My Thoughts on Eyelash Extensions

They’re gorgeous, right? And, a life-saver because you no longer need to apply falsies or mascara.

They’re also a big thing, right now. Can you blame people for wanting to have an easier routine when getting ready? They’re getting long and thick eyelashes every single day without having to apply mascara or gluing some to their eyelashes. In some minds, their eyelashes are living their best life because they look like they are flourishing.

That’s what it seems like, at first. To be honest, they’re appealing and you save time because you can skip a step in the morning. But, those are really the only pros. And, if you’re like me, you probably went ahead and got them without looking all the way into them. I mean, I researched and made sure that they would not be bad for my eyes but I didn’t research the aftermath or all the cons.

I just wanted longer eyelashes and to skip out on gluing falsies — that’s it. But, what I got was not fun or worth it in my opinion. And if you go back to two years ago, I did write about how much I loved them and showed a picture of them. Yeah, they looked great but the aftermath just was not my cup of tea, ya know?

I will give props to the woman that worked on my eyelashes for the months that I had them because they looked natural and amazing. People thought they were my eyelashes but who truly has eyelashes that long? If you do, I’m not knocking you. I just didn’t have long and thick eyelashes like the ones that were attached to my eyelashes. Her work is amazing and if I still wanted them, I would go back to her because she really cared about her work and keeping things sterile.

But, I’m not a fan and I wish there had been more articles about eyelash extensions besides how great they look rather than what I could look forward to. That’s why I want to share my experience and maybe help someone make their decision.

Here are the disadvantages of eyelash extensions, friends:

• The cost. The amount of time and money that went into eyelash extensions wasn’t worth it on my end. You had to get them filled every two to four weeks. They aren’t cheap — you’re looking at spending $150+ for the first installation followed by $40+ to fill them in those following weeks. Is it really an investment that you want to take on? I mean, $150 can be used at Target on a Target Spree or the $40 can be used towards groceries and lunch. I’m all for maintenance and taking care of yourself but sometimes, the money can go somewhere else.
• The process. You can go on a spa day or spend that money on something that isn’t going to take two hours out of your day. I’m talking two hours where you lay on a table with your eyes shut while the eyelashes are attached. I would fall asleep and jump a lot when I got mine done. Two hours is a lot of time that I could have been doing something else, to be honest. I feel some type of way about how I spent my time and money two years ago if you couldn’t tell. But friends, let me just help you avoid it because you could be doing something more fulfilling. It’s just not worth the time. You don’t get to read a magazine or scroll through your Twitter or Instagram feed like you could during a hair appointment. Walk away while you still have time.
• The glue. Another con is that the glue will bother your eyes. Why would it not? You have your eyes closed for two hours as this adhesive is applied to your lashes as the extensions are attached. So many people have allergic reactions to the lash glue. I feel like I would have a reaction every once in awhile where I would just rub my eye (which you shouldn’t do) but they would be itchy and red — clearly, not a good sign. You can check with your lash technician about the glue and make sure that it’s formaldehyde-free because that is going to be your culprit.
• There are limitations. It’s not all fun and games once you get these babies. You aren’t supposed to use mascara on them or get oil on them. So, that means avoid make-up remover that has oil in it because oil will loosen your eyelash extensions. Also, you must be careful when washing your face because you want to avoid getting them soapy and drippy. Basically, you have to be careful because you don’t want them falling out on you and have you looking sparse in the eyelash area and you don’t want to get caught on anything because a yank to your eyelash is going to hurt.
• No eyelashes. My main issue with eyelash extensions is that they left me with no eyelashes when it was all said and done. Yeah, I some eyelashes but they were nubs so it looked like I had no eyelashes. That’s my number one issue. When they fall out, they pull out your eyelashes. This is shared with you that your eyelashes fall out on a regular basis but I didn’t think that meant I was going to have no eyelashes, you know? That’s my number one issue. I literally had no eyelashes for like two months and I was going through it. I had stubs, guys. If you check out my eyelashes now, they’re thick and full — I got asked if they were extensions last week so just know that you can achieve that look without attaching some fake ones.

The eyelashes will fall out, that’s something they let you know but sometimes, they can fall out in clumps. You have to sleep a certain way to avoid it — at least, I did.

Yeah, they’re pretty and you look fabulous but they are work. Sometimes, people will notice and ask if they are really that long or if you put on false lashes each day. It’s not like your own eyelashes where you don’t have to be as careful because there aren’t as many risks. It really wasn’t an investment I wanted to make when I realized what I could be spending money on and what I could be saving for. Plus, I just didn’t like being confined to them because you can’t just take them off, you have to go back to your technican for removal which is spending more money.

At the end of the day, to each their own. If you want to give it a try, go for it. Your experience might just be better than mine. Everyone is different but here is my perspective and maybe I’ll help out a few people by saving some mula.

Remember if you want a boost, you can apply and take off false eyelashes whenever you want or you can invest in a lash serum. On my end, I took the route of applying oils to my eyelashes to help them grow. There are cheap solutions, remember that.

What are your thoughts on eyelash extensions?