If the eyes are the windows to the soul, the eyelashes serve as the window frame. If you have long but sparse lashes, or if you struggle with short and straight lashes, it can be difficult to create today’s trending looks, even with the best mascaras on the market. Lash extensions and lash lifts have grown in popularity over the last two years, and each one can make your lashes appear fuller and longer.
Lash Extensions
Simply put, lash extensions involve bonding individual eyelash hairs to your natural lashes to make them longer and fuller. While it’s possible to create a natural looking lash with extensions, they are typically favored by those who want a more dramatic effect. There are several different methods for applying lash extensions:
- Classic Technique: This involves attaching one extension fiber to each of your natural lashes. When it’s done well, the result can be very natural-looking.
- Volume Technique: This technique involves attaching multiple fanned-out fibers to each of your natural lashes for a more dramatic, high-volume effect. If you want drama, this is the technique for you.
- Hybrid Technique: Hybrid lash extensions are a balance between natural-looking and dramatic lashes. A single extension fiber will be attached to some of your natural lashes, but others will be volumized with multiple fibers.
If you want your lashes to look amazing every day without having to curl them or use mascara, or if you want a dramatic effect that a lash lift simply can’t provide, lash extensions are perfect for you. Depending on the technique used, the procedure can take anywhere from one to two hours, and you’ll need to return for refills every two to three weeks. As your natural eyelashes shed, the extension fibers will shed with them. Lash extensions do require a little more at-home maintenance than lash lifts, so keep this in mind before deciding.
Lash Lifts
A lash lift, on the other hand, is a process that involves “perming” your natural lashes to make them appear fuller and longer due to the enhanced curl. Lash lifts are ideal for anyone who wants to enhance the look of their natural lashes without adding too much drama. During the process, the aesthetician will protect your eyes with guards, then apply a solution to your lashes designed to break down the protein bonds and reform them with the desired curl. While the lashes aren’t physically lengthened, the strategic addition of curl at the base makes them appear longer.
There are two primary benefits associated with lash lifts. First, a procedure known as a “Lift and Tint” is ideal if you want to make your lashes appear longer and darker, which adds natural drama. Second, if you’re a fan of mascara, you’ll be able to wear it as usual following the lift – just avoid waterproof mascaras. The whole procedure takes 45 minutes to an hour, and you’ll need to see your aesthetician once every four to eight weeks to maintain the look. If you want your lashes to return to their natural shape, there’s nothing you need to do aside from wait for the effects of the lift to disappear with time. Lash lifts require little at-home maintenance, so if you’re pinched for time, it’s a great alternative to extensions.
Lash lifts and lash extensions both provide you with longer looking and fuller lashes, but lash lifts offer a natural look while lash extensions tend toward the dramatic. If you’re still unsure about which procedure is right for you, book a consultation today!
