How to Take Care of Lash Extensions | Washing Lash Extensions & Aftercare Advice
As a Lash Technician, we know how difficult it can be to convince your clients to take care of their eyelash extensions properly. After all, some may opt for lash extensions specifically so that they can adopt a low maintenance morning routine, with lashes giving many the confidence to skip makeup altogether. For this reason, any mention of an ‘aftercare routine’ might make them flinch.
However, by simply offering some quick tips, you can show that eyelash extension aftercare doesn’t have to be time consuming or complex, and that a little effort goes a long way. Not only will your clients benefit from these tips, so will you and your business: improved lash extension retention = happy, loyal clients.
How to Make Eyelash Extensions Last Longer
Lash Techs are frequently quizzed on how long lash extensions last, with new clients weighing up the pros and cons of splashing out on a lash set. While there is no one-answer-fits-all due to the various factors that can impact lash longevity - from where your client is in their natural lash cycle, to the temperature and climate they will be in - there are certainly ways to help improve lash retention through simply looking after the extensions properly.
Once your clients are equipped with the correct aftercare knowledge, it can be a real game changer. If you can encourage each of your clients to invest in an eyelash extension aftercare routine, they’re likely to be even happier with the results - in turn, you should see repeat visits and increased referrals!
Let’s take a look at some of the key tips you can pass on to your clients to encourage them to take care of their eyelash extensions:
How to Take Care of Eyelash Extensions
Clean Your Lashes
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, many clients hold the misconception that wetting eyelash extensions will cause premature lash shedding. It seems there has been some mistranslation in the lash world, with clients sometimes presuming that since they are advised not to get their eyelash extensions wet within the first 24 hours of having them done, they should try to avoid getting them wet altogether. Then again, this was the message back when eyelash extensions were a new concept, so it could be that they’re due a bit of an update in the cleansing department!
As we all know though, once the lash glue onthe extensions has had time to dry and hasformed a nice, strong bond with the natural lash, clients needn’t worry about getting themwet. When removing makeup, it is actually a good idea to gently cleanse the lash extensions with a high quality lash shampoo. This has been shown to improvelash retention by at least 20%, and of course significantly reduces the risk of eye infections such as blepharitis.
Brushing Your Lash Extensions
Another simple trick to help boost your client’s lash retention is encouraging them to brush their lashes on a daily basis. Popping a lash wand in your client’s aftercare package takes any hard work out of the equation - they can simply use as and when required. Brushing through lash extensions helps to keep them free of any potential debris, and keeps those fans lovely and fluffy.
Be Careful When Wearing Makeup
One of the main benefits of having lash extensions is that you can often get away with wearing minimal makeup. However, we know that you may still wish to wear makeup with your extensions and that’s perfectly fine!
When you have a fabulous lash set, you really don’t need mascara - not only does it close your fans if you have a volume set, but mascara tends to be oil-based, so can interfere with your glue bonds. It also takes more effort and rubbing to get the mascara off of your lashes which will also interfere with the bonds, and if you show up to your appointment with mascara around your lashes, your technician will have to spend longer at your lash fill cleaning your lashes prior to putting any new extensions on, so you’ll have a less full set!
If you want to know how to maintain lash retention whilst wearing makeup, check out our 'How to Wear Makeup Without Ruining Your Eyelash Extensions' blog post!
Schedule Regular Lash Infills
Booking regular, consistent lash infills is a great way to keep your lash extensions looking better for longer. If you delay getting an infill, your natural lashes will shed, leading to gaps along your lash line.
Going too long before getting a lash infill will only mean spending more money in the long-run, since you will likely need a new full set. You can advise your clients to book infills in advance by explaining that it will save both time and money in the grand scheme of things - this should be a key piece of advice when explaining how to take care of eyelash extensions.
Avoid Friction
Excessively rubbing your lashes will have a huge impact on how long they last. You can explain to your clients that when itching, rubbing or picking at their eyelash extensions, they are tugging at the lashes which will significantly loosen them. As well as loosening the glue bonds, they also run the risk - especially with picking - of pulling their natural lashes out from the root, which could lead to permanent damage!
By being gentle and mindful of their extensions, clients can avoid their lashes from prematurely falling out - by providing these top tips to your clients on how to take care of eyelash extensions, you can be sure to see better retention, and healthier lashes!
