Do Eyelash Extensions Hurt?
Eyelash extensions should never hurt, other than maybe the odd accidental tug. When they are applied properly by a professional with professional tools and products, there is no reason why they should ever be uncomfortable, let alone painful. An under eye gel pad (or tape) is put on to isolate your top lashes from the bottom ones. An eyelash technician will isolate each natural eyelash when applying a false lash with glue to ensure they are not stuck together. If you are experiencing any discomfort during the process, always let your technician know. Sometimes as gel pads heat up from your face, the gel can seep into the eye, not causing harm but it can be irritating. Sometimes glue fumes can seep into the eye during application and cause light stinging, if this happens at all let your technician know. Other than slight pulling or tugging (still quite rare if the technician is experienced) you shouldn’t really feel much during the application.
After the application, when you open your eyes is the real test. Your eyelash extensions should feel like nothing, they should be weightless and completely comfortable. If they feel heavy, pokey or it’s hard to open your eyes the product is probably poor quality or they weren’t applied correctly or both. If they feel pokey, there is chance the lashes are actually touching your skin (and probably the glue too) which can cause an allergic reaction and even without a reaction, be extremely uncomfortable. If you feel like the lashes are constantly in your line of sight, feel like they are coming into your eye or feeling like you constantly want to brush them, chances are they were not isolated properly and they are stuck together. If you have an allergic reaction it will usually happen between 24-72 hours after they were applied and if that happens you should contact your technician immediately. With newer glues on the market they are usually low fume but can sometimes still provoke an allergic reaction depending on the person.
When your lashes start to grow out, sometimes they can get a little bit more tangled or even flip around which can cause discomfort but that can fixed by brushing them gently or manipulating a flipped eyelash with a lash brush by moving it around to un-flip it. You want to make sure you’re going to a lash technician that is going to preen your lashes before filling them, this ensures that any lashes that are really grown out are being removed and a fresh one is being applied.
Aside from having an allergic reaction, eyelash extensions should always feel comfortable if you had them applied properly by a professional and you are washing and brushing them everyday!