What you need to know about Eyelash Extensions

If you have a low-maintenance makeup routine, lash extensions are like a cosmetic cheat: Whether you've just woken up, been to the gym, gone for a swim or lived through a stomach flu, It's amazing how much your eyes pop, and by how quickly you can get ready. Make up application becomes so much easier!

What are lash extensions?
Unlike temporary false lashes, eyelash extensions are neither a D.I.Y. affair nor a fleeting commitment.
They are professionally applied, one on each natural lash, with a semi-permanent glue meant to hold them in place for several weeks. Lash Extensions enhance your lashes with the length and volume that nature didn’t gift you (and beyond what multiple coats of mascara and a lash curler could), but at a length your face deserves.

The price of eyelash extensions varies depending on the style, the technician, lash artists experience and the area in which you live, but you can expect a professional full set to start around $100. Personal recommendations from friends, reviews and client photos posted on sites like Facebook and Instagram are invaluable for offering insight into both the quality of service and the style of lashes a company provides.

Nik Henshaw owns Mojo Beauty, an eyelash extension (and Lash Lift) studio in Christchurch. 

Take a quick glance to make sure all products used during your service are new or sanitised. Your stylist should be certified and this should be posted somewhere in the salon/studio.

You should arrive at the salon with your eyes entirely clean of makeup.

Eyelash extensions are available in a wide variety of lengths, diameters and curls. The health and thickness of your natural lashes as well as the shape of your face and eyes will be used to determine the right set of extensions for you.

To begin, you’ll lie down on your back and get comfortable. Your bottom lashes will be shielded with under-eye pads, stickers or tape. Prepare for your eyes to remain closed for the entire application, as your technician delicately affixes each extension with tweezers. The procedure is gentle enough that you might very well find yourself dozing off. 

After your appointment, don’t let your extensions get wet for the next 24 hours, so that the glue can dry completely. Steer clear of humid environments like saunas, too. 
To preserve your extensions, keep them clean and gently detangle them with a pristine mascara wand or spoolie brush every day. You can wear eye makeup, but accept that oils and oil-based makeup remover are your lashes’ worst enemy, because they break down the adhesive. When it comes to mascara specifically, the experts suggest skipping it.
To keep your extensions looking full and fresh, touch-ups should be scheduled every two to four weeks. (After a month, you’ll normally be charged for a full, new set.) Extensions, properly applied and cared for, should not make your eyelashes fall out, but you will notice some inevitable casualties as your lashes grow and shed according to their natural cycles. Among the medical concerns associated with eyelash extensions are the possibilities of trauma to and infection of the eyelid or the cornea, permanent or temporary loss of the eyelashes, and allergic reactions to the glues.
Should symptoms like pain, itching or redness present themselves, don’t take matters into your own hands. Nik at Mojo Beauty strongly recommends against attempting to remove your extensions at home, contact her and she can remove them for you without any damage to your natural lashes.