Lash Extension Care

I get asked a lot of questions from patients concerning lash extensions. Often, I find myself circling back to the same topic time and time again in regards to lash extensions: cleaning and aftercare. Just as it is highly recommended to remove eye makeup and clean your face, so is the same with eyelash extensions.  Clean your lashes and lash line frequently, is what I tell my patients often. 

Cleaning your lash extensions prevents infection and inflammation around the eyelash and eyelid margin.  Blepharitis is inflammation that is due to bacteria and demodex (lash mites) in and around the lash follicle, that can cause redness, irritation and can lead to dry eye.  Infection can occur when bacteria (or mite infestation) becomes excessive and the eyelid then reacts poorly leading to the symptoms mentioned above and also swollen lids and dandruff like crusting around the eyelashes. It can be an ongoing condition if not controlled with proper hygiene and can effect the oil glands in an around the eyelid; this can lead to dry eye symptoms.

If imagining little lash mites is not enough motivation to clean your lashes daily then perhaps retention of those lashes is.  Cleaning your lashes actually helps your lashes stay healthy and beautiful longer. Think about it: perhaps you work out and sweat. Or maybe you go swimming.  Do you put eye drops in?  Or maybe you put eye makeup on daily. Maybe a rough day with a few tears? At one point during the day, we are touching our eyelids or lash area (hopefully a lot less in this COVID time).  Its easy for oils and salts (from sweat, tears, solutions) to build up on the lashes daily. These oils and salts can compromise the stability of the glue, allowing for the lash extension to easily fall off. 

Several eyelid and eyelash cleansers are available that are specifically designed to gently clean your eyelids while protecting your lash extensions.  ‘We Love Eyes’ has several products designed just for that.  Their newest cleanser is a tea tree water foaming cleanser designed to clean the eyelid and eyelash area without compromising lash extensions.  The tea tree water is an oil-free cleanser that is naturally antiseptic so it gets rid of bacteria around the eyelids.  Other ingredients include anti-inflammatory properties and agents that are safe for the tear film (this helps with dry eye symptoms) and contact lens wearers. Oh and my favorite mention about this product is that it is made and developed by an eye doctor.  It is non-toxic, natural and safe for the eyelid and eyelash margin, so it has my approval.  

Now that your committed to cleaning those lash extensions, for obvious reasons above, the next step is doing it and using a brush to apply cleanser helps! A brush allows for more direct placement of the cleanser and a better clean in between the lash extensions. The best way to use your brush is with a couple of pumps of cleanser on the brush, close your eyes and gently rub the cleanser on your eyelid margin and rinse…now your on your way to remove buildup and bacteria for healthy and beautiful lashes. 

So moral of the story: lash extension care is a necessary and worth adding it to your beauty routine. Do clean your lashes frequently and don’t skimp on lash aftercare. 

As always, stay healthy & happy friends!

Dr. Jen Wademan