You saved up to have the ultimate lash-enhancing procedure, extensions, expecting to wake up with perfect lashes for at least a few weeks. But your extensions are falling out at an alarming rate, and you’re worried you won’t have any left soon. In such cases, it’s only normal to wonder:

Why are my lash extensions falling out? How can I fix it?

Lash extensions are supposed to slowly fall out (heartbreakingly, there’s no way to keep them forever), but something’s wrong if yours drop so fast that your lash line is noticeably skimpier by the day. Let’s go over what might be making your extensions fall out early, so you have a chance of holding on to what’s left for longer.

Quickly keep reading before another extension drops too soon!

Why Are My Lash Extensions Falling Out?

Now, the first step to fixing a problem is to first understand it. That’s why I’ll break down the 3 most common reasons that explain why your eyelash extensions are shedding.

1- Natural Growth Cycle

Did you know that every eyelash has its own life cycle? Baby lashes grow into long, strong lashes (if we’re lucky!). They then hang around for a while and eventually drop. This entire growth cycle takes approximately 90 days to complete.

At any given point in time, you’ll have eyelashes in different stages of their life cycle. As a result, completely normal to lose 2 to 5 eyelashes per day (those that have reached the end of the cycle).

So what does this have to do with eyelash extensions?

If lashes have extension fibers attached to them, these will drop too. In other words, you might notice you’ve lost an eyelash with an extension affixed to it here and there, and that’s completely normal!

Alert! Some medical conditions, like alopecia areata or blepharitis, trigger excessive lash loss. You shouldn’t get extensions if you have one of these conditions.

2- Poor Application Technique

There’s much more to applying extensions than sticking synthetic or natural lash fibers to lashes.

A pro lash tech knows which extension fibers are right for which lashes, how much glue to use, and how to carefully attach the fibers where they need to be.

On the flip side, an untrained, inexperienced individual is likely to make one of these 3 extension-shedding mistakes:

• Mistake #1: Using extensions too thick, long, and heavy for the natural lashes. The result? The extensions weigh down on the lashes until they drop.
• Mistake #2: Gluing two or more natural lashes together (with or without extensions attached). What happens next? If one of the lashes in the sticky clump is still growing, it will pull on the lashes glued to it, potentially yanking them (and their extensions) out.
• Mistake #3: Applying cluster lashes. Beginners might use cluster lash extensions as an easier alternative to individual extensions. These are ready-made lash bunches you attach in one go instead of fixing one lash at a time. The problem is that cluster lashes can be too heavy. Plus, they need tons of glue to get them to stick, making them even heavier and more likely to trigger lash loss.

You can protect your future extensions (and natural lashes) by checking up on a lash tech before making an appointment with them. Ask for their qualifications, experience, and portfolio of previous work.

3- Inadequate Aftercare

Here’s a shocker: you might be making your extensions fall out.

Perhaps you jumped into the shower as you arrived home from the lash salon, dolloped oily cream around your eyes before bed every night, squashed your face into your pillow as you slept, or roughly rubbed your eyes with a cotton pad trying to remove waterproof makeup.

All these behaviors loosen extensions, increasing their shedding risk.

Although a professional-grade lash adhesive is super-strong (it works like cement to bond the extensions to your natural lashes), it’s not invincible.

Many things can break down the bond between the extension and lash. The bond is especially vulnerable during the 4 hours after extensions are applied, while the glue is curing. The biggest mistake you can make is getting water, sweat, tears, steam, or extreme heat near your lashes during the first 4 hours.  

You must keep some extensions away from water and moisture for up to 4 hours after application. Confirm your specific waiting period with your tech depending on the glue being used.

Here’s a glance at other things you might unknowingly be doing to make your extensions fall out early:

• Using makeup or products containing oil, salt, or glycols on your eye area.
• Wearing long-wear makeup.
• Sleeping on your stomach (or using a pillowcase made of abrasive fabric).
• Spending too much time in the heat (in the sun, sauna, or hot yoga class). Plus, going into hot, steamy environments within 48 hours of your procedure.
• Allowing hot water to spray directly and strongly on your extensions when you shower.
• Cleaning your lashes too aggressively (or not cleaning them at all).
• Splashing about in the sea or chlorine pools on the reg (without your goggles).
• Using a lash curler.
• Having a lash lift.
• Wearing falsies.
• Blow-drying your extensions at full blast on the hot setting.
• Rubbing your eyes.

Now that you know the no-nos, you can avoid them! Here are more tips to make your extensions last longer and a complete list of extension-care do’s and don’ts.

How to Keep Lash Extensions From Falling Out (Video)

In this video, Danielle Mount shares her best tips on how to improve your extensions’ retention for lash techs. The main takeaways are:

• Deep clean the natural lashes before applying extensions. If there’s any residue or makeup on the lashes before getting extensions, clients will experience a shorter retention period. A lash bath is the way to go.
• Fully attach the extension to the natural lash. A common mistake from beginner lash techs is to leave the base of the extension slightly lifted from the natural eyelash. This is even more frequent with stronger curls such as D curls as opposed to a B or C curl. As a result, clients might pull on the extension when they brush their lashes which ultimately leads to poor retention.
• Get the perfect lash glue. Different adhesives will have different drying speeds. A typical mistake is to use glue that’s too fast-drying for the lash tech’s speed. In such cases, it will cure too fast with a weak bond. Additionally, the lash tech might have applied too little glue which again will cause bad retention of the extensions.

Normal Shedding Timeline

It’s not always easy to figure out if the premature shedding is due to a lash tech error or something the client did.

That’s why I always go by the 3 days rule.

If a client experiences extensions falling out after 1, 2, or 3 days, I’ll assume it’s my mistake. Sure, the client might have done something like taking a bath right after the appointment, but I prefer to make the assumption it’s on me and I’ll offer to come in for a refill. That way, I can investigate what the issue is.

After the initial 3 days, it becomes a little more tricky. At this point, it might be a combination of the client’s activities and a lash tech error.

Keep in mind that a dead giveaway is if extensions are falling out without being attached to a natural eyelash. That shouldn’t happen.

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