REPAIR YOUR LASHES WHILE WEARING LASH EXTENSIONS
REPAIR YOUR DAMAGED LASHES WHILE STILL WEARING LASH EXTENSIONS
Lash extensions, even when done at a reputable place, on rare occasions can damage your natural lashes. This typically happens when wearing lashes that are too heavy for your natural lash's thickness or too big of a volume bouquet. But it can happen when you rub on them too hard, as well as picking, twisting, tugging, or pulling on them. A lot of people like to pick at them after two weeks to three weeks or like to twist them when fidgeting (myself included).
I wanted some heavy volumes for my wedding so that they were very visible on the photos, fully knowing that my lashes cannot support them long-term, but I also wanted to try them out a couple of weeks beforehand to make sure I loved them. This, coupled with not taking care of them properly, resulted in my natural lashes becoming thinner and shorter. And because of the wedding stress, I would sometimes even twist my lash extensions when they were grown out so I got a little bald spot! But of course, I don't want to give up wearing extensions, so what is a gal to do?!
There are a couple of things you can do to repair your lashes and still look drop-dead gorgeous!
GO THINNER AND SHORTER
You need to drop down a couple of diameters on the lash and/or the length, this will dramatically decrease the strain the extensions cause on your natural lashes. You can also ask your lash tech to not lash all 100% of the natural lashes, but around 60 - 75% by leaving the baby and teenage lashes alone to give them the time to develop strongly.
You can also move down from a volume set to a mixed set with lighter bouquets, and from a mixed set to 2Ds or classics. At first, you'll feel a bit empty as your go down from what you're used to but you can make up for it with make-up and the dream of having more lashes to get extensions on in a couple of weeks.
2. SHAMPOO CONSISTENTLY
Cleaning your lashes consistently will help with regulating your sebum (oil) production and also help keep them looking fresh and neat. You should wash them with lash shampoo at least once a week if you don't typically wear eye make-up and daily if you do wear make-up. This not only helps keep the lashes from sticking together but also prevents infections, mites, and other problems that may arise.
A few clients have reported that after a couple of weeks their lashes start to itch a bit, and this is always because they don't wash them thinking the lashes will fall off quicker - but this is FALSE! Washing your lashes in most cases does not make them fall off quickly if applied correctly. If they do then we need to evaluate other factors that can be causing the lash fallout.
3. USE A LASH SERUM
A lash serum is a great way to strengthen and grow your natural lashes more rapidly as you can start seeing results in a few weeks! Some lash serums are safe to use with eyelash extensions, just check to see that they don't have any oils in the ingredients list. Our favorite ones are Revitash and Grandelash, but the majority contain the same main ingredients so you can pick any that has good reviews in your favorite store.
This is an unedited photo of my natural lashes. Top photo was taken in September 2021 and the bottom in December 2021 after using Revitalash.
In this close up you can really see how some empty gaps in the inner and middle sections have filled up!
4. BIOTIN SUPPLEMENTS
Take biotin or collage supplements to stimulate your hair and nail growth and you'll also see your lashes grow with more fullness. Check with your doctor before taking any oral supplements to make sure it is healthy for you.
5. TAKE A BREAK
Sometimes it is better to take a break from lashes for a couple of weeks and if you do all of the above at the same time, you'll like to get back to wearing full lashes sooner than you think! You can use other lash solutions such as magnetic eyeliners or Lashify. Avoid using the magnets that clamp with each other as they pull on the lashes to be removed. Think of it as a lash detox. You’ll get back into it in no time and you’ll feel fresher and better than ever!
Think of getting a lash lift with a ‘botox’ or keratin mask as it is a strengthening mask that helps repair the hair bond.
HOW DID I FIX MINE AS A LASH ARTIST?
My lashes have taken quite a beating this year as I don't take as good care of them as well as I should. I pick at them, I don't shampoo or brush them regularly, I would use them for lash artist job candidates to show me their skills on me which resulted in some horrible sets, and I liked to wear a style that was too heavy for my natural lash to hold.
But even then I knew it is better to give your lashes a break if you really need to strengthen them before you cause irreparable harm to your lashes. So even though I treat my lashes badly, I know I have to take care of them regularly to keep them healthy and to be able to keep on having lash extensions for a long time in the future.
I knew the risks and the damages having heavy lash extensions could cause later on, just as much as I knew every time I pick and twist my lashes when fidgeting. So I had to make up for it and take a break from wearing lash extensions. I was planning on doing it only for 5 to 7 weeks, but it ended up being for 3 months as I wanted to be able to noticeably see a difference in the mirror before I start getting extensions again.
During this break, I wore Lashify lashes when out and applied Revitalish serum morning and evening at the end of my beauty routine (but forgot to put some on around 1-2 days a week). I also took Biotin pills every day and well as multivitamin pills and had a healthier diet.
The biggest problem that you may face is that after seeing yourself for the first time without lashes most people are shocked and could enter a slight depression. You might feel some slight facial dysmorphia as you do not recognize the person you see in the mirror and think differently of it.
This is why we recommend you should gradually go down in the volume and lengths of your lashes to help combat this if you are sensitive to how you perceive yourself physically. It will pass. You are beautiful with and without lashes and the lashes are only extra hairs that do not subtract or add to you in any way.
I hope this helped you gain some confidence in knowing when and if you need to take a break, maybe you can keep getting them done and just need to go thinner or shorter.
We suggest you ask your lash artist about the health of your natural lashes and what they suggest. You might also be interested in asking them if they can send you a photo of your bare lashes for you to save so you can see for yourself your own lash health from another perspective and can even get those photos taken every 6 months.
BOOK NOW
With every booking, you receive a free consultation before each full set where your facial features are analyzed to design the ideal style custom for you, inspired by your personal preference and overall fashion style!