Here’s a post about something outside of skin care. I love makeup, I love the way we can use makeup to express ourselves. It’s a beautiful language to say who you are and show your confidence. One of my personal favourites is mascara, the magic wand!
I take pride in my lashes, (knock on wood) my eyes are one of my best features. So, it should come as no surprise that I take extra care of my eyes and my lashes. Now you have heard me talk about EyEnvy Lash Serum and it is because of this product that my lashes are as strong and healthy as they are. Now there are two main treatments for Lashes which are Lash Extensions and Lash Lifts. Both treatments are great but also have pro points and con points.
Let’s Talk About the Differences Between the Two.
Lash Extensions
Lash Extensions simply put is placing a synthetic lash and gluing it on top of a natural lash. Unlike gluing a strip of temporary fake lashes onto your lash line, semi-permanent lashes are applied by a technician who hand-glues the extensions on top of your natural lashes Because lash extensions don’t come in a strip, they are super customizable and actually look real. With proper care, they can last for six to eight weeks until they naturally fall out like your lashes usually do.
Can Lash Extensions Ruin My Lashes? There isn’t much evidence that shows whether eyelash extensions actually affect your natural Lashes long-term. There is, a small risk of developing traction alopecia, which is where your natural lashes can fall out as a result of the constant weight of repeated eyelash extensions. But don’t panic, it doesn’t mean that it will happen to you; it’s only to educate you and make you aware of the possible outcome.
Pro Tip – It can take years of bad application and improper care for long-term lash damage to happen as a final result. So please, only go to reputable, well-reviewed salons (no matter how good that Groupon deal is), and make sure your technician uses proper sanitizing protocols with their room, bed, their tools and their hands. Remember: you are allowed to ask your technician to confirm all these things.
How Do I Know What Extensions to Get?
There are various looks one can achieve with Lash Extensions, you can go for a natural look, a more glamourous look and different lengths and curls to choose from. It’s extremely important to know before you lie down on the bed that your technician understands what the final look is supposed to be. The more dramatic the look the more lashes that are needed to be applied. You may have heard the term ‘Volume’ Lashes; what this means is that anywhere from three to ten lashes can be glued together and applied to one real lash. This is how the dark dramatic look is achieved. Let’s dive a little deeper.
The type of lashes you can get all depends on the length and strength of your natural lashes. Wearing lashes that are too long or too thick for your lashes can actually cause damage in the long run, so you need to make sure your extensions aren’t too much longer or thicker than your natural lashes. When it comes to density, curl, and length of your extensions, you’ll want to work with your tech to figure out which is the best option for you. A good lash technician will take your face shape, bone structure, and natural lashes into consideration when helping you decide on a lash look.
Now let’s talk about cost and maintenance. When it comes to the maintenance of lash extensions it can be a tedious, timely and costly process. The initial appointment can last upwards of three hours depending on the type of look of lashes. Follow up appointments or ‘fill up’ appointments take about an hour and these appointments are done two weeks apart. As your natural lashes fall, the extensions will fall with them which means that you can have empty spots in between your appointments. Depending on where you go, initial appointments can cost upwards of $350 and refill appointments can go for approximately $150. To say that having lash extensions is high maintenance is an understatement; though lash extensions are beautiful, it’s not for everyone.
My Personal Experience – I had only had one experience with having lash extensions and sadly it wasn’t a good one. I wear glasses to read, work on the computer and sometimes when I work. I can’t have super long lashes that I cannot have them hitting the lenses of my glasses, it’s so annoying. My boss brought in a lash tech and I was the model; I made it clear that I wanted natural looking lashes and that I didn’t want them too long because of my glasses. The turnout wasn’t what I wanted. The lashes were too long, I felt very uncomfortable and my eyes were red for a few days. When I had reached out to her to ask her if I can see her so I can have the extensions removed her response was – go to Shopper’s Drug Mart and get the remover and take them out yourself. I was in shock, is that how she treated all her clients? I hope not. Needless to say, my boss didn’t hire her and I vowed that I would never let anyone I know go through something like that ever. I ended up taking a few Lash Extension courses and qualification classes. I never pursued it because for my first love lies in skin care and Lashes would have taken up too much of my time away from what I love most.
