What do "good" lash extensions look like?

Do lash extensions cause damage?

When applied properly, lash extensions will not damage your natural lashes. We hear people say that it's inevitable, and all lash extensions will damage natural lashes no matter how they're applied, but this is absolutely, without a doubt false. When lashes are the appropriate size and isolated with one extension to one natural lash, your natural lashes will easily support the weight and continue to grow and thrive underneath them. 

This is a simple guide that covers the basics of healthy lash extensions. It includes everything you need to know when you're getting lashes for the first time, and if you currently have lashes, how to tell if you need a new lash tech. We'll go over the basics of application, lash weight, and some red flags to look for when setting up your appointment. 

Healthy lashes under lash extensions 

The basics of application. 

Our lashes are growing and shedding constantly. We naturally lose between 3-5 natural lashes a day. All of our natural lashes are in a different phase of growth at different times. Some are immature and tightly attached in the follicle and some are at the end of their life cycle and ready to detach, with another lash growing up underneath it to push it out and keep the cycle going. It takes about 8 weeks for all of our lashes to shed and regrow. This means it's absolutely necessary for lash extensions to be applied to one lash only, and for extensions to not be attached to each other. If lash extensions are attached to each other, when our lashes naturally shed, the bulk of those fans or extensions is supported by fewer and fewer lashes. This leads to them being pulled out prematurely from the weight and resulting stress. This damages the interior of the follicle, where the lash is attached, and it will no longer be able to grow healthy lashes. When a lash is repeatedly pulled out, the follicle will become so damaged that it is no longer able to grow lashes at all. 

A full set of lash extensions should take a minimum of 2 hours for a hybrid or classic set and 2.5-3 hours minimum for volume. It may take a little longer for a volume set with handmade fans, as opposed to premade fans, which are ready to apply. This minimum time does not include your consultation, lash preparation, and drying time. A 3 week fill should take no less than one hour. Your fills should include removing and replacing outgrown lashes, and this can't be done during a 3 week fill in less than 1 hour. A 2 week fill can sometimes take as little as 45 minutes. If your full sets and fills are quicker than these times it's likely your lashes are not being properly isolated. "Isolation" refers to one lash being separated from the others with tweezers while the other hand applies a lash extension to it. See the picture below showing a lash being isolated. This must be done to ensure the lash extensions are able to move independently of each other and do not pull out other lashes as they grow out. This also ensures that only one extension is attached to one lash. If multiple fans or extensions are attached to each other, as your lashes naturally shed, fewer lashes will be supporting their weight. When the lash extensions become too heavy to support, the clump of lashes will prematurely pull out the remaining natural lashes leading to follicle damage. Using the appropriate amount of adhesive also ensures the lashes aren't sticking to each other. The glue used to attach your lashes should be nearly undetectable to the naked eye. If you look very closely you may see a little where the extension is attached, but it should never be obvious unless you're looking for it.

How a fan should be attached

In the picture above you can see the fan is attached to one single lash. The base is pointed and blends seamlessly to the natural lash. This lash has grown out and needs to be removed. Another fan will be applied to the lash to replace it. It should be no less than half a millimeter from the lash line. Your lash extensions should never be attached to your skin or touching it. You should be able to close your eyes tightly without feeling discomfort. If your lash extensions are applied to the skin, it can trigger an allergy to the adhesive. This link explains more about adhesive allergies.

Some pictures of what lash extensions should NOT look like.

These are some pictures of lash extensions I've removed. These are not my work. They show extreme cases of lash extensions that are doing permanent damage. If your lash extensions look anything like this they need to be removed as soon as possible and you should not return to that lash tech. Wearing lash extensions that look like this for any amount of time will cause damage to your natural lashes and can potentially injure your eyes as well. 

Size matters.

The weight of your lash extensions matter. Even if your lashes are properly isolated, if they're too heavy the weight will pull your lashes out and damage the folicle in the process. A good indicator of a healthy lash weight is if when your extensions shed, the extension looks pointed at the base and not wide or bluky. 

Lash weights at a glance

The bulky fan on the left is far too big for even the healthiest natural lash. An easy way to tell if a lash fan is too heavy is the base. If the base of the fan where it's glued to the natural lash looks much larger than what it's attached to, it's likely too heavy. If you can look at the base and it's very wide and not blending with or wrapping around the natural lash, this means that there are probaby too many lashes in that fan. The base should never look bulbous. Keep in mind, the longer the lash extension the thinner that base needs to be. 

Your lashes should be comfortable. 

If your lashes pull, pinch, or feel heavy they are doing damage. Your lash extensions should be weightless and nearly undetectable. You should be able to close your eyes tightly and brush through them without discomfort. If your lashes cause you irritation or pain they need to be removed as soon as possible. That's the most obvious indicator that your lashes are being damaged.

Previously damaged lashes after a year of healthy lash extensions and peptide serum. 

What you can do if you have poorly applied lash extensions.

