Applying eyelash extensions enhances facial beauty by lengthening and thickening the natural lash. It improves the shape and appearance of the eyes. But do eyelash extensions hurt?
Eyelash extensions do not hurt when properly applied with the right adhesive by a professional beautician. If during or after the procedure you experience any pain or discomfort, report the development to the lash stylist for immediate resolution. When a lash attachment is not optimally done, or you experience an allergic reaction to the adhesive used in the process, this could cause pain.
Are there other reasons that lash extensions hurt the eyes? How do you avoid or deal with such pain? Do they damage the eyes and natural lashes? Read on to find out.
Why Do Eyelashes Hurt After Getting Them Put On?
Do lash extensions hurt? Normally, they do not, but there are many reasons why Eyelashes cause discomfort after getting them on. But first, let us look at the type of discomfort you could feel;
- Swelling: Inflammation is often the result of mild irritation after lash extensions. In this case, the eyes are difficult to open, and you feel pain.
- Weighty: Here, the eyelash extension feels too heavy and usually occurs when the extension used is thicker than your normal lashes. It also makes it difficult to open and close the eyes.
- Irritation: Here, the lash line gets itchy. It could also expand inside the eyes and eyelids.
- Red eyes: Eyeballs could get red after lash extension. It could be both painful and painless in one or both eyes.
Many factors could make eyelashes hurt after getting them to put on. Below are some of them;
- Type of extensions used: If the lash stylist uses the wrong extension type for your eyes, it could lead to discomfort. Optimally, lash extensions should match the shape of your eyes and their length. It should also be as thick as your eyelashes. Extensions thicker than your lashes would feel heavy and uncomfortable.
- Too much adhesive: Excess glue is another reason for pain after a lash extension. The fumes from the glue could enter the eye and irritate it, causing inflammation and redness.
- Wrong lash gluing: If a nailhead (gluing extension to the skin instead of lashes), it could cause hurt after getting your lashes on, as the natural lashes would pull off after treatment.
- Distance of lash application from the lash line: Applying lash extensions too far from the lash line would cause it to twist and droop, which could cause discomfort and pain.
- Improper gluing: Not attaching the lash extension properly to natural lashes could cause pain or permanent damage to both eyes and lashes.
- Joining: Another source of pain after lash application occurs when the lash stylist attaches one extension to several natural lashes. This would result in the fusion of the lashes, which inadvertently leads to pain and discomfort.
- Improper lash removal: Trying to remove lash extensions without professional assistance would result in irritation and pain. It is often advisable to let your lash stylist remove it or let it fall out on its own.
How Long Do Your Eyes Hurt After Lash Extensions?
The duration of your irritation depends on its severity. Your eyes could hurt from a few hours to a few days. For pain felt, as a result, of an allergic reaction to the glue, this discomfort should dissipate within 24 hours. If the pain is from other sources, you should talk to your lash stylist or doctor if it persists after a few days. Treatment also plays a vital role in the duration of pain felt.
What Are Signs Your Lashes May Not Have Been Applied Correctly?
How do you know there was a mistake in your lash application? Below are signs that tell you your lashes were not appropriately attached.
Swollen or Bloodshot eyes
This is an obvious sign of a wrong lash attachment. Swollen or bloodshot eyes mean you are sensitive to the lash adhesive used during the procedure. It also means you need to get the Lashes removed as soon as possible.
Brush Not Passing Through Your Lashes
This is another sign of a badly done extension. If your mascara wand does not pass through your lashes easily, it means your lash stylist used too much glue during the procedure. A properly done lash extension allows the free movement of the mascara wand.
Burning Sensation
If your eyes burn during or after the lash attachment procedure, it means safety measures were not correctly applied.
There should be no exposure to the eye during the eyelash extension procedure, mainly because the adhesive can irritate both the mucous membranes and cornea.
Another reason why you might feel a burning sensation is because the gel pad holding down the lower lashes stays within the waterline. When this happens, they could rub the eye during the procedure, which causes a burning sensation.
Use Of Wrong Lashes
When you feel like one lash extension is bonding to several natural lashes, the lash stylist used the wrong lash for the procedure. Normally, one lash extension should join one natural lash.
