Do clients Lashes need a break from Eyelash Extensions?
We hear a lot of lash techs tell their clients that their lashes need a break once in a while.. this always surprises us. Your lash extensions should never be extended to the point where they risk damage to the natural lash. If you are a Lash tech saying this to your client, you basically admit to doing something wrong when applying your lashes.
When do I recommend my client to have a break from Eyelash Extensions?
The only times we would recommend a client having a break from Eyelash Extensions are:
1. Unhealthy lashes
Your client has an unhealthy lash line due to poor aftercare, the result may be inflammation due to blocked follicles, #demodexfolliculorum, or #blepharitis.
What to do instead: Teach your client about proper aftercare. You may need to remove a full set of lashes with remover/debonder, and the client would need to wait until her lashline has recovered. Potentially you would need to send your client to a health specialist for a review, if she has developed an inflammation or blepharitis as a result of poor hygiene.
2. Eye Conditions
You suspect your client to have an eye condition stopping her to have Eyelash Extensions. In this case it's your responsibility to recommend seeing a physician.
3. Excessive Lash Shedding
In some circumstances, your client may be going through hormonal changes, where excessive lash shedding occurs, ie her lash line is not healthy. You notice this as her lashes become sparse and brittle. You can barely touch her lashes without them coming out and she has a lot of anagen lashes/baby hairs. This may be a medical condition affecting her hair growth/lash health, so removing the extensions and sending to a physician is advisable.
Why is Eyelash Extensions not damaging for the natural lashes?
A person's lashes have 3 different growth stages and a great lash artist will watch what stage of growth each individual hair is in, and apply an extension suitable to that lash. Therefore it is important that we, as the lash experts, only apply what we deem suitable in lengths and curls for our clients. Sometimes, a client may need to go shorter for a while to look after her lash health. It is important we don't overweight the anagen lashes, so avoiding them altogether may be what you need to do, or applying only short/thin extensions to her short lashes. We want to allow our clients' lashes to grow and thrive just like they would without anything applied to them.
A good set of lashes is better for your natural lashes than mascara!