They say its a sign of femininity to have long lashes.
It's no wonder women are rearranging schedules and budgets to make room for eyelash extensions.
Beautiful lashes everydayyyyyy!
This is what you expect after receiving your full set.
And then you get a reality check. "Wait, what do you mean I need to come back in 2 weeks? These don't last forever??"
Unfortunately, no.
Did you know you lose between 2 and 5 natural lashes a day?
Eyelashes, just like the hair on your head, grow and shed in cycles.
While every person is unique - and factors like age, hormones, and medications will affect lashes and their cycles, there are commonalities among us all.
Growth Cycles
We all experience growth cycles. They are anagen, catagen, and telogen.
Anagen is the active growth phase. This is where a new hair is produced and if the lash is pulled from the follicle you will see that the bulb is very thick. This cycle lasts about 30-45 days and only 40% of the upper lashes and 15% of the lower lashes are in this phase at any one given time.
Catagen is the transitionary phase where the hair shaft grows upward and detaches itself from the bulb. The follicle itself will actually shrink, and the lower part of the follicle is destroyed. The dermal papilla, which is what gives nourishment to the follicle, will break away. This stage lasts about 2-3 weeks.
Telogen is the resting phase. There is virtually no bulb at the base of the lashes and during this phase you will see natural lash loss. They may wind up on your cheek, pillow, or bathroom counter. Losing 3 to 5 natural lashes per day is perfectly normal.
According to Borboleta Beauty a full lash cycle can last anywhere from 21-90 days, so it is important to understand the shedding cycle.
With extensions on, you could expect your full set to last up to 4-5 weeks, and in some rare cases 6-8 weeks.
Human Lashes
Most people have eyelashes that are arranged in 1-3 rows with a total of 65-150 lashes per eye.
(No wonder a full set takes so long!)
Lets take a minute to track our lash loss with the minimum of 3 per day.
After 1 week there would be 21 lashes lost.
After 2 weeks there would be 42 lashes lost.
After 3 weeks there would be 63 lashes lost.
It is because of this normal shedding cycle that we recommend coming in for fills every 2-3 weeks.
How to make your lashes last
There isn't much you can do about the growing and shedding of your lashes. That's a natural process and such is part of life.
However, there is plenty you can do to prolong the life of your extensions.
Do not pet your lashes, they are not a cat.
The oils from your fingers will break down the adhesive and cause premature lash loss.
Cleanse your lashes daily. Oils, including your natural oils, will cause the adhesive bond to break down. So keep those babies clean!
(Click here to read my article on how to properly clean your lash extensions.)
Do not wet the lashes for the first 24-48 hours after application.
Do not pick, tug, or pull at the lashes.
Brush the lashes daily, but not excessively.
Avoid using mascara, especially if it is waterproof!
(For more tips on how to care for lash extensions click here.)
Happy Lashing!