Before lash extensions...
As a makeup artist, I have seen hundreds of clients with lash extensions. They are so beautiful, but I was never really tempted to go there after listening to their experiences.
Among the things they shared was, “expensive, time consuming, lashes ruined,” etc etc. But as any curious beauty guru… I had to go there myself.
I started in Feb 2018, just before the big 40. Although brunette, my normal lashes are quite transparent and thin, like a blonde, so the difference was immediate and amazing! I was obsessed.
During lash extensions...
My artist started me light and worked me slowly to larger and larger, fuller and fuller lashes. The fuller they became the more I loved them. They took my everyday makeup game to another level, and I woke up feeling like a princess. I didn’t mind the cost because it was worth it! I didn’t mind the every 3rd week refill visits either because it was the most amazing nap ever! My artist was and is AMAZING and very detailed. She is the only person I have trusted with my nails and lashes. Aesthetically I was more than pleased, but the changes to my everyday routine made them difficult. Things I hadn’t thought about before…
Lash extensions and my daily routine...
Sleeping became less deep, as I was always conscious of the presence of my lashes and was so afraid of damaging them. I repositioned often, and slept in awkward positions. I could feel it if I rolled onto them. Washing my hair was challenging. Before extensions I would allow water to flow freely over my head and face and simply wipe my eyes to remove soap… not anymore! I had to adopt new habits so that soap wouldn’t pass over my face and sting the crap out of my eyes, because you cannot rub the eyelashes, or remove soap like before. My eyes were often irritated after showers. Yet I persisted.
Washing my face at night and removing makeup became much more involved, as you cannot get soap close enough to the under eye for makeup removal. I would commonly wash my entire face, and then begin the tedious process of eye makeup removal, many times with Q-tips. I stopped wearing a lot of eye liner because it was too much of a headache to remove. Sometimes my eyes would water spontaneously and not stop all day! This ruined my makeup. Despite these issues, I kept getting refills… because I LOVED my lashes!
After lash extensions...
After about a year I decided to take a “break” just to see where my lashes were and allow them some recovery time. Honestly I was getting tired of the upkeep and was looking forward to washing my face, like really washing it lol. Over a period of three weeks the lashes dropped off one by one. Once they were all gone I was not really surprised at what was left… stubs! My lashes were blunt and shorter than I had ever seen. I would say about 1/3 of what they were before extensions. I woke feeling like a possum instead of a princess and wore falsies for weeks because I was embarrassed at what I had done to myself.
How I grew my lashes back after lash extensions...
Good news! I started a round of Lash Boost by Rodan and Fields. Within three weeks I was noticing growth. They advise you to use it nightly, which I did. It’s been three months and my lashes have completely regrown and look better than ever! Would I do it again? Probably not. Although my natural lashes did grow back, the daily changes to my routine are what caused me the most inconvenience. I would say overall it wasn’t worth it for me. I also worry for those who cannot use lash serums. Some experience irritation and would have more trouble growing their lashes back.