Key Takeaways
- Eyelash extensions don’t damage natural lashes when applied correctly and the eyelash growth cycle is respected.
- Common mistakes lash techs can make that will lead to lash damage include: choosing extensions that are too heavy, gluing multiple natural lashes together, and attaching extensions to the eyelid skin.
- Flawlessly isolating each natural lash is a key technique every lash artist should master to prevent damage.
Are you getting eyelash extensions for the first time and worried about ruining your natural lashes?
Or maybe you’ve had extensions before and experienced some lash loss. You’re not alone!
There are 5 common mistakes I have seen over the years again and again when a new client comes in from another salon.
By sharing these, I just want to make the lash industry better.
5 Common Mistakes That Will Damage Your Lashes
1- Extensions Are Too Heavy
The most important factor in choosing the appropriate extensions that will not cause any harm is to consider the weight it has.
The weight is a factor of the extension’s length and thickness.
When an extension is too long and too thick for your natural lashes to support, they may shed prematurely, causing them to be thinner over time.
I’ve seen super long and super thick extensions attached on thin Asian lashes! Sure a client might ask for a “Kim Kardashian” look but as a professional, we have to look at the clients’ lashes and determine what they can handle.
On thin and sparse Asian lashes, it is very very difficult to achieve a Kim Kardashian type of look without butchering the natural lashes.
As a rule of thumb, I would never extend a natural eyelash by more than 2 mm to avoid extra weight.
2- Two or More Natural Lashes Glued Together
A sticky is when two or more lashes and/or extensions are glued together. Stickies are a very common culprit amongst less experienced artists and a frequent cause of damaged lashes.
Here is what happens when you have stickies.
First, you have a cluster of lashes and extensions glued together. Not only is it not very aesthetically pleasing, but it is also very damaging.
If a natural lash in the sticky is still in the growing phase, it will continue to grow and pull on his other neighboring friends glued to it. This tension will even pull them out.
When the natural eyelash completes the growth cycle it will eventually shed. However, by doing so, it also pulls out any other hair in the “sticky”.
3- Extension Glued to the Eyelid Skin
A nailhead is when the eyelash extension is glued to the skin. This should never happen. A properly attached extension is carefully glued to a natural lash only and the skin should never be in contact with the glue.
In this picture, you can see that the glue formed a disc shape on the skin.
This glue was initially against the skin of the lash line.
Do you notice that the glue is now lifted and doesn’t seem to touch the skin anymore?
That is because the natural lashes have grown since the application and pulled the glue off the skin. This is terrible for any new baby lashes that have been around since they got ripped out.
Moreover, it is hard for new hair to grow since the hair follicle is clogged. Nailheads also irritate the skin which may cause dermatitis over time.
4- Not Isolating the Natural Lash Flawlessly
Before applying an extension onto a natural lash, lash techs must isolate the eyelash perfectly.
This allows the natural eyelash to complete its growth cycle without any interruption and eventually shed with the extension attached to it.
As you can see in this picture, I’ve isolated a single eyelash with my tweezer. This is what I mean by “proper isolation technique”.
5- Not Saying “No”
Sometimes, lash techs must say “no” when a client asks for something too heavy for their natural eyelashes to handle.
For example, a client with short and weak lashes asking for mega volume is just not a good candidate.
A good lash tech would take the time to explain what is the maximum length and thickness of extension that can be used and why.
In my experience, clients always valued my honesty and came back to me because of it.
Proper Application Technique
A proper application technique starts with a perfect natural lash isolation. For classic, we use a 1:1 ratio and for volume, we use a 1:n ratio.
This means that one and only one natural eyelash should support one (classic) or many (volume) extensions.
This ensures that the natural eyelash can complete the growth cycle freely and shed with the extension attached to it naturally.
And that is completely normal.
The complete growth cycle of an eyelash is approximately 90 days ± 5 days.
Then, they eventually shed and are replaced by new ones.1
So why is this so important?
A lash tech should never, never, never apply an extension on an eyelash in the anagen phase (baby phase).
Doing so is a clear recipe for damage and premature shedding.
When the growth cycle of your natural lashes is carefully respected, extensions will not cause any damage to your natural lashes. This is a fundamental concept that every stylist should master.
Final Thoughts
Nothing beats a lash set that is both beautiful AND safe.
I know this article was full of terrible lash jobs. I wanted to leave on a good note and show you a picture of what you can expect at Divine Lashes!
Here is a recent set I did that will not damage this beautiful lady’s natural lashes.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know below! I read all of them 🙂
~ Asako
Want beautiful lashes? Check out our lash extension or lash lift & tint services – Book now at our Montreal or Toronto salons here!
Ready to master lash artistry? Take a look at our online or in-person courses here.
Need lash supplies? Visit our shop here!
Related Readings on Divine Lashes:
– Short Stubby Lashes After Extensions? How To Grow Back & Fix
– Do Eyelash Extensions Hurt? Here’s Why and How to Fix It
– Cluster Lashes: The Truth About Flares & Why They Are Bad
References
- Aumond, S., & Bitton, E. (2018). The eyelash follicle features and anomalies: A review. J Optom, 11(4), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optom.2018.05.003