Changing Up Your Lash Game
As an optometrist, I’ve seen some great lashes. I’ve seen some bad lashes. From the perspective of an eye doctor – what separates the great lash from the bad lash? Well, here are 5 common complaints I hear from my patients. You can draw your own conclusion on who gets the great lash and who gets the bad lash.
Whether you are getting lash extensions or applying falsies, just remember that blink rate decreases with a heavier lash set. In some cases, blink rate can decrease by over 50%. So, if you work behind a computer all day – choose an overall lighter weight lash to help your eyes feel more comfortable during the work day.
So, you’re telling me that your lash artist dipped their hands in bacteria before applying your lashes?!?! I think not. After care is probably the #1 predictor of lash extension success. The cleaner your eyelid margins are and thus your eyelash follicles are, the more likely they will stay healthy and look beautiful and happy. And PS: no more baby shampoo. It’s not healthy for the tear film. Watch our lash care video on how to keep those lashes clean.
If you do a google search for falsie or lash extension glue, there are literally – hundreds to choose from. The eyes are an extremely sensitive organ. One misdirected eyelash can cause a serious amount of discomfort. Let your lash artist know about your sensitivity. They can perform a small wrist test to check for allergy before using. In addition, on your next install – your lash artist can use one type of glue on the right eye and another on the left eye. Repeat the glue that feels the best.
Lash loss is a normal fact of being alive. If you notice 1-3 lashes a day being lost – that’s normal. If you are noticing 10+ lashes lost a day or balding areas – that’s not normal. Lash loss can happen for many reasons, but in general for a healthy adult, it’s all in the eyelid margin. When you have blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margin) – no lashes are safe!
Anything that disrupts the homeostasis of the tear film can contribute to an inflammatory response and thus, dry eyes. Applying a drop of a preservative free eye drop before and while extensions are being installed can help with off-gassing from the glue. And as a nice trick, instilling a drop of Blink for Contact Lenses into the contact lens before insertion can also help with the side effects off-gassing for the first few days.
Love + Healthy Eyes,
