Lash Lifts & Falsies: What You Should Know

What do the best lashes look like for you? Some of us love unstoppable length, while others prize incredible fullness or inky black lashes. Whether you like full, long, dark or flared lashes, it’s fair to say that most of us are not born with the lashes we lust after.

So what lengths are we willing to go to get the lashes of our dreams? Some of us stick to temporary glue on lash strips, maybe just for special occasions. Others swear by regular lash extensions to give them long, flirty lashes day-in and day-out. And while we’re certainly suckers for a healthy set of eye fringe, we can’t help but to think about the risks. Let’s chat about the types of lash treatments out there, the risk of damage, and the natural alternatives to help us live our feathery-lashed dreams.

Mascara

Love your natural lashes, but enjoy a little boost? At times it feels there are hundreds of choices on the market, but no matter what your go-to choice, slathering the stuff on everyday isn’t without side effects. Consistent use of non-natural mascaras can cause lash hair thinning, lash hair damage, and damage to the skin around the eyes at the least. We’re also looking at parabens and petrochemicals, not to mention all the bacteria that grows inside the mascara tube. Some of the ingredients and effects can lead to premature aging of the eye area, allergies, and sight impairment. Goes to show that even this relatively safe seeming method of lash enhancement is far from risk-free.

Lash Lifts & Tinting

While these types of treatments can’t be considered new, they’ve immensely grown in popularity in the last 3-5 years. Scrolling through social media, it’s impossible not to see a time lapse of the process – people getting their lashes temporarily glued to a small pad and treated, or lashes coated in thick, dark brown paste for tints. We have to say, it doesn’t exactly look safe or comfortable, and according to FDA, “permanent eyelash and eyebrow tints and dyes have been known to cause serious eye injuries, including blindness.” Safe providers and temporary results can often be quite agreeable to the eye area. Even so, while the results are often gorgeous – almost unbelievable transformations with falsie-like results – the risks are simply not worth the reward, especially if you have sensitive eyes.

Growth Serums

Many of us would love to grow longer, fuller lashes, and some of us turn to growth serums to do the trick. Ranging from trendy brands to high end and often sold at cosmetic stores, lash serums are relatively accessible, and sometimes they’re not all bad. Those that utilize natural oils to hydrate and condition the lashes are not necessarily promising ‘growth’, but they do enhance the look of natural lashes. Other growth products can be a bit riskier. Common reactions are blurry vision, redness and irritation, but this can escalate to allergic reactions and permanent discoloration of the eyes and eye area - so proceed with caution!

Strip Lashes

With all the risks of the lash enhancements we talked about above, you’re probably thinking, ‘I’ll just stick to falsies’ - not so fast! While we love the immediately glamorous effect of a comfortable, flared lash, we’re not exactly risk-free with this option. Many of us show mild allergic side effects to lashes and glue and don’t even know it. Many lash glues can contain toxic ingredients including parabens, latex and even formaldehyde. Some responses include eye watering or dryness, redness and irritation, itching of the eye area, and swelling that can get very severe.

Lash Extensions

Have you ever gotten lash extensions? If so, you know the immediate satisfaction of looking at your reflection and seeing a matching set of flirty, full lashes framing your eyes. But the application process is often hours long, uncomfortable, and the results can cause reactions to the eye. Not only does the industrial strength glue often sting and burn, but the foreign material of the lashes themselves can cause discomfort as well. From chronic redness, watering or drying while they’re attached to swelling, welts, itchiness and worse, lash extensions are a very expensive risk.