How to look after eyelash extensions between treatments

If you’ve had eyelash extensions before you’ll know that they are a serious confidence boost. Every woman needs this experience at least once in her life. The best thing is you can go mascara-free and your eyes will still stand out. Plus, you’ll wake up each morning looking amazing already!  However, like with all beauty treatments, maintenance and care are required to ensure that you get the best out of your eyelash extensions. We’ve put together a few tips so that you can enjoy your lashes to the fullest.

Eyelash extensions aftercare within the first 24-48 hours

• Refrain from picking at them. If they look out of place, just give them a quick brush.
• Treat them gently with care
• Avoid your favourite tear-jerker as it’s no tears during the cure period! After 24 hours, you can cry all you want.
• Try not to sleep on them, sleep on your back for the first day to ensure that the glue isn’t tampered with
• Stay away from chlorinated pools and heat treatments such as steam rooms, saunas and sunbeds for at least 24 hours, as this is the time that the lashes need for proper bonding.
• Avoid oil-based eye makeup and makeup remover. This is so that the oil does not break down the glue that keeps the lashes secured to the lid

Removing makeup around the eyes

You may ask yourself if wearing makeup ideal for extensions. It’s best to wear minimal eye makeup, applying mascara only to the tips otherwise it can clump. Waterproof eye makeup is not ideal as it’s tough to remove and can pull out your lashes prematurely. It is to be expected that makeup can sometimes collect at the base of the extensions. To remove this, simply take a cotton bud dipped in micellar water or makeup remover and wipe around the eyes. Remember to use different cotton buds for each eye so there’s no chance of passing underlying infections from one eye to the next.

The micellar water should be oil free as oil can loosen the extensions causing them to fall out. Avoid substances such as PEG, hexylene glycol, butylene or propylene glycol and they can break the bonding glue. Makeup wipes work well too, as you won’t get clumps of cotton from a large cotton pad sticking to the lashes. We totally recommend Garnier’s Micellar Water and for wipes, Simple is a sure winner also.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water- £3.29 Superdrug

Simple Cleansing Wipes- £3.29 Boots

Shampoo your lashes

Give your lashes the TLC they need by washing them gently with shampoo a few times a week. Again, this is to break down the oils that could potentially cause your lashes to detach from the lid by interfering with the glue. Washing your eyes with shampoo sounds like something your parents warned you against as a child – but here’s how to do it tears-free: Take a tiny amount on the palm of your hand, create foam with some water and use your index finger and thumb to massage the lashes gently from base to tip.

The best shampoo to use according to the professionals is actually Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It’s dead cheap yet effective. For something a bit more mature we recommend Lash & Lid Foaming Cleanser: it’s light and airy, perfect for keeping the lashes intact. What’s more is that the Lash & Lid cleanser is vegan-friendly and free of harmful chemicals.

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo- £1.53 Boots

Lash and Lid Foaming Cleanser- £14.99 Nouveau Lashes

Invest in a spoolie wand

A spoolie wand looks like a mascara brush, and this little tool can make all the difference to your lashes. Your extensions have a habit of crossing over as time progresses, so the spoolie wand can aid in separating the lashes. Close your eyes and use the spoolie wand over the lashes so that they stay looking well defined and aligned. Keeping them looking tip-top will also prevent you from playing with them, leading to the lashes prematurely falling out.

Spoolie wand- £2.50  Beauty Bay

Avoid nasty infections

If you can follow the beauty regime of keeping the lashes clean, then you will be less prone to nasty infections around the eyes. These can include styes, which come about from collected bacteria at the base of the eyelid. Blepharitis can come about from harboured bacteria on the eyelid which can cause soreness, redness and itchy eyes. Not great! These only occur if the lashes are not cared for and if applied poorly by the technician. Rest assured, our Salonettes are highly experienced and will ensure that no glue gets into your eyes. The procedure is actually really relaxing, most people doze off during it.

The end game

Typically, eyelash extensions have a lifespan of around 50 days, the same as your natural lashes. It’s normal to see 1-4 lashes come out as time goes on, so don’t be startled by this. If you want to get them replaced as they fall out, it may be a good idea to get infills done after about 3 weeks. When they come to the end of their journey, you would have to get them professionally removed.

Eyelash extensions can be tricky to maintain but are completely worth it. They look amazing and moreover last for quite a while. If you haven’t ever before had a treatment done, why not book an at home eyelash extension treatment with us? We also do infills and removals. Our lash extensions can create a glamorous or subtle look, just tell our Salonettes what you’d prefer and get the look you’re after!