if you rub, tug, or pull at your eyelash extensions, you’ll loosen their adhesive, which might result in them falling out quicker than they should.
You’ll also damage your natural lashes too, so avoid any aggressive friction.
3. Brush them
Take a clean mascara brush and brush out your extensions.
This will ensure that they don’t get tangled, and will also help to maintain your natural lashes, too.
4. Go to a qualified esthetician
If a lash appointment seems too good to be true in terms of cost, it probably is.
It’s absolutely worth doing your research to ensure that you know your lash technician is doing the best job possible, so as to avoid any potential issues later down the line.
For Natural Eyelashes
1. Lash growth serum
Using a lash growth serum on your natural lashes will help to keep them healthy even with extensions in.
Apply the serum along your lower lash line and blink. This will then transfer the formula to your upper lash line without over saturating your extensions.
2. Sleep on silk
Silk pillowcases are having a real moment.
They can reduce hair frizz and help with anti-aging for your skin. Plus, they’re a way of reducing friction between your extensions and the pillow, which can impair the health of your natural lashes and the look of your extensions.
3. Use a 3D sleep mask
If you can invest in a cupped sleep mask, your extensions will thank you.
By leaving a gap between your lashes and the mask itself, you’re ensuring that your extensions don’t get crushed or tangled overnight.
Will Natural Eyelashes Grow Back After Extensions?
Your natural eyelashes are hair, which means that they have a growth cycle.
They will therefore grow back in after extensions, even if they’re damaged or cut.
However, this can take anywhere from one month to three months, depending on the speed of your cycle (everyone’s is different).
That’s why it’s so important that you visit a qualified lash technician who will follow the correct procedure for the application of your extensions.
For more on this, check out our post – How Much Does It Cost To Remove Eyelash Extensions?
A licensed lash technician will help you select some that aren’t too heavy for your natural lashes, too, which also helps to keep eyelashes healthy even when you’re wearing extensions.
Remember, too, to follow our advice above for how to keep eyelashes healthy with extensions.
Use a growth serum, thoroughly cleanse your lashes at the end of every day with a water-based cleanser, and avoid any rubbing or tugging at lashes.
If you can use a cupped sleep mask or a silk pillowcase, even better.