Eyelash Extension 101 - A Complete Guide to beginners

Eyelash extensions can make eyes look bigger, lashes look fuller, and face look more feminine.

Who wouldn’t want to totally rock the ‘I just work up like this’ look?

If your heart is leaning toward trying out a set of lash extensions for the first time, read this post. We will walk you through everything about the eyelash extension in this post.

Things you should know before getting eyelash extensions

So what is really an eyelash extension?

Unlike those DIY party lashes (strip lash, cluster lash) that last up to 24 hours only, for eyelash extension, your lash technician uses a strong professional lash extension glue to attach a super fine synthetic lash strand to your natural eyelash. This is a painless procedure but it needs the hands of a skillful professional lash technician.

Look how the lash extension can enhance the beauty of your natural eye shape:

With proper care, lash extensions can last for six weeks until they naturally fall out according to the growth cycle of your natural eyelash. Eyelash extension is a semi-permanent treatment using salon-grade products and it should only be done by certified professionals.

Lash extensions are totally customizable depending on the wearer’s eye shapes and tastes and they can look from very natural to super dramatic.

What are the benefits of getting the lash extension?

Eyelash extension comes with a huge benefit. They will make your eyes ‘pop’, and noticeably more dramatic yet feminine. The lash extension creates effortlessly beautiful eye line, curl, and length of the lashes. You will love skipping the morning eye-makeup routine (phew, no more mascara!).

Is the lash extension safe? Will it damage my natural lashes?

If done properly, yes, it’s very safe. There are risks of getting problems like allergies, eye infection, and loss of natural lashes. But this is NOT a direct side effect of getting eyelash extension itself but mostlycaused by unprofessionally executed lash extension placement.

This is why it’s so important to find a good lash technician. A good lash technician is equipped with a vast amount of product knowledge, experiences, and techniques that respect the health and safety of lash clients and a great artistic styling skill.

Our advice is to take time to find a reliable lash artist who "click" with you — a person who is certified, well-trained, and who has received flawless feedback from former customers.

This kind of lash artist is very likely to use high-quality tools, lash extensions, and glue/remover, knowing which type of product is the best fit for whom. That way risks for allergies and lash loss can be greatly reduced!

How long does the lash extension application take?

It can take from about 1.5 to 4hours for the initial application, depending on the style you want to reach, and how experienced your lash artist is. The fill (touch-up) can take up to an hour or two. You’ll need to get a fill every three to four weeks.

How long do lash extension last?

Generally, 4-6 weeks. The touch-ups are needed every two to four weeks, depending on the growth of the natural lashes and aftercare.

Is Mink eyelash extensions cruelty-free?

Although many lash artists call their lashes ‘mink lashes’, in fact, those lashes are mostly NOT real animal hair but it is a synthetic PBT material that mimics the shine of animal mink hair. Some lash studios might offer ‘real mink hair’ lashes as a service but it is getting rare. We recommend you to choose ‘synthetic mink lash (faux mink)’ because the PBT has excellent flexibility and retention to its curl and color.

What are Russian Volume, Mega Volume, and Hybrid lash extension?

Russian Volume: Volume and Russian Volume are basically the same. Some salons may name the style like 3D volume or 5D volume, this means you will get a lash fan of 3 or 5 per natural lash. (bigger fan will fill up more gap between the lashes). Sometimes technician may use more volume on you to fill up the gaps so the set can look even.