Removing Eyelash Extensions At Home Safely: According To Experts
Removing Eyelash Extensions: While experts highly recommend having extensions professionally removed or waiting until they fall out on their own, there are a few methods for safely removing eyelash extensions at home to try.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Keep reading to learn more, plus best practices for keeping eyelashes healthy while removing eyelash extensions at home.
1. Take A Hot Shower
Removing Eyelash Extensions, If you’re trying to expedite the fall-out process, try taking a hot shower. Just like your lash artist should advise you to avoid steam and wet your lashes as infrequently as possible in order to lengthen the life of your lashes, doing the opposite can help loosen any stragglers that are still hanging on to your lash line for dear life.
Just remember to keep your hands off your lashes for optimum results. When done right, removing falsies should be a painless process. “Never cut your lashes or pick off your lash extensions. Picking at them will only cause damage to your natural lashes, and your extensions will eventually grow out and shed with your natural lash cycle,” emphasizes celebrity lash expert and Envious Lashes founder, Clementina Richardson.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, A shortcut to the hot shower method: a steam facial. Not only can it be effective with loosening lash glue, but it can also improve your complexion in the process. To try it, simply boil water and pour it into a bowl or pot. Place your face above the steaming water for five to 10 minutes, keeping your eyes closed.
2. Use An Oil-Based Cleanser
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Any experienced lash artist should tell you not to use oil-based cleansers after getting a fresh set, as this can compromise the integrity of the lash glue and cause your extensions to fall out sooner. However, if you’re trying to remove any leftover lash extensions—typically two to three weeks after application—oil cleansers are your new best friend. Try incorporating oil as the first step in your double-cleanse to help loosen any leftover lashes:
While cleansing your face, move the oil in gentle, circular motions to start to dissolve the lash glue.
Repeat for a few nights to loosen your lash extensions; this isn’t a one-night miracle.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Once extensions are removed, Lashify founder, Sahara Lotti, recommends using Lashify The Control Kit to hold you over until your next appointment. “As a lash extension lover, I created the Lashify system to mimic the exact look of extensions. You can use our Gossamer lashes to fill in gaps without needing a professional service to fill them in.”
3. Coconut Oil
Removing Eyelash Extensions, While our lash experts do not recommend the use of the oils below to remove lash extensions, as many companies create specific removers to safely dissolve the adhesive, dermatologist, Rachel Nazarian, MD, says that some oils can help loosen your lashes for easier removal.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, “The application of lash-removers and the process of gently removing the faux lashes can be tricky as one must not traumatize the natural lashes and allow preservation of the hairs underneath,” says Dr. Nazarian. “This is not only done by using appropriate gels and creams to dissolve the lash glue but also by the correct maneuvers and techniques to physically pull the lashes off.”
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Never underestimate the versatility of coconut oil. From removing makeup to promoting shiny hair to treating sunburns, this miracle oil does it all—including, lash extension removal.
Saturate a cotton pad with oil.
Gently dab and massage onto lashes where the adhesive is applied.
Remove after 30 seconds, but remain patient as the oil travels to the lashes, and slowly releases them from the adhesive. Gentle pressure will reveal if the lashes are loosened or require additional oil and time.
According to Dr. Nazarian, if you’ve never used any of the oils before, apply a small amount behind your ears and monitor for itching or irritation, which is a quick way to assess potential allergy.
4. Try Another Oil
Removing Eyelash Extensions, If coconut oil doesn’t work, here are a few other options:
Mineral oil and Olive oil: In addition to coconut oil, mineral oil, and olive oil carry a low risk of irritation and allergy. “They are often well-tolerated by most skin types and would be a suitable option for removing lash extensions,” says Dr. Nazarian.
Castor oil: According to Dr. Nazarian, castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, and has anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties, making it a safe, and somewhat useful, oil to use around the eyes. If you are pregnant and wearing lash extensions, do not use castor oil to remove them.
Baby oil: This oil option is not recommended for lash removal
Saturate the oil on a cotton pad and leave it on the lashes for 30 seconds before removing it. It may take some time for the lashes to fall off, but this should help loosen the glue.
