Myths and Legends About Eyelash Extensions

We constantly receive many questions and doubts by email about eyelash extensions, and here we want to clarify the most recurring ones.

Allergic reactions to eyelash extensions.

A very small percentage of clients turn out to be allergic to eyelash extensions. Actually, they're allergic to the glue, not the extensions. There can be minimal swelling and itching while they're being applied, or a few hours after wearing them. We have to keep in mind that sensitivity, itching, and irritation can occur due to many factors and in different situations. For example, this also happens with manicures (because of the polish), facial treatments (because of a cream), hair treatments (because of a dye or even shampoo), etc. With this we want to clarify that there are many natural substances, and other chemical ones, to which we can commonly be allergic. An allergic reaction occurs when our body detects a foreign body or substance and identifies it as dangerous. The most important thing is that the glue should NEVER touch the skin. It's very rare for glue vapours to cause an allergic reaction; what could actually happen is that the reaction is caused by any other substance that comes into contact with the skin, such as the pads, the primer or the tape. This happens because the skin under our eyes is the thinnest skin on our entire body.

Breaks — are they necessary?

This is one of the most common questions in this sector. People believe that after 3 fills you should take a break and apply some kind of serum to renew the lash. But why? Incorrect application of eyelash extensions can cause premature loss of the natural lash, but correct application shouldn't damage the natural lashes at all.

Bad habits for our lashes.

• Using an eyelash curler daily: we constantly press the lash, and when we release the curler, we often pull on a lash that wasn't in the shedding phase (telogen), which creates a bald spot.
• Too many layers of mascara: we think that applying many layers of mascara will make our lashes look longer and thicker, but in the long run it has the opposite effect. As mascara clumps form, the lash that's growing can't grow in a good direction.
• Not removing makeup: Removing makeup is very important; at the end of the day you have to remove all traces of makeup from your lashes. This will help a lot, since this way the lash follicle will stay clean and healthy for much longer. Leaving mascara on overnight, and not removing makeup, can affect the life cycle of our lashes.

Correct application of eyelash extensions.

Eyelash extensions should have a single bond with the natural lash (in this article we explained how to achieve a perfect bond between natural lashes and eyelash extensions) so that its cycle stays normal and healthy. The natural life of a lash, going through the three phases (anagen, catagen and telogen), is between 60 and 75 days. This information helps us understand (and help our clients understand) that lashes renew themselves. It's normal to lose between 1 and 3 lashes per day, although some days we might lose none and another day we might lose 4. This will happen to us whether we're wearing eyelash extensions or not. It's important to always choose a length and thickness suited to the natural lash, so the extension doesn't pull on it.

If you tell your client she needs a break, it's because:

• You've applied extensions that are too thick or too long for her lash, and they're hindering the growth cycle of the natural lash. This can cause alopecia or a disorder of the hair follicle.
• You're isolating the natural lashes poorly, and the extension ends up attached to more than one lash. Since the lashes the extension is attached to will be at different ages, one will fall out sooner, causing the remaining lash to bear the weight of the extension plus the fallen lash. This will cause premature loss of the natural lash.
• You're creating a volume with fans that are too big and heavy for her lash, so (going back to the first point) it's not an appropriate weight for her lash and it will fall out sooner than it should.

At Seena Owell we have a wide variety of lengths, curls and thicknesses so you can provide a service suited to each client and, above all, a healthy one.

Eye infections caused by eyelash extensions.

It's very common to see photos online about eye infections caused when a person is wearing eyelash extensions, but there's information we should know first. We need to explain to the client that water isn't an enemy of extensions. They need to be washed and brushed daily to keep them clean. This won't make our extensions fall out — it will make them last longer. On the market we can find numerous lash cleansers, but the most popular today are cleansing foams. It's necessary to remove all oily substances from our skin, whether makeup, mascara or even our own skin's natural oil, to keep the bond between extension and lash in perfect condition. That's why we need to make our clients responsible for cleaning them and explain how, in just 5 minutes, they can maintain a spectacular look themselves. If you found this useful, feel free to share the article or leave a comment!