Extension Shedding
You know an extension has shed when you see the natural eyelash bonded to is still at its base. This tells you that the extension bond held both lash extension and natural lash through the natural lash’s lifespan.
On the other hand, when shedding occurs, and you do not see the natural lash at the base of the lash extension, it means the bond wore out before time. To prevent such shedding, you must clean the natural lash before adding a lash extension.
Lash Looking Odd
This is one of the telling signs of a badly done lash extension. A lash extension should imitate your natural lash. If you discover that the lash extensions are not mimicking your natural lash, it means your natural lashes were not isolated during the procedure. It could also mean that your lash stylist mistakenly bonded several natural lashes together.
Also, if the lash extensions are not looking believable or feel too heavy, you should take them off, as they cause stress on the natural lashes and could cause thinning over time.
Why Do Eyelash Extensions Hurt When They Grow Out?
Do eyelash extensions hurt when growing out? If your lashes hurt when they grow out, it is a sign that the lash stylist did not carry out the extension properly.
When improperly done lashes grow out, they tend to poke into your eyes or eyelids. If you ignore this, it could become severe.
Experiencing pain when extensions grow out could mean that the lash technician fused more than one natural lash to a lash extension. It could also mean that the lash stylist stuck one or more lash extensions to your skin.
Can You Do Anything To Help With The Pain?
Being one of the most sensitive parts of the body, you should worry when they start swelling, itching, or hurting. So what do you do?
When you notice pain, the first thing to do is to inform your lash stylist. It is in the lash stylist’s place to discover the source of the irritation, whether; adhesive, lash extension used, or method of application. After evaluation, they can proffer a solution or remove the extensions safely.
If the condition persists, you might have to visit your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Here are some tips on how to avoid pain after the lash extension procedure while improving the longevity of the attachment;
- After applying lash extensions to your eyes, avoid steam and water for the first 48 hours
- Since oil causes adhesives to break down, avoid any facial product that contains oil.
- Do not sleep face down as eyelash could rub against the pillow resulting in premature breakage and fallout
- Do not rub your eyes or extensions as touching them frequently makes them weaker and could result in breakage.
- Brush lashes often use a mascara brush to keep them smooth and straight.
Do Eyelash Extensions Damage Your Eyes and Natural Lashes?
Can eyelash extensions hurt your eyes? Eyelash extensions do not cause damage to your eyes and natural lashes when attached appropriately. To forestall any damage to the eye and natural lashes, selecting and attaching extensions carefully is of paramount importance. Besides, the lash technician or beautician must consider factors like natural lash length and thickness when attaching extensions. Lash tech should also ensure extension application occurs one natural lash at a time.
Lash extension attachment would damage your natural lashes if improperly done. Here are common errors that could lead to damage;
Heavy Extensions
Natural lash thickness and length are among the most important factors to consider when considering a lash extension. When you account for these variables, your error margin reduces considerably.
When the extension is heavier than the natural lash, premature shedding occurs, resulting from the natural lash yielding to stress.
The downside to this premature shedding is that your natural lash thins down over time, giving them a sparse appearance.
Fusion
Gluing two or more natural lashes together is one of the most frequent causes of lash damage. There are many downsides to gluing more than one lash together during an extension procedure. Chief among them is that it makes the job appear unprofessional and aesthetically unpleasant.
Also, if one of the lashes glued together is still growing, it could pull out the other ones. When it completes its cycle and wants to shed, it sheds together. It is important to note that pulling out natural eyelashes prematurely causes damage to the hair follicle over time.
Glue to Skin
Also called nailheads, it occurs when a lash technician mistakenly glues a lash extension to the skin instead of natural lashes. Normally, the skin should not encounter glue during the extension process. The downsides of nailheads include clogged follicles, making it difficult for new lashes to grow. It could also cause dermatitis, a skin irritation that makes one very uncomfortable.
Once again, does getting eyelash extensions hurt? No, it should not hurt when done properly. Eyelash extension procedures should be painless. If you feel any discomfort in the form of pain, inflammation, or an itchy sensation during the procedure or after, the lash stylist or product quality is to blame. Also, the discomfort could occur if you open your eye during the process or close your eyes for long.