5. Consider Vaseline
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Vaseline is a multi-purpose beauty salve that just so happens to have benefits when applied to the lashes. Since it’s a lubricant and moisturizer, it can help condition and moisturize the lashes, making them grow stronger. While applying Vaseline to the lashes likely won’t result in instant removal, it will help break down the glue—speeding up the shedding process.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, If you’re applying Vaseline to your lashes and extensions, avoid tugging at the lashes. If you experience any irritation or clogged pores, stop using it.
6. Try A Professional-Grade Lash Glue Dissolver
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Since your eyelashes are delicate and the skin around your eyes is also sensitive, it’s imperative to know everything on how to remove eyelash extensions at home before attempting to do this on a whim with little to no guidance.
“The glue used to apply typical lash extensions cures or hardens once it hits the air. This means it has hardened onto the natural lash. Once the extension grows out it may break off and may take your natural lash with it,” says Jill Medicis, Lashify Pro and Pro Educator Team Senior Manager. “By attempting to remove your lash extensions at home you may cause excessive damage to the natural lashes or may even lose the natural lash.”
Lotti emphasizes, “You can definitely loosen extensions by taking hot showers and drenching them in oils, but to remove safely, with as little damage as possible, you’ll need to purchase a remover to dissolve them.”
Cotton Pad With A Remover
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Gently apply this to the lashes to ensure that the remover starts to loosen the glue of the extensions for safe at-home removal.
Lotti adds, “When applying a professional glue-dissolving remover to the extensions, be sure to keep it out of your eyes. Keeping your eyes free of any irritants is the most important thing to do when attempting to remove your extensions at home.”
Removing Eyelash Extensions, If you want to take a break from lashes altogether, try using a lash serum to jumpstart your natural lashes into growing longer, thicker, and fuller. Eyelash and eyebrow serums both contain ingredients such as peptides meant to help the natural growth process of lashes and brows.
7. See A Professional
Removing Eyelash Extensions, The safest way (both for your natural lashes and your eyes themselves) to remove your eyelash extensions is to have them removed by a professional. In most cases, extensions are adhered to using surgical-grade glue, which isn’t something a novice should mess around with.
You definitely don’t want to damage your natural lashes, which can occur when long, heavy extensions are applied and/or removed incorrectly. So if they’re not coming off, see a pro. Plus, it’s also very easy to spread bacteria into the eye area, which a lash artist can fairly easily avoid (they have hundreds of hours of training, not to mention the proper equipment). So if you can wait to see a professional, you should.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, But with that being said, there are inevitably circumstances where you can’t get into the salon to have your lashes removed, and may want to take matters into your own hands. Whether you’re in between appointments or giving up on extensions for a while to give your natural lashes a rest, luckily there are a few damage-free, expert-approved ways to remove eyelash extensions at home. Just heed our warnings about the sanitary and safety risks of doing it yourself.
When To Remove Lash Extensions
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Lash extensions typically last two to three weeks before a fill is needed. If you’re letting the lashes fall out on their own, it could take well over a month before they’re all gone. Once you hit the three-week mark and you start to have clumps of missing lash extensions that may be a good time to consider removal.
Removing Eyelash Extensions, You can also apply a coat of lengthening mascara to disguise your natural lashes with your extensions. When you wash the mascara off your lashes, there’s a good chance most of the extensions will fall off in the process, especially if you’re using an oil-based cleanser.
Final Thought
Removing Eyelash Extensions, Inevitably there are circumstances where you can’t get into the salon to have your lashes removed, and may want to take matters into your own hands. Whether you’re in between appointments or giving up on extensions for a while to give your natural lashes a rest, luckily there are a few damage-free, expert-approved ways to remove eyelash extensions at home. Just heed our warnings about the sanitary and safety risks of doing it yourself.
Sahara Lotti is a lash expert, as well as the CEO and founder of Lashify, a luxury at-home lash extension system.
Clementina Richardson is a celebrity lash and brow expert and the founder of Envious Lashes in New York City.
Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist of Schweiger Dermatology Group.
Also Read:
Beautiful Eyelashes: The 5 Tips For Having Gorgeous Eyelashes
Eyelashes Removal: Tips To Remove EyeLashes
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