Nowadays, few women are satisfied with the appearance of their eyelashes – too short, too sparse, too fair, too straight… Instead of torturing ourselves with a mascara, we can go for falsies e.g. semi-permanent eyelash extensions. Is it safe?
We can style our lashes, defining the look, giving the eyes a beautiful, enhanced shape. We usually do it with a mascara. A good mascara delivers lash extension, fuller lash line and curl. Still, the effect is temporary. You may end up with a flaky and smudgy mascara. Eyelash extensions give longer-lasting results, that’s for sure.
Fake eyelash extension – as the name suggests, the treatment provides natural lashes with length through attaching falsies. There are two basic methods:
– Semi-permanent eyelash extensions – one artificial lash is attached to one natural eyelash so the effect is natural-looking and not exaggerated.
– Volume eyelash extensions – a cluster of two or more falsies is applied to one natural eyelash so the result is bolder.
The treatment is both pricey and time-consuming. It requires some skills and experience, therefore you should choose reputable salons where professional eyelash artists work. In this way, you’ll avoid a situation of wrongly-attached eyelash extensions. A botched extension job leaves you with eye irritation or serious vision problems. The choice of the extension type and adhesive matters a lot.
How are false eyelash extensions applied?
To be honest, applying false eyelashes isn’t much different from e.g. eyelash tinting or lifting. A technician secures the eye area with pads to avoid smudging it with the adhesive. Then, the synthetic hairs are attached one by one at the base of natural lashes, which is as longsome as eyelash tinting. Depending on the method, one or more synthetic hairs are glued to one eyelash. Falsies aren’t always attached to all natural lashes – everything depends on the needs. The procedure takes minimum one hour and a half so you must be patient.
Semi-permanent false eyelashes
Individual eyelash extensions are definitely the most popular. The effect is really natural – no grotesque look. This extension technique aims at:
– making lashes a few millimeters longer
– adding volume to the lash line, upgrading the color
– making eyes look bigger
– cutting makeup routine time in half
We can go for different materials of false lashes: synthetic (polyester fibers) or natural (silk, mink). Eyelash extensions come in different lengths, thickness and curl, too. That is why a good eyelash artist knows how to match them individually to the natural lashes, the eye shape and face. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all length or number of falsies.
How often to have touch-ups done?
Fake eyelashes are only attached to mature lashes which are strongly-rooted in eyelids. Too bad, considering the natural lash growth and life cycle, natural lashes fall out together with the falsies. There might be gaps in the lash line so you’ll need the refills. That is why one visit at a salon isn’t enough when you go for false eyelash extensions. It entails touch-ups every two or three weeks.
When you want to go back to the natural look, you must have falsies removed by a technician, too. It must be done properly so as not to damage your real lashes or pull them out.
What’s the eyelash extensions after-care?
1. You can’t use oil-based cosmetics: bi-phase removers, rich eye creams, thick concealers. Oils dissolve the adhesive so the effect won’t be long-lasting.
2. For the first day, you mustn’t touch falsies. You must keep them away from water, steam and cosmetics. Avoid steam rooms, swimming pools, showers. Don’t apply makeup so the adhesive has a chance of drying.
3. Cut down on your mascara. False eyelashes should be thick, dark and long enough so that a mascara is unnecessary. You may wear mascara but taking it off the falsies may lead to damage.
