Sleep is vital for your overall health and wellbeing. But sometimes catching those all-important hours of rest requires absolute darkness. Sleep masks are a great way of solving this problem, but are sleep masks bad for eyelashes?
Sleep masks are not bad for your eyelashes as long as you find one that’s of the best quality possible. Cupped, 3D, or contoured sleep masks are the best kind to sleep with, as they’ll minimize any friction between your lashes and the pillow.
There are other steps that you can take to ensure that your lashes – whether natural or extensions – are kept as healthy as possible.
Can You Sleep With Eyelash Extensions?
You may need to invest in products designed to help you sleep with your eyelash extensions such as a silk pillowcase or 3D eye mask – but it is doable to sleep with fake lashes.
No matter how cute you feel in your eyelash extensions, there’s absolutely no point in taking the time – or spending the money – if it means that you can’t sleep well.
Sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing, and you’ll quickly notice if you don’t get your nightly beauty rest.
Thankfully, there are ways to catch those all-important hours of sleep even when you’re wearing eyelash extensions.
Are Sleep Masks Bad For Eyelashes?
You need your sleep. If you find it difficult to sleep with even an inch of light in your room, it’s probably a good idea to invest in a sleep mask.
As with most things in life, quality counts over quantity.
You want a sleep mask that won’t cause friction and potential sensitivity with your skin. This is less likely to damage the growth of your eyelashes.
That said, depending on your skin’s sensitivity and your eyelashes, you may find sleep masks causing you some drama.
When you wear a sleep mask, your eyelashes are pressed up between the mask and your undereye skin. If you have very sensitive skin, this may cause some irritation.
Similarly, as sleep masks cause this compression or flattening of your eyelashes, they might result in your eyelashes growing in a criss-cross pattern.
In turn, this can be exacerbated by the way that you sleep.
For example, if you sleep on your side, you may notice that the eyelashes of one side grow sideways (depending on which side you sleep on).
Sleep masks may also cause eyelash extensions to become tangled or clump together, too.
Look for sleep masks that are designed for individuals who wear eyelash extensions. These are typically marketed as 3D or cupped sleep masks.
At the least, go for adjustable sleep masks.
Why You Should Take Care Of Lash Extensions When Sleeping
Taking care of either your natural eyelashes or eyelash extensions is essential:
1. You minimize lash shedding
If you’ve paid money and committed time to get eyelash extensions, you want them to last for as long as possible.
If you’re particularly rough with them, however, you’ll massively shorten their lifespan, which should be anywhere from two to four weeks.
By taking care of your eyelash extensions whilst you sleep, you’re helping them to remain in place and looking their best for as long as possible.
2. You prevent shapelessness
As mentioned above, if you wear a sleep mask and sleep in a less-than-ideal position, your natural eyelashes can grow in strange criss-cross patterns.
Similarly, your eyelash extensions can end up tangled and compressed out of shape as a result of the pressure from the mask and your sleep position.
You may end up with eyelash deformation as a result, and the pre-set curl pattern will be impacted.
Best Way To Sleep With Eyelash Extensions
There are ways to take care of both your natural eyelashes and eyelash extensions when you sleep.
1. Sleep on your back
If you have eyelash extensions, the best way to sleep is on your back, or what’s known as the supine sleeping position.
It will prevent any friction between your lashes and the pillow, and will therefore reduce the risk of your eyelashes growing strangely or becoming compressed.
If you struggle to sleep on your back naturally or feel that your head is unsupported when doing so, try to create a barrier with your other pillows to support your head.
You can also put a pillow under your knees or under each arm so as to stop you from rolling out of this position, too.
Alternatively, there are memory foam pillows you can invest in that will enable you to comfortably sleep on your back.
2. Use a 3D mask
If you just can’t sleep without an eye mask, consider investing in a 3D mask.
They’re slightly cupped, which means that there’s a gap left between your lashes and the mask.
As a result, there’s no pressure from the mask applied to your lashes, so you’re minimizing the risk of your lashes growing weirdly or becoming tangled.
Using this mask also means that you don’t have to worry about what sleep position you’re in, as it acts as a kind of protective barrier between your lashes and the pillow.
3. Use a silk or satin pillowcase
Silk or satin pillowcases have so many benefits.
They’re fantastic for your skin and hair health as they are anti-aging and hypoallergenic, but they are also helpful if you’re trying to catch some sleep with eyelash extensions.
Silk or satin is far more forgiving than either cotton or linen.
You’ll have minimal friction, so your eyelashes are less likely to be flattened or folded, and therefore won’t get tangled.
4. Keep your sheets and blankets away from your face
It might feel cozy to pull your duvet or blankets right up around your face when you sleep, but it’s more likely to cause damage from friction on both the skin of your face and your eyelashes.
Similarly, don’t sleep with your arm draped over your face – even with a sleep mask on. This will only flatten your eyelashes even more.
How To Sleep On Your Side With Eyelash Extensions
If you really struggle to sleep on your back but want to keep your eyelash extensions looking their best, you can try any of the above solutions.
Alternatively, if you dislike wearing a sleep mask but still sleep on your side, there is a way to try and work it.
Your head needs to be at the edge of your pillow to such an extent that your eyelashes are somewhat hanging over the pillow’s side.
This means that they aren’t going to experience any friction by rubbing up against the pillow itself, which is what causes the flattening and crimping that you’re looking to avoid.
It’s not foolproof, and might require some working out, but that’s your best bet.
How To Prevent Eyelash Extensions From Falling Out When Sleeping
Don’t rub your eyelashes!
This might seem obvious, but don’t rub your eyelashes throughout the day, no matter how tired you are.
Be as gentle as possible with them, as any friction at all will cause the eyelash extensions to loosen.
Remember to avoid rubbing your face and eyelashes roughly with a towel after cleansing, too. You want to gently pat your face and lashes dry, as this will prevent any friction.
Remove your make up
Always remember to remove your makeup before you go to bed, no matter how late it is.
Oil-free products are best, as oil tends to dissolve the bonds of your eyelash extension glue.
Water-based products are ideal, but sometimes even micellar water can do this, so be sure to review the products you’re using and take care that they won’t impact your eyelash extensions.
If you use a Q-tip rather than a cotton wool pad to remove your eye make-up, this will be more precise, and hopefully means that you’re less likely to rub your extensions excessively.
Avoid using heavy eye creams, as this can dissolve the lash glue.
Brush your eyelashes
If you’ve got mascara that’s run out, don’t throw the brush away.
Clean it and use it every night to brush out your extensions before bed.
This helps to detangle them and reset their curl pattern.
Brush in much the same way you would apply mascara – upwards on your top lashes, and downwards on your bottom lashes.
You can also do this in the morning before applying your makeup.
Strengthen your eyelashes
Use a lash enhancer in order to strengthen your natural eyelashes to which your extensions are attached.
Apply it before bed in order to condition and strengthen your lashes.
Remember to ensure the serum is water-based.
Use your lash cleanser
Your eyelash technician will usually advise you on how best to clean your extensions – they may even give you a specially-formulated solution with which to do so.
Follow their advice and take care to keep your eyelash extensions as clean as possible.