DIY LASHES

In recent years, we’ve seen a steady rise in specialist treatments being carried out at home, from teeth whitening kits to hair perming, to at home lash lifts. 2020 saw the biggest surge yet, owing to the COVID19 pandemic which saw us locked in our homes and out of salons for months at a time. Have a look at the DIY on eye Lashes. 

Eyelash extensions seem like a luxury to some, but to those who have them regularly they are something of a necessity after oxygen and coffee – they’re a time saver, they’re a confidence booster, they’re a must-have. However, owing to our own natural hair growth cycle and the eyelash extensions adhesive gradually losing its strength over time, they’re not permanent. The question on many lips is undoubtedly ‘can I do this myself at home?’ 

The short answer is ‘no!’ It’s simply not safe for someone without the proper training to apply their own eyelash extensions, and even for those who have undertaken the hours and hours of necessary training and practice it’s not at all advisable to be doing your own lash sets. 

Mirrors

There’s only so much you can really see in a mirror, and your perception is warped when your brain can’t completely grasp which way to direct your arm to go forwards so there’s every chance of poking yourself in the eye with the tweezers – if you didn’t know, tweezers for eyelash extensions are SHARP! 

Training

We’ve touched on it briefly, but to become a qualified eyelash extensions technician you need to take a course, submit case studies, pass an exam, and spend hours upon hours sharpening your skills and honing your craft. It’s no walk in the park, and it’s not to be taken lightly. 

Chemicals

When used correctly there’s no safety issue with eyelash extensions, but the fact of the matter is that if you don’t know what you’re doing or how to apply each product perfectly, you run the risk of irritation at best. At worst, you could lose your vision entirely. 

Supplies

Good lash supplies aren’t cheap – they’re developed to be the best, go through rigorous quality control and are high quality and safe to be on the market for their given purpose. Sure, you can buy cheaper goods from places like eBay but you absolutely cannot guarantee that they are the same quality as those sold from a respected lash supplier. Consider too, that when you visit a salon or a mobile lash technician comes to you, they will have a huge range of eyelash extensions in different lengths, curls and thicknesses to create bespoke looks for each client, depending on their preferences, face shape, bone structure etc. – when it comes down to it, are you actually saving much by doing your own lashes? 

Lash Damage

Do eyelash extensions cause damage to your natural eyelashes? Not if they’re done properly. If they’re not done properly, the extensions are likely to be too heavy for the natural lashes which will cause them to twist as they grow out, and can cause them to come out too soon – in other words they will damage the follicle. You also run the risk of stickies from improper isolation, and from using too much glue.

Choosing the wrong glue can damage your Lashes, Click here for Safe and Quality False Eyelash Glue

Isolation and Stickies

When you get your eyelash extensions applied in a salon, your natural lashes are isolated with some of those super sharp tweezers we mentioned earlier – this is to prevent damage to your natural lashes, and keep you comfortable as the lashes grow out. If two lashes are stuck together, as one grows it can pull the other out prematurely and damage the hair follicle, resulting in that hair never growing back. It’s also really, really uncomfortable to have stickies, so obviously they should be avoided at all costs. A qualified lash technician will spend 10 – 15 minutes at the end of your lash set checking for and separating any stickies in the set. 

Aesthetics

Technicalities aside, you’ll simply not be able to get the kind of lash set at home by yourself that your technician is able to give you. From different lash maps, to picking the right lengths, thicknesses and curls, to working with layers – making a lash set gorgeous is no joke! Even if you want a messier, wispy finish and not a super even top line which is characteristic of a Russian Volume set, you’ll still not be able to achieve the same results. All in all, it’s simply not worth doing your own lashes. Whether it’s damage to your natural lashes, risking your eye health or simply looking a little bit odd, eyelash extensions are a treatment that you need to visit a qualified professional for!