There is an alternative and it’s the one that I prefer over Lash Extensions; which is the Lash Lift.
Lash Lift & Tint
Lash Lift or Lash Perm is a newer trend in Lash Care. Essentially what it is, is that a perming/curling solution is placed on the lashes which are on a rod/pad and after a few minutes the lashes are perfectly curled as if you had just used a lash curler.
Side Note – Lash Lift is the newer version of the Lash Perm. Lash Lift products is less harmful than traditional Lash Perm products.
Are Lash Lifts Safe for Lashes? – Yes, but remember using chemicals on the eyelashes themselves can cause the lashes to change in texture and even fall out. If the solution is left on for too long, it can damage the lashes, so you want only want a Lash Lift from a certified Lash Technician who is attentive, knowledgeable, and experienced. It’s a fact that our lashes naturally fall out on their own, so even with a lash lift done professionally, you’ll notice them shedding and growing in how you normally would. “A lash lift will last the growth cycle of each of the natural lashes that were present at the time of the initial procedure you’ll start to see the Lift eventually fall back down to its natural state as new lashes begin to grow in.
Lash Care is important with Lash Lifts, it’s essential for the best results not to wet or rub your lashes for the first twenty-four hours. That means no water, no mascara and no rubbing the eyes after a Lash Lift is done. Maintenance for Lash Lifts is far less expensive and time consuming versus doing Lash Extensions. A Lash Lift appointment can take approximately one hour and can be done six to eight weeks apart. An added benefit of Lash Lifts is that lashes can also be tinted; what’s tinting? It’s colouring your lashes darker so it can give the illusion of wearing mascara without wearing mascara. Tinting is safe to do as part of a Lash Lift appointment, most of the time, Lash Technicians will make tinting part of the appointment. The result is naturally curled and darker lashes that require little to no management.
When I discovered Lash Lifts, I was so excited! I’ve been using EyEnvy for months so I was looking forward to seeing the results of my lashes being curled. Needless to say, after my first experience I was hooked. Once I saw the result on myself I was determined to learn all I could about this treatment and be able to offer it to my clients. I believe I have taken two certification courses and attended three more classes. Any chance I get to learn from experts in the field, I am all for it.
I love providing Lash Lifts for my clients. It’s so satisfying seeing the before and after in a span of an hour is amazing. It’s a great treatment for women and men, yes, I said men. Men do Lash Lifts to open up their eyes more, when lashes are lower it shows the eyes as being small, when you lift lashes up, the eyes look bigger. It sounds a little far-fetched but it’s so true! I personally have done Lash Lifts for a few of my male clients, though not the norm; it does happen and I love it. Women tend to get Lash Lifts and Tints at the same time. The look of naturally curled and darker lashes is very appealing and it’s a fun treatment to experience and see through to the end.
What Do I Use for My Clients
I only trust one company for Lash Lift & Tint treatments. RefectoCil is a Canadian company that provides the highest quality in Lash Lifting and Tinting products. What is great about this brand is that they are always evolving and making their products better for their clients. In the four plus years I have been working with Lashes, RefectoCil has updated their formulas for the lifting and the pads we work with to provide the perfect lift. Their colours are amazing and have a full range of products to accommodate every hair colour type. What I also admire about this company and its affiliate suppliers is their constant care in reaching out to technicians and educators to provide more information, more trainings and lots of support. That for me is huge because if at any time I needed anything or had any questions I know I can pick up the phone or send an email and someone will get back to me within twenty fours.
I really do enjoy the Lash Lift and Tint treatment, it’s a great pick me up treatment for anyone who wants to change their look up a little bit. Though I have nothing against Lash Extensions, they’re personally not for me to perform as a service. Would I ever get extensions? Sure, one day so I can replace my bad experience with a good one. I would do another Lash Lift and Tint again in a heartbeat.
Want to know more about EyEnvy? Lash Treatments? Drop me a line or send me DM on my social media platforms.
Stay Safe!