The desire for longer eyelashes isn’t a new one. For decades, beauty products have been developed — and heavily marketed — to create fuller, more voluminous lashes.

People possess tried everything from special mascara formulas to lash extensions and even eyelash-growing drugs in search of longer lashes. But our delicate eyelashes (and eyes! ) deserve to be treated with special care. Remember, before undergoing any intense beauty procedures, your eyelashes are meant to protect your own eyes.

Yet if you’re curious about lash lifts — the recently popular procedure that curls the particular lashes you have — read upon, as ophthalmology specialist Nicole Bajic, MD , shares what you should know about this eyelash procedure.

What is a lash lift?

As the name implies, an eyelash lift is really a cosmetic process that’s meant to curl your existing the eyelashes, giving the appearance of lengthier, fuller eyelashes.

“It might make it look a little longer because it’s curled, but it’s not actually making the lashes lengthier or thicker, ” notes Dr . Bajic.

Of course, false lash extensions and fake eyelashes have been around forever, although anyone who’s done them before knows that they require a bit of upkeep. Plus, some people complain the results don’t provide a natural enough appear.

A eyelash lift, on the other hand, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s designed to give the lashes you already have a bit of the boost. “Basically it’s like a perm, ” explains Dr. Bajic. “But instead of it being applied in order to your hair, the particular solution will be applied to your eyelashes to give all of them a curled effect.

“Some people may not want a very dramatic-looking lash extension and they’re moving away from that will, ” she continues. “And maybe a lot more people are usually trying lash lifts because it’s enhancing their natural lashes. ”

What happens during a lash lift treatment?

Just such as getting eyelash extensions, in order in order to get a lash lift, you should go to a certified beauty expert. (In other words, it is not a good idea to DIY this one on your own — more on that later).  

Here’s how it works: At a salon, a technician will start by putting a little bit of silicone mold upon your eyelid using the non-toxic glue. After that, a chemical is usually applied to your lashes that’s meant to break down and then reorganize the disulfide bonds in your own lashes, giving them the curled effect. Next, a perm solution is added over the lash plus sits for about 15 minutes.  

While the procedure is fairly simple, it will take around 45 minutes in total to account for application, drying and wait time. Similar to a perm as well, lash lifts are semi-permanent — this particular means that once your new lashes start to grow within, this treatment runs out and you’ll need to get it redone.

So , is this a procedure worth batting your own lashes at? While it seems like it’s just the couple of levels up from using a drugstore eyelash curler, it is actually much more involved.

Precautions plus considerations prior to getting the lash raise

Allergic reactions

One associated with the main concerns along with getting a lash lift is definitely the potential for an allergic reaction. “Very frequently, people can have a sensitivity in order to fragrances or added chemicals, ” cautions Dr. Bajic.  

According to Dr. Bajic, an allergic attack to a lash lift procedure can often include the following symptoms around your eyes:  

• Redness.
• Swelling.  
• Rashes.  

“There’s also a lack of clarity about the chemicals that are actually being used, ” the girl adds. Ideally, a test patch may give your own technician a good idea if you are going to have got an allergic reaction. However, that is not always a guarantee.

“Overall, I don’t recommend these becoming done, yet if someone insists on having it done, I really think it’s the best practice to at least have a patch test done prior, ” she stresses. “And it seems like that’s not being carried out routinely. ”

Overprocessing

Another thing to be cautious about is overprocessing. Just like getting your hair dyed — after a certain number of times, it can damage it in the long run. So , too, can eyelash procedures.  

“These lash elevates are chemically altering hair, as nicely as affecting a very sensitive part of your face, ” points out Dr. Bajic.  

In short, any kind of overprocessing simply speeds up the thinning out of your tresses that happens with age . The particular same goes for your eyelashes.

“If you’re always applying some sort of chemical to these lash follicles, it changes them over time, ” she says.

Puts a person at risk of certain eye conditions 

Aside from allergic reactions, lash lifts may also cause some other eye-related conditions that you do not want to deal with.  

According to Doctor Bajic, doing any type of intense cosmetic methods to your lashes (even plug-ins or fake lashes) can make you more prone to problems like blepharitis or inflammation of the particular eyelids.

Dr. Bajic also highlights that will eye hygiene is at occasions overlooked when people are getting cosmetic processes like this. For example, after getting the lash raise, your technician may suggest not cleaning the area so as not to interfere along with it. But this can be an infection waiting in order to happen.

“You want to keep your lashes clean, ” she advises. “It’s horrible advice in order to tell somebody not to clean around your eyelashes because that lets things build up. Sometimes, some of these lash treatments may make a person more susceptible to infections. ”

Lacks research upon long-term effects

As far as long-term effects go, there’s still limited research on exactly how lash elevates can impact your lash growth and eye health within the coming years.

“We don’t know what the extensive potential effects are, ” says Dr . Bajic. “There’s a lot we nevertheless don’t understand, and we’re only going to figure out later on if it is a bad idea or even not, especially when it comes to using chemicals right around our eyes. ”

Can I try doing a lash lift at home?

We’ll keep this simple: no. If you do opt with regard to trying a lash raise procedure, it’s best to proceed to an expert. They’ll know the right products to use and can perform a check strand to see how your own lashes and skin react to the method. Plus, as Doctor Bajic notes, it is risky in order to do an intense procedure such as this to your own eye, as it’s hard to really inspect what you’re performing.  

Exactly what to do instead 

If you’re feeling weary regarding lash lifts, there are luckily additional options you can go regarding that can provide your sexy eyelashes a lift.

“My recommendation can be, if you want a curled effect of your own lashes, just use a regular old eyelash curler, ” says Doctor. Bajic.

Overall, lash lifts are generally not recommended because of the danger of allergies and infection. But if you do choose to give this a try, definitely head to a certified salon plus insist upon a plot test first. And save the procedure intended for special occasions.

“If it’s couple times the year to get something such as a wedding or a big event, you are probably not heading to trigger significant harm and it should be fine, ” states Dr . Bajic. “But it is the constant trauma where I think the real problems seem to crop upward. ”