Let’s talk about lash damage
The big question: Do lash extensions damage natural lashes?
The short answer is no. When they are applied properly, they do not. While lash extensions don’t damage your natural lashes, there are some things your lash tech could be doing that could damage your lashes over time. Here are some red flags to look out for.
1 / Overloading natural lashes with too much weight.
When extensions are too heavy, it can cause stress to the natural lashes. Resulting in premature shedding or breakage that can be damaging in the long run.
As a lash artist, we’ve been trained on how imperative it is to determine how much weight each individual lash can handle by judging the length, thickness, health and growth phase. It’s also just as important to be mindful of how much adhesive is being used for the application. Too much glue also adds extra weight to the lashes. A tell-tale sign that your lashes can’t handle the weight of the extensions is if they look like they are drooping or if they are twisting around (before they are grown out).
Here’s a photo of a client that came in for a foreign fill.
It’s extremely frustrating and disappointing to see that application like this is still happening, especially with all the information out on the internet these days. I cannot stress how important it is to maintain client lash health during lash appointments. If clients’ lashes are getting weak or sparse from damage, their lash lines will eventually start balding.
As you can see from the photo, it looks like the client has thin lashes and some bald spots. The fans applied are 30D fans, coated heavily in glue, which is unfortunately way more than the client can handle.
As lash tech, we have to give our clients realistic expectations when it comes to how full and dark they can have their lashes without causing damage. I think clients would appreciate the honestly.
2 / Stickies - when two or more lashes are glued together.
With proper isolation of the natural lashes, they're able to go through the growth cycle and shed naturally with the extensions attached. When lashes are stuck together, one lash may grow and yank the other off with it before it’s ready to shed. This is because each of our lashes are sitting at a different phase of the growth cycle at any given time. Not to mention, it can be uncomfortable having your natural lashes all clumped and stuck together.
There has been too many times where I’ve done a foreign fill and lashes are heavily coated with glue. While the lashes will stay in place, the excess glue can lead to stickies in addition to adding a lot of weight to the lashes.
As you can see in this image, the extensions are not all individually isolated. The bases are stuck together and you can also spot a floating natural lash going horizontal because it was stuck to a cluster and it likely got yanked out due to natural growth of another lash it was stuck to.
This is why it's important to choose a reputable lash tech that won't compromise the condition of your lashes. If you suspect your lash set was applied improperly, I highly recommend getting them removed as soon as you can to prevent further damage. This is also a reason why some lash techs don’t offer foreign fills. Work like this is not possible to fill without causing further damage, so the best thing to do would be to have them fully removed and start new.
It really ain't cute to have a bald lash line and you need your natural lashes in order to get lash extensions! 🙃
If your lashes are weak or damaged, give our multi-peptide lash serum a try. It will help replenish, repair and restore the condition of your lashes. Our formulation is gentle, oil-free and hormone free. It’s completely safe to use with your lash extensions and your lashes will really thank you for it.
