Lash lifts are a popular semi-permanent beauty service that curls the lashes to make your eyes look brighter and more awake. They share many similarities with other semi-permanent beauty services like lash extensions or brow laminations.
Essentially, a lash lift is like a mini-perm for your lashes. Lash lifts are ideal for people who want to enhance the appearance of their natural eyelashes. They involve less maintenance and are more affordable than lash extensions.
However, there is always a risk, like any other semi-permanent beauty service. Unfortunately, lash lifts can be misapplied, and you don’t want to injure your eyes, lashes, or surrounding skin area. Lash lifts use numerous chemicals to get that lift.
One negative of lash lifts is that your lashes can end up too lifted or curled. Most of us want beautiful and lifted lashes, but sometimes they can look hooked or too curly. This unflattering result can leave people feeling panicked, especially before an important event.
What can you do if your lash lift is too lifted? Thankfully, repairing a lash lift doesn’t have to be as traumatizing as it sounds. The safest way to fix this lash blunder is to wait to grow the eyelash lift. However, you can help your lashes along the way.
We’ll talk all about the best things you can do for your lashes in this situation and explained what may have cause the problem below, so stick with us!
What Is A Lash Lift?
Think of a lash lift as a perm for your eyelashes. Surprisingly enough, perms and semi-permanent beauty services like brow laminations all take similar steps to transform your hair, involving multiple chemicals for the right outcome.
In order to curl or lift your eyelashes, the bond of the lashes needs to be broken, just like in a perm for your hair. A perming solution is used to break the bonds, and a rounded silicone pad is placed under your eyelashes, so they adhere to a new lifted shape.
Once the perm solution has softened the lashes, it’s time to go in with another solution. Think of this step like the neutralizer for a perm; this second solution will reseal the bonds of your lashes and help lock in your new curled and lifted results.
Some lash lifts include a lash tint, which is usually the last step of a lash lift, but it can be up to you whether you want the tint or not. Finally, your lashes are refreshed, awakened, and lively. But what happens if the results are a little too extreme?
Potential Risks Of Getting A Lash Lift
Like any other beauty service, lash lifts do come with their risks. While they can get extreme in rare situations, most adverse side effects from lash lifts are simple to tackle. However, a lousy lash lift can damage the integrity of your eyelashes.
For example, you may notice that your lashes are too lifted or curled. This can occur if the perming or lifting solution is left on for too long and over-processes the lashes. A lash lift needs at least 48 hours, on average, to set in place.
So, your lashes can continue curling upwards if they are over-processed, and sometimes they can even cross into each other. You may also notice your lashes are frizzy, or the extreme lift is causing them to grow out in multiple directions.
Other risks include burned eyelashes, irritated skin, eye irritation, and problems with your vision in the worst, most extreme scenarios. It’s important to remember that lash lifts involve using serious chemicals that only a trained and licensed professional should apply.
How Long Does A Lash Lift Last?
Even with all the potential adverse risks, a bad lash lift usually doesn’t have lasting impacts. There are multiple ways you can care for your lashes following a lash lift until it grows out entirely or you’re ready for a touch-up.
Depending on your hair growth cycle, a lash lift can last anywhere from 4-6 weeks on average. So, even if you have an unpleasant experience, within a month or two, there is a chance your lash lift will grow out on its own.
According to one study, “the daily growth rate of a lash is 0.12-0.14mm. The anagen phase duration varies from 4-10 weeks and the complete life cycle is from 4-11 months.” The anagen phase is the stage when the hair is growing.
Even if you’re dealing with the negatives of a lash lift, it won’t be for long. Lash lifts will quickly fade, and with the correct aftercare, you can learn how to diminish your curls slowly over time until your eyelashes are back to normal.
However, what causes lash lifts to fail, and how can you spot the signs?
What Causes A Lash Lift To Go Wrong?
When deciding on getting a lash lift, it’s crucial to pick the right lash tech. Your lash technician should be a certified and licensed beautician. They should be experienced, have great reviews from clients, and offer flawless results.
A lash lift can go wrong if the solutions used for softening and setting are left too long on the lashes, or they’re expired. So it’s crucial to perform a patch test to ensure there are no allergic reactions to the chemicals that are supposed to lift your lashes.
If the silicone eyelash pad isn’t lying correctly on the lash line, it can cause issues. Not only does it allow an opportunity for the solutions to seep into the eyes, but if the pad moves, it can affect the curl and growth direction of the lashes.
Other mistakes that can happen during the lash lift are that your eyelashes still have traces of solution on them even after the service, or the lash tech has picked an unflattering shape and curl for your facial features.
Signs Of A Low-Quality Lash Lift
We have briefly mentioned some tell-tale signs that your lash lift has gone wrong earlier, but it’s time to review. Becoming aware of these signs will tell you if you should seek help from another beauty professional or if the lashes need extra care.
First and foremost, your lashes are overly curled and lifted. Within the first 48 hours after your lash lift service, there is a possibility that your lashes will curl even more during this time because your results are still setting into place.
Next is for lashes that feel dry, brittle, or frizzy. This can result from leaving the lifting solution on the eyelashes for too long or not properly cleaning the lashes after the service. Thankfully, there is a solution to treat over processed eyelashes.
