Lash lifts’ only downside is that you must keep your lashes away from a few things straight after your procedure. Three no-nos right after your lash lift are water, heat, and steam. So, showering is out of the question.

But how long do you need to avoid all things wet and steamy? How long after a lash lift can you shower?

You can shower 24 hours after having a lash lift done. This procedure’s lifting effect takes a full day to set properly. Showering within this period exposes your lashes to water, heat, and steam, relaxing the lift and weakening or undoing its results.

Staying out of the shower for a full day after your lash lift might sound extreme. How strictly do you need to follow this rule, and what will happen if you bend it?

I’ll explain why you need to skip your shower for 24 hours after your lash lift and tell you what’s the worst that can happen if you sneak one in before the time’s up.

Let’s dive into it!

How Long After a Lash Lift Can I Shower?

You must wait a full day (that’s 24 hours) before jumping into the shower if you don’t want to spoil your lash lift results.

I get that you want to be fresh and clean, but it would be a major waste if you undid your lash lift while lathering up under a spray of water – you’d literally pour the money you spent on the procedure down the drain (oh no!). And we know how much lash lifts can cost.

Rather resist the urge to shower for those 24 hours. After that, you can shower as much as you want.

Some people warn you should wait 48 hours after your lash lift before showering.¹ If you’re committed to going above and beyond to protect your results, you could go an extra day without showering after your procedure – but, from my experience, 24 hours is long enough to wait.

Here, Preston from Flirty Girl Lash Studio shares more tips for keeping your lash lift looking fabulous.

So, why is showering right after a lash lift a problem anyway?

It can sabotage your results in 2 ways:

• #1: Your lash lift won’t last well.
• #2: Your lashes could get messy.

Showering Too Soon After a Lash Lift Can Weaken The Results 

Showering’s danger is in the heat, water, and steam. These elements can relax your lash lift and weaken or undo its effects. Each of these elements alone cuts the procedure’s lifespan; together, they’re a triple-whammy threat.

Showering Too Soon After a Lash Lift Can Mess Your Lashes

Seeing as you’ve had a lash lift, you’re likely going for a polished, well-put-together look. Getting your lashes wet too soon after they’ve been lifted can make them look wild and windswept – the opposite of what you want!

Keep your lashes dry while they’re setting to lock in the flawless results.

How Does Showering Spoil Your Lash Lift?

During your lash lift procedure, your lash tech (assuming you went the pro route) put a softening solution onto your lashes to allow them to be lifted at the root and reshaped into a curl.

Next, your tech applied a setting solution to fix the results. It takes 24 hours for the setting solution to become powerful enough to hold on to your lifted, curled lashes for up to 8 weeks.

But, if you let those mischievous elements I mentioned earlier – water, steam, and heat – near your lashes while stabilizing, they could fall flat or look unruly.

That’s why you must protect your lashes by not showering during those make-or-break 24 hours after your lash lift.

How to Stay Clean Without Ruining Your Results 

I’ve got tips to help all the clean freaks out there stay sane as they count the hours until they can shower.

My top tip?

Give your whole body a good scrub-down just before your procedure (don’t forget to wash your hair), thoroughly clean your face and lashes, and don’t put on makeup.

Here are my suggestions for the 24 hours after your procedure:

• Wash your body using a basinful of warm (not steamy!) water and a towel.
• Cleanse your face with facial wipes. Or moisten a cotton pad with a cleanser, gently wipe the pad over your face, then remove the cleanser with a water-moistened cotton pad. NB: Avoid your eye area while cleansing.

I’ve heard some people wear goggles to shower during the 24 hours after their lash lift. Full marks for creativity, but I’m not convinced this is a failsafe solution. You might protect your lashes from water spray, but they’ll still be in a hot, steamy environment – unless you brave a cold shower!

Another trick those who can’t go 24 hours without washing try is having a shallow, lukewarm bath with the door open to stop things from getting steamy. If you’ll be attempting this, no splashing!

What Else Can Make Your Lash Lift Fall Flat?

It’s not just showering you should be wary of in the 24 hours after your lash lift. All forms of moisture and hot or steamy environments can mess with your results.

So, avoid swimming and saunas – and even sweating and crying if you can help it.

Plus, keep cleansers, eye products, and makeup away from your lashes.

After the first 24 hours, not only is it safe to go back to your daily showering and face-washing routine, but it’s a must. This is the #1 lash lift aftercare rule!

Gently cleaning your eyelashes every day will remove skin cells, dirt, oil, and makeup residue (if you wear makeup) before it can build up and attract too many lash mites. Lash mites are harmless when kept under control, but if these creatures multiply, they can cause trouble like eye irritation and lash loss.²

FAQ

Key Takeaways

No pressure, but what you do in the 24 hours after your lash lift can make or break your results.

The biggies to avoid are water, steam, and heat – all the things that make showers, well, showers.

Your lashes look amazing. To keep them looking that way for as long as possible, make your shower a no-go zone for those pivotal 24 hours after your procedure.

Before you know it, you’ll be free to return to your usual hygiene routine – with your lashes safely set!

– Asako

References

1. Meg Walters – medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP (2022). How Long Does a Lash Lift Last? Plus, What to Expect from Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-a-lash-lift-last (13 June 2022)
2. Maureen Salamon – medically reviewed by Whitney Seltman (2020). Eyelash Mites: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eyelash-mites (13 June 2022)