In between slurps of your post-gym smoothie, you excitedly tell your workout buddy you’ve booked a lash lift. She looks disappointed. Not the reaction you were expecting! She explains she’s upset because she’s about to lose her fitness friend, as you can’t work out after a lash lift. Really? You need to swap your fit, healthy bod for long-lasting lifted lashes? It can’t be real!

What’s the deal: Can you work out after a lash lift?

You can work out 24 hours after a lash lift. After this waiting period, your results will be fixed, and exercise won’t spoil your lift and curl. However, when exercising regularly, protect your lashes with nourishing oil, and limit workouts in hot, humid environments, such as hot yoga.

I love staying active, whether working out at the gym, walking in nature, or running after my young kids. So, I would never work in an industry that stopped people from exercising! You can continue your active lifestyle after a lash lift, but you might need to change your workout routine slightly to keep your lashes looking their loveliest for longer.

Fellow fitness fans, keep scrolling for the scoop on working out after a lash lift, including warnings, tips, and the best and worst exercises to do after your procedure.

Let’s get started!

Can You Exercise After a Lash Lift?

You can work out 24 hours after a lash lift, and you should! Exercise is a must-do for a strong, healthy body and mind.

Your workout buddy was being dramatic. You don’t need to quit the gym after your lash lift; you should only skip exercise for the first day after your procedure.

Results take 24 hours to set properly, and you need to baby your lashes during this period to protect their lift and curl.

Exercise is a potential threat during the 24 hours after your procedure because it can expose your lashes to water, either through sweat or when you wash away the sweat after your workout. And getting your lashes wet while results are setting can undo their lift and curl.

It’s fine to do gentle exercises, like a chilled walk or stretching, right after your procedure, but save the intense sweat sessions for after your lift and curl are safely locked in.

So, no sweaty workouts until a day after your procedure, OK?

5 Tips When Working Out With a Lash Lift

Now that we’ve got the major exercise no-no out the way, here are 5 more things to know about exercising with a lash lift:

#1 Limit Exercising in Hot, Humid Conditions

Super-high temperatures and humidity aren’t kind to lash lifts. These conditions can drain your energy and take some oomph away from your lashes.

Hot yoga studios get as hot as 108°F¹, so this is one workout to do only now and then after a lash lift.

Plus, save the post-workout steam room (average temperature: 110°F²) or sauna (can get as hot as   195°F³) sessions for the few days your muscles need them most.

#2 Take Care When Swimming Regularly

Imagining diving into the water with lifted lashes and rising to the surface with them flattened? You can forget this fear. It’s safe to swim in the pool or sea after a lash lift!

Alert! If you love water activities, be warned that regular exposure to chlorine and salt water can dry out your lashes, making them brittle and more likely to break. Protect your lashes by coating them in nourishing oil or putting on some goggles before you jump into the pool or sea.

#3 Go for Low- to Moderate-Intensity Workouts

Occasionally breaking a sweat that leaves you soaked won’t destroy your results, but long, super-sweaty workouts on most days will take their toll by weakening lashes’ lift. So, mix lower-intensity workouts into your fitness routine to keep your lashes happy. Your body will thank you, too, as taking breaks from tough workouts lets you recover and get stronger.

The best workout picks for keeping lashes lifted longer are low- to moderate-intensity, like brisk walking, slow jogging, regular yoga, easy cycling, elliptical training, or – my fave – dancing (it helps to have flirty lashes to flutter when making sassy moves!).

Strength training is another great choice – lifting (weights) won’t spoil your (lash) lift!

Pro tip! Wash your lashes gently with a mild cleanser after a sweaty workout to stop the salt and oil in your sweat from building up on your lashes and weakening your results.

#4 Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes

Are you in the habit of wiping your face (including your eyes) with a sweat towel while exercising? Break this habit now.

Rubbing your eyes, especially with an abrasive towel, can rough up your lashes, lessen their lift, or make them fall out.

#5 Don’t Wear Oily Skincare Products

Oil can make your lash lift drop too soon. That’s why avoiding using oily products around the eyes is an aftercare essential.

It’s usually fine to apply oil-containing products to the rest of your face, but not before you work out. Sweat can make the products (and the oil in them) drip onto your lashes, so apply these skincare goodies after you exercise, not before, to protect your lash lift (and save your eyes from irritation).

Working Out After a Lash Lift – Key Takeaways

Having a lash lift shouldn’t mess with your fitness routine. Skip your workout the day after your procedure (think of it as your rest day), then get back to your heart-pounding, mood-lifting, body-toning movement!

Make low- to moderate-intensity exercise your go-to (and wash your lashes after high-intensity sweat sessions); limit workouts in hot, humid environments; keep your sweat towel away from your eyes; and apply nourishing oil to your lashes if you swim on the reg.

Bonus: Enjoy having lovely lashes without a smidge of mascara (and zero stinging risk from it getting into your eyes!).

References

1. Ann Pizer – reviewed by Sara Clark, Yoga Instructor (2020). Temperatures of Hot Yoga Studios. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfit.com/how-hot-is-hot-yoga-3566955(Accessed on 12 August 2022)
2. Corey Whelan – medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT (2019). How and Why to Use a Sauna. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-a-sauna (Accessed 0n 12 August 2022)
3. See reference 2