Finally, other signs of a lash lift gone wrong can include inconsistent curls throughout the lashes or the lashes clumping or growing into each other. If you happen to fall victim to an overly curled lash lift, there are a few ways to remedy the situation.
How To Fix An Overly Curled Lash Lift
Thankfully, fixing a lash lift that’s too lifted doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems. These techniques below feature the safest and gentlest way to tone down your lash lift. You won’t be harming or causing more damage to your eyelashes.
You should also assess your eyelashes’ current state, needs, and goals. For example, are they dry or frizzy? Do you want to completely get rid of your lash lift or take the curl down a notch? Or do you need to adjust the shape and growth direction?
These, among many other questions, will help you figure out what is the best way to tackle your overly curled eyelashes. You’ll be able to create a quick and effective lash routine that will diminish your lift and nourish your natural eyelashes.
1. Grow Your Lashes Out
The first and most obvious choice is to wait until your lashes grow out. Growing your lashes out is also the most safest option because you aren’t trying to alter your lashes after an intense beauty service. However, it can be a lengthy wait.
On average, it can take a few months for your lash lift to grow out completely. That may not be a big deal for some people, but others may want a faster solution. It will depend on how fast your body grows out your hair and eyelashes.
However, growing out your eyelashes and leaving them untouched can make way for healthier lashes to take their place. Another option would be to get a touch-up done by a professional lash technician once the lashes have grown and fallen considerably.
Overall, this is a safe way to let your overly lifted lashes fall. It requires absolutely no maintenance because you’re leaving your lash lift completely alone.
3. Call Your Lash Technician
Another alternative is to consult with your lash technician. Hopefully, the same lash technician will be able to relax your lashes without causing additional damage. However, if your eyelashes are highly overprocessed, this may not be an option.
A lash technician should be able to loosen the lift from your lash lift service safely. If not, they should be able to guide you into the proper aftercare steps to ensure you achieve your desired results within a few days.
When in doubt, it’s always the smartest choice to seek advice from a licensed and experienced professional. They will be able to guide you on the right path to caring for your lash lift without needing to wait to grow out the mistakes from your service.
If you know you aren’t happy with your results immediately after your lash lift service, voicing your concerns with your lash tech will save you both a lot of trouble in the long run.
4. Wet Your Lashes
We mentioned earlier that it takes 48 hours for your lash lift to set in place on average fully. Within that period, your lashes are very fragile. One of the first things lash techs advises you to do is avoid water, steam, or moisture for 48 hours after the service.
However, if your lashes are too lifted, your lashes can lift or curl even further. It opens an opportunity for your eyelashes to clump or cross into each other. So wetting your lashes within the 48 hours may help loosen the lift.
Again, if you are unsure if this is the right step for you, contact your lash tech and ask if wetting your lashes will diminish your lift without causing additional harm.
It’s crucial to remember that your lashes are sensitive and have just been altered with chemicals.
It is important to wet your lashes gently and strategically to avoid unnecessary eye irritation. So, if you think your lashes are overly lifted, dampening them with water or even steam may loosen your results.
5. Use A Lash Serum
Incorporating a lash serum in your routine can help nourish your lashes after a lash lift. We know that lash lifts can alter the texture of your eyelashes. For example, they may feel dry, brittle, or you might notice that they are a little frizzy.
A lash serum is specifically formulated to add hydration and strengthen your lashes over time. This can be a great product to use if you’re growing out your lash lift because it will help promote the growth of new, strong, and healthy lashes.
Coconut oil is an affordable, natural, and accessible alternative to a lash serum. It can provide similar benefits while also diminishing your overly lifted eyelashes. Coconut oil can also combat frizzy or brittle lashes that are over processed.
Lastly, before incorporating coconut oil or lash serums into your routine, always conduct a patch test. This will ensure you don’t have an allergic reaction or cause unnecessary irritation.
6. Avoid Eyelash Curlers Or Eye Makeup
Avoid using eyelash curlers and applying eye makeup to ensure your lashes have a clean and irritation-free environment to fall or loosen. While this isn’t always necessary, you will want to avoid wearing makeup for a few days after the service.
Eye makeup can cause unnecessary irritation to form around the eyes and lash line. Removing eye makeup can cause friction and pressure that can harm your lashes.
You’ll want to avoid rubbing the eyes and wearing mascara, especially waterproof formulas.
Lastly, you’ll want to avoid using an eyelash curler. This may be obvious for people dealing with lashes that are too lifted or curly, but it’s a good reminder. Eyelash curlers can also be too harsh for lashes that have been chemically altered.
Final Thoughts
Lash lifts are a semi-permanent beauty service that alters the shape of your lashes with various chemical solutions. They can be absolutely stunning, but you can be left with overly processed, lifted, and curly lashes if it’s not performed properly.
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do, including waiting a few months for them to grow out, going in for a correction with a lash tech, wetting them with water or steam within 48 hours after the service, avoiding makeup, and incorporating a lash serum in your routine.
These tips are generally safe but always confirm with a professional. A professional lash technician should always know the safest methods to treat overly lifted lashes. Thankfully, lash lifts and their adverse effects usually don’t last forever.
Up Next: Lash Retention – How To Make Your