(WellnessPursuits.com) – Want longer lashes? If you’re tired of searching for the perfect mascara or using false eyelashes, you might have given some consideration to extensions. Eyelash extensions can be a great way to achieve the appearance of longer lashes, but they’re not without risk. Here are four cautions when choosing eyelash extensions.
1. Eyelash Extensions Can Cause Lash Loss
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, using and removing eyelash extensions can cause lash loss. But there is the good news: Research hasn’t found a link between extensions and long-term or permanent eyelash loss.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to lower your risk of losing your natural lashes.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes or tugging on your extensions. Being gentle with them will help reduce hair loss.
- Avoid pulling your extensions out yourself. When it’s time to remove them, consider going back to the salon to let the professionals handle it.
- Let them fall out on their own — which typically takes 6-8 weeks, the same amount of time it takes for your natural lashes to shed. If you do choose to maintain your eyelash extensions, you’ll need to have them touched up every 3-4 weeks.
2. You Should Shop Around Before Deciding on a Salon
If you’ve decided to get eyelash extensions, consider this when choosing a salon:
- it’s important to make sure you’re going to a salon that’s clean and reputable. The lash technician should be experienced. You might want to consider asking how long they’ve been doing extensions.
- Be sure to ask what ingredients are used in the adhesive the salon uses before booking your appointment. A major red flag is if they use a formula that contains formaldehyde, which can cause itching, eyelid swelling, redness and irritation. Instead, opt for salons that use glues containing octyl cyanoacrylate or butyl cyanoacrylate.
3. Eyelash Extensions May Cause Infections
As long as you go to an experienced lash technician, the likelihood of experiencing an infection is minimal. However, it is possible for extensions to cause a bacterial or fungal infection. False lashes can cause dirt and bacteria to become trapped. There’s also a risk of blepharitis, a bacterial infection that causes eyelid inflammation.
To reduce your risk of infection, it’s important to make sure you maintain good eyelid and lash hygiene. Be sure to remove any makeup and, as previously mentioned, avoid rubbing your eyes.
4. It’s Possible to Have an Allergic Reaction
- Allergic reactions to eyelash extensions are possible, and they can occur within minutes to hours following application. Most people who experience a reaction are allergic to the adhesive. Common signs of an allergic reaction include itching, swelling or redness in the eye or on the eyelid. It’s also possible to have an allergic reaction in only one eye.
- If you have a history of contact dermatitis, you might want to ask the lash technician to test the adhesive somewhere other than your eyes, first. If you experience a mild allergic reaction after an application, at-home treatment options like antihistamines, allergy eye drops, hydrocortisone creams or cold compresses might help. If your allergic reaction is severe, it’s important to see a doctor.
Eyelash extensions can make you look and feel beautiful, but they might also cause complications. You can reduce your risk of problems by choosing an experienced lash technician, opting to use a formaldehyde-free adhesive, being gentle with your extensions and practicing good eyelid and lash hygiene. When properly applied and cared for, eyelash extensions can be a “better than nature” way to get gorgeous, longer lashes!
~Here’s to Your Healthy Pursuits!
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