If your lash extensions are improperly applied and doing damage the most important thing is getting them off as soon as possible. For some, returning to the tech who put them on isn't an option. In this case, I recommend calling around to other local lash techs for a professional removal. The sooner you can get in the better. I do recommended reaching out to the tech who installed them to explain your issue. A lot of lash techs have a "no refund" policy because the time and supplies used cannot be taken back. Some will offer partial refunds. Some may also offer a free removal. The most important thing in this situation is to not attempt to remove them yourself. A Google search will pull up all sorts of ways to remove them at home. These methods usually involve oils, butter, makeup remover, or other easily acquired products, like Vaseline. The truth is, these take several days to break down the adhesive enough for removal without damage to the natural lashes. Some of the suggestions, like castor oil, wont even break the adhesive down. Applying your diy "remover", waiting an hour or two, and then tugging at your lashes will only pull out your natural lashes. This is especially true when poorly applied lash extensions have already been putting stress on them. Please don't do this. The goal is to remove the damaging extensions and preserve your natural lashes. Pulling them all out is counterproductive. Professional removers are ideal. They work quickly, but they are very strong and will irritate and burn eyes if they get in them. Using a professional remover on yourself is dangerous. When the lashes are in clumps, the remover will not be able to penetrate completely. At this point the lash extensions will need to be peeled apart with tweezers to be removed. This isn't possible to do yourself safely, especially with caustic remover on your eyes. This is why it's important to call around to schedule a professional removal. I often get calls for removals of other lash techs work. I can usually get these clients in the same or next day. It's worth calling around to find someone, especially when we're dealing with the health of your lashes and eyes. 

What if your lashes are already damaged from lash extensions?

Even with existing lash damage it's possible to wear extensions while you regrow your lashes as long as that damage isn't too extensive. The lash extensions need to be well isolated and very lightweight. Typically a fan with .03 (very thin) lashes is used. 

A peptide based lash serum, (with the proper combination of peptides) can repair damaged follicles and promote healthy regrowth. I do not recommend a prostaglandin serum for regrowing damaged lashes. Not only because of the side effects, (link to more info here) but also because they don't actually repair the damage. Prostaglandins hormonally change the growth cycle so the remaining damaged lashes only grow longer, not stronger. The folicle remains impaired and the extended growth cycle just grows a longer, still damaged lash. It's true, the lashes that grow are long, but they're weak. Once someone stops using a prostaglandin serum, in a matter of months their lashes are right back to their previous damaged state. A well formulated peptide serum contains a combination of active ingredients that restore healthy folicle function and grow lashes. A peptide like Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 works from the base of the lash into the folicle where it repairs and anchors it, making the lash stronger and more difficult to pull out. Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 and Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16 both increase keratin production, leading to healthy growth. The combination produces long, strong, firmly rooted lashes. When you stop using it your lashes remain healthy. Without the daily application of keratin producing peptides they won't be as long, but they'll be stronger and healthier than they were before, and they'll remain that way. This is my recommended peptide serum. It can also be used with lash extensions as extra insurance, and the thicker and healthier your lashes are, the bigger the fans they can support. Well anchored lashes lead to less shedding. That means fuller lash extensions that last longer. 

How to choose a lash tech.

A few questions to consider asking a new lash tech:

• How long do your full sets/fills take?

• Could I see pictures of your lash attachment?

• Do you remove outgrown lashes during fills? 

• Do you hold a current license for the state that    you are operating in and are you insured?       (Legally, their current license should be   displayed in the area where they are doing   lashes and it must be issued by the state   they're performing services in.)

It should be noted, in the US, all but a few states require a state issued cosmetology, esthetics, or specialized lash extension license to perform lash services. At the time of this blog post, the only state that doesn't have regulatory guidelines for lash extensions is Alabama. In Alabama you should ask to see their certificate of completion from their lash extension training course. Licensing regulations will be coming soon for Idaho, Missouri, and Wisconsin, and all three of these states currently require completion of a certification course to do lash extensions. If you ask a lash tech for their credentials and they become rude or defensive, don't go to them. Even if a license isnt required in your state, it's absolutely necessary to have formal training. There is no such thing as a proficient "self taught" lash tech, and I say this as someone who watched free videos and practiced doing lashes before getting my first real certification. Teaching yourself through YouTube does not work. The people offering robust, comprehensive lash education have a paywall because that knowledge does not come cheap. 

Look for reviews and pictures of their work on Google and social media. If they don't have a Google business listing, pictures, or social media accounts, don't go to them. People will usually not be visible online if they aren't licensed and operating legally. This is because they don't want to be caught and fined by state regulatory agencies. I've often seen lash techs avoid being reviewable if they've recieved an overwhelming amount of negative feedback from angry clients. 

Some things to look for:

• Pictures from the top that show isolation and how far the lashes are from the lash line.

• Pictures that show fan/lash size.

• How full/long the majority of their lash sets are. If all of them are too big and really long it's a red flag. Very few people can safely wear lashes like that without damage. 

• Look for reviews. If you can't find any reviews, there's a reason. They've likely done this on purpose to avoid bad reviews. Testimonials they've posted themselves don't count. 

• If their prices are too low it's because they either haven't got experience or aren't retaining clients. In the case of a newer lash tech, be sure to adjust your expectations. If they have experience, very low prices, frequent discounts, and immediate availability, it often means they can't keep clients around. Plan on a good lash tech to be booked out with limited availability for at least a few weeks. 

Lashes can absolutely be worn without damage. If you know a little about lash extensions and what to look for when choosing a lash tech, you can easily avoid damaging your natural lashes. 

Comment below with any questions. I'm happy to answer them! 

-Beauty Geek