The 3 things you should look out for when getting eyelash extensions!

So if you are thinking of getting lashes done for the first time, or if you had a bad experience and you are scarred for life, then this article is for you!

I have filmed this for my IGTV, so if you prefer to watch my video instead, then click on my photo.

After being in the industry for almost 14 years, I truly understand as a consumer, you are paying for lashes and you want them to look a certain way, I totally get it. However there are a lot of Lash Artists out there lacking in communication or consultation, maybe it's their experience, or it's just their personality. So you may see some Lash Artists who are producing amazing work on Instagram, but they may not be the best when it comes to explanation and consultation, or they may not even have the range of different sizes for complete customisation.

First of all, Eyelash extension is a luxury, it does take a lot of skill and time to become a great Lash Artist. So please don’t expect to pay a cheap price and expect the lashes to look and feel fantastic, and that they last 2 months and are safe for your eyes. If you find someone who can tick all those boxes, you probably would expect to pay $100-$150 per hour for someone who is that skilled, unless she is under charging.

I am going to explain our limitations first, on what we can or can’t do as a lash professional.

When it comes to applying safe eyelash extensions, the lengths and thicknesses and even curls used should be appropriate to what your natural lashes can support, because lash health is very important as we all want to wear eyelash extensions for life!

On the other hand, I do understand if you are paying to get lashes done and of course you want them to look the way you wanted them to. Which is fine as long as your natural lashes can support them, if your lashes are healthy, strong, then yes absolutely. But in saying that there is a formula we should stick to, in order to work out a safe length/thickness and even curl to suit each client.

If you have terrible lashes like myself, very thin, soft, fine and short, then it is our priority to look after your natural lashes as much as possible, so you can enjoy wearing eyelash extensions for as long as possible. Every set must be customized each and every time because your lashes are like your skin, they do change throughout the year; so a responsible and professional lash artist should always keep this in mind to avoid any damage to your natural lashes.

Otherwise there isn’t much point if you have an amazing set of eyelash extensions, and they looked great for a week, then your natural lashes are ruined and it is going to take you 3 to 4 months to grow back (and going through lash rehab + lash serum) that’s not something we want to do or encourage anyone to do.

So if you have challenging natural lashes, we can definitely make them longer and fuller. Yes your extensions are not going to look super full, but they will look better than with mascara.

However if you love the look of long, bold and thick lashes and insist on having that kind of look, then I would recommend you save your money and just go for strip false lashes instead.

False lashes are applied into skin with a latex glue, (or we have magnetic ones that are applied with an eyeliner) so you can have them as dramatic as you want. Think hair extensions, and a wig; a wig is like strip false lashes, but eyelash extensions rely on your natural lashes to support them (just like hair extension are bonded onto your hair).

Basically bad lash jobs are bad applications, so I will try my best to break it down into 3 categories so you can understand it a little bit better. But you need to understand all 3 are kind of intertwined, it really is caused by a mixture of bad application, wrong sizes, too much glue, uneducated technician.

Without going into too much technical stuff, but if you feel pain, see clumpiness and lashes feeling heavy then those are the indications you should get them off asap

1) Pain

This is the first obvious sign as pain should not occur during or after the procedure, so if you feel anything odd during your procedure, and don’t feel comfortable carrying on, then I would suggest you leave. It is much easier for us to remove a half set than a really stuck on full set. Because removals are charged by time, we may only need 15 to 30min to remove half a set, than having to spend an hour to remove a full set, not to mention the cost as well.

2) Clumpiness

Too much glue or rushing can causes lashes to clump together. Natural lashes are not isolated underneath can result in pulling sensation or pain. So if you can see lots of glue is a BIG NO-NO, there must be no glue dots on the skin as this can trigger allergic reaction which stays with you for life. If you can see clumps along the lash line, or pain when blinking then you must get them off asap.

3) Lashes

Lashes must not be touching the skin and you must be able to comb through them with a mascara wand. If they feel restricted or if they are droopy then the sizes might be too heavy for you. Proper eyelash extensions should feel weightless and comfortable.

I hope this article is helpful, and if you feel that the lashes you are wearing right now may not be the best quality, then I would suggest you get them removed ASAP!

Elisia x