A lash lift is a popular beauty treatment for anyone looking for long, voluminous lashes without lash extensions or false lashes. In this article, we go through five possible reasons why your lash lift didn’t work.
The five main reasons why a lash lift hasn’t worked are:
- Your lashes were over-processed or under-processed
- Your lashes weren’t clean
- Your lashes got wet in the first 24 hours after your lash lift
- You got lash lifts too close together
- Your lash artist didn’t use the right size rod
Let’s dive into each of these reasons in more detail.
What Is A Lash Lift?
A lash lift is a beauty treatment where a lash artist will apply a lifting solution to your lashes and brush them up over a flexible rod or small pad on your upper lid.
This will shape your lashes into a lifted, curled shape, and as the solution sets in your lashes will stay lifted from the root.
Your lashes will look lifted, voluminous, and long as soon as you leave your appointment and should stay that way for several weeks. The results of a lash lift last 4-6 weeks on average.
Why Did My Lash Lift Not Work? 5 Possible Reasons
There are things you should absolutely avoid when getting a lash lift such as tanning, such as getting them wet within 24 hours and tanning.
However, if you left your lash lift appointment with lackluster results, you may be wondering why your lash lift didn’t work.
There are a few reasons why the treatment might not have taken effect the way you or your lash artist was expecting:
1. Your lashes were over-processed or under-processed
One of the main reasons why your lash lift didn’t work is because your lashes were either over-processed or under-processed.
What this means is that your lash artist might have left the lifting solution on your lashes too long or not long enough.
Every lash lift client needs a different amount of processing time depending on the natural state of their eyelashes.
Your lash artist will assess your lashes at the beginning of your appointment and base your processing time on what they see.
Although lash artists are trained to get it right, there is always a chance they will make a miscalculation on this step.
Processing your lashes for too long or not long enough may mean that your lash lift doesn’t work.
2. Your lashes weren’t clean
Most lash artists will give you instructions prior to your lash lift appointment to make sure you follow the right preparation steps.
Although the instructions might vary somewhat from artist to artist, one of the main things that all lash artists will emphasize is that you arrive at your appointment with clean lashes.
You want to make sure that you have removed all mascara and makeup residue from your eye area before you arrive at your appointment.
This is why you shouldn’t wear mascara for a day prior to your lash lift appointment (or 3 days prior if you wear waterproof mascara).
If there is any dirt, oil, or residue on your lashes, that may prevent the solution from penetrating your lashes and giving the lifted effect that you are looking for.
3. Your lashes got wet in the first 24 hours after your lash lift
Water is a lash lift’s biggest enemy in the first 24 hours after your appointment.
Although your lashes look great right after your appointment, they are still fragile and delicate as they settle into their new lifted and curled position for the whole first day following your appointment.
If you get your lashes wet during that time period, you run the risk of diluting the lash solution and ruining your results.
For this reason, it’s important to avoid showers, washing your face, and swimming for the first 24 hours.
Also, if you will be outside in the rain it’s important to wear a hat or hood to block your face.
4. You got lash lifts too close together
It is not recommended to get lash lifts any more frequently than 8 weeks apart so that you don’t cause any damage to your lashes.
Most lash lifts are designed to last 4-6 weeks, and then it’s recommended to wait at least another 2 additional weeks before getting another lash lift.
If you do get lash lifts less than 8 weeks apart, your lashes may not respond well to the solution and your lash lift probably will not work.
5. Your lash artist didn’t use the right size rod
It is very important that your lash artist uses the right size rod to perform your lash lift, otherwise, the lift might not work.
The flexible, silicone rod is used to shape your lashes into a lifted and curled position.
It’s important for your lash artist to use a rod that fits your eye shape to make sure you get the best results.
If they use a rod that is too big or small or does not have the right shape to match your eye, it might cause your lash lift not to work as expected.
For more tips on how to best take care of your lash lift, read my Lash Lift Aftercare – Day By Day Guide.
5 Signs Your Lash Lift Didn’t Work
If you are unhappy with the results of your lash lift, it might be because your lash lift didn’t work.
Here are some signs that your lash lift didn’t work:
1. Your lashes look frizzy
The goal of a lash lift is long, voluminous, thick lashes. If your lashes look frizzy and kinky after your lash lift, chances are your lash lift didn’t work.
2. Your lashes are curled or lifted unevenly
If you look in the mirror after your lash lift and notice that some of your lashes are curled more than others or that some are not curled at all, your lash lift clearly did not work.
3. Your lashes aren’t curled at all
The biggest way to tell that your lash lift didn’t work is if you don’t notice any difference at all in your lashes.
If your lashes don’t look any more lifted and curled than normal, then the lash lift was not successful.
4. Your lashes are stuck together
If your lashes look clumped together in big chunks similar to when you apply several coats of thick mascara after your lash lift, it’s clear that the lift did not work.
5. Your lashes feel brittle and stiff
Your lashes should not feel stiff or damaged after your lash lift. If they feel brittle to the touch or start breaking, that is another sign that your lash lift did not work properly.
What To Do If Your Lash Lift Didn’t Work
Wait for your lashes to grow out
If your lashes don’t look too bad, you can always just wait for them to grow out naturally and try again with a different lash artist in the future.
Brush your lashes with a spoolie
If your lashes are just too curly or unevenly curled, you might be able to get a better look just by brushing them out with a spoolie to smooth them.
Get a keratin lash lift with Cysteine
If your lashes are stuck together or are far too curled for your liking, you can get a keratin lash lift that includes Cysteine. This will fix the sticking and relax the over-curled look.
Use a warm, damp cloth to relax over-curled lashes
Because water weakens the results of your lash lift, you can calm down an over-processed lash lift by applying a warm compress to your lashes and brushing them out a bit.
Get a second lash lift for half the amount of processing time
If your lash lift didn’t work at all or you did not get the results you were expecting, you may be able to ask your lash artist to do another mini-lift for half the amount of processing time.
Sometimes this is just enough to give your lashes the lift you wanted.
Best Way To Prepare For A Lash Lift
Stop wearing mascara 24 hours before
Don’t wear any mascara the day before your lash lift. If you wear waterproof mascara, avoid it for 2-3 days prior.
Arrive at your lash lift appointment with a clean face
Make sure your face is clear of dirt, oil, and makeup.
Don’t curl your lashes the day of your lash lift
Your lash artist needs to see your lashes in their natural state to assess the right approach for your lift.
Remove any lash extensions before your appointment
If you have lash extensions on, make sure they are all removed fully before your appointment, or else you may not be able to get your lash lift done.