Lashes after extension removal: do not panic, here is what to do

On the day of removal, the mirror is not kind.

Your lashes after extension removal look short. Fine. Sometimes sparse. And a question crosses your mind: "Have the extensions damaged my lashes for good?"

Breathe. In most cases, the answer is no.

After weeks with very full lashes, your natural ones simply look more discreet than they are. Your eye has forgotten what they looked like.

In this guide, you will see what is normal after a removal and what is not, how to look after your lashes while they renew themselves, and when you can have a new set.

This advice comes from our own eyelash extension practice at SIMEHA Institut.

What state are your lashes in after removal?

After a removal done at a salon, your natural lashes are generally intact, but they look shorter and finer than you remember. It is first of all an effect of contrast with the extensions you were wearing.

Here is what happens.

Extensions lengthen and thicken the lash line. When they are removed, the eye takes several days to get used to its natural lashes again. Many people think they have lost lashes when they are simply back to their original lash line.

But let us be honest: sometimes there really are fewer lashes. The most common reasons:

• lashes that fell out naturally with their extension, not yet replaced;
• extensions pulled out by rubbing the eyes or tugging at them;
• extensions that were too heavy for the lashes carrying them;
• a removal done yourself, by pulling or with an unsuitable product.

The good news? In all these cases, the lash line fills out again on its own, as the lashes renew themselves.

Will your lashes grow back?

Yes: lashes renew themselves all the time, and a lash that has fallen or been pulled out generally grows back within a few weeks. Each lash follows its own cycle: it grows, stays in place for a while, then falls out and makes way for a new one.

This cycle explains two things.

First, why you lose a few lashes every day, with or without extensions. That is normal.

Second, why regrowth does not show all at once. Not all lashes are at the same stage, and the lash line fills out little by little.

To see where you stand, find your situation in this table:

How long exactly? It varies from one person to another.

We will not give you a precise figure, because it would be wrong for half of you. Allow a few weeks to see the lash line fill out.

The first days: do (almost) nothing

In the first days after removal, the best care is to leave your lashes alone. They have just been handled; above all, they need not to be handled any more.

It comes down to five habits:

1. Do not rub your eyes. It is the movement that breaks the most lashes.
2. Remove your make-up gently, by holding a soaked cotton pad on the closed eye for a few seconds before wiping, with no rubbing.
3. Avoid waterproof mascara, which is hard to remove without pulling on the lashes.
4. Put the eyelash curler away for a few weeks.
5. Do not apply stick-on false lashes: the glue and the removal tire the lashes.

Do you really want to wear make-up? A regular mascara, removed every evening with a gentle make-up remover, is the lightest solution.

The care that really helps (and the care that changes nothing)

To help your lashes after removal, nourish them gently and regularly. No product makes new lashes appear: regrowth follows the natural cycle. A product does, however, make lashes more supple and less brittle.

So much for the truth. Now let us see what is useful.

Plant oils

Castor oil is commonly used to nourish lashes. If you try it:

• take very little, on a clean spoolie or a cotton bud;
• apply it to the length of the lashes, away from the root and the edge of the eye;
• do it in the evening, on lashes with no make-up;
• stop straight away if you feel stinging, see redness or have blurred vision.

Oil that runs into the eye irritates it. Here, care is worth more than quantity.

Lash serums

There are serums sold for lashes. Their composition and effects vary a great deal from one product to another, and some can irritate.

Read the leaflet, follow the instructions and ask a pharmacist or a doctor if in doubt. We do not recommend any one in particular.

Brushing

Brush your lashes with a clean spoolie, once a day. This untangles them and puts them in order. Wash the spoolie regularly.

The step everyone forgets: eyelid hygiene

Clean your eyelids every day, with a gentle product. Clean eyelids are the best basis for lashes in good condition, with or without extensions.

While you were wearing extensions, you may have avoided touching your eyes too much. That is understandable. After removal, go back to daily cleansing:

1. wash your hands;
2. apply a gentle eye cleanser to a cotton pad;
3. pass it over the closed eyelid, from the inside outwards, without pressing;
4. rinse with clean water and pat dry.

If your eyelids are red, swollen or itchy, do not try to treat them with a beauty product: see a doctor.

The six mistakes to avoid during regrowth

While your lashes are renewing themselves, avoid anything that pulls on them or dries them out. A few weeks of care are generally enough.

• Rubbing your eyes, including when removing make-up.
• The eyelash curler, especially on lashes that are already broken.
• Waterproof mascara every day.
• Stick-on false lashes and magnetic ones.
• Sleeping with your make-up on.
• Pulling at leftover glue: if any remains, go back to the salon.

When can you have a new set?

You can have a new set as soon as your natural lashes are in good enough condition to carry extensions. If the removal was done at a salon and your lashes are intact, no wait is compulsory.

When should you wait, then?

Take a break if your lashes are broken, very uneven in length or clearly sparse. Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Are my lashes broken or only more discreet? Only broken lashes justify a break.
2. Was the last set too heavy? In that case, choose a lighter technique.
3. Did I rub my eyes or pull on my extensions? That is a habit to correct before starting again.

At the salon, the beautician looks at your lashes before each set and adapts the weight of the extensions. If your lashes are fine, she will steer you towards classic lashes rather than a heavy volume.

The three techniques we offer are compared in the guide classic vs volume lashes.

How do you avoid damaging your lashes at the next set?

To keep lashes in good condition under extensions, follow three rules: a set suited to your lashes, an infill on time and a removal at the salon. It is badly worn extensions, and not extensions themselves, that damage lashes.

In practice:

1. Accept the beautician's advice on volume: a fine lash cannot carry a large fan.
2. Have the infill every 2 to 4 weeks. At SIMEHA Institut, it costs CHF 80.
3. Never pull on an extension that is coming loose.
4. Avoid oil-based make-up removers, which generally weaken the glue.
5. Have your extensions removed at the salon, for CHF 20.

When should you see a doctor?

See a doctor or an eye specialist if your eyelids are red, swollen, painful or itchy, if your eye is irritated or if your lashes do not grow back at all after several months. These situations are not a matter for a beauty treatment.

A reaction to the glue is possible, even in someone who has never had one. If you have already reacted, say so before any new set.

Where can you have your extensions applied or removed?

SIMEHA Institut applies and removes eyelash extensions at Rue Caroline 41, 1227 Genève, Suisse, in the Acacias district. The full set, the infill and the removal are presented, with their duration and price, on the eyelash extensions page.

You book online, with no account, and you pay at the salon. If your lashes are weakened, say so when you arrive: the beautician adapts the set, or advises you to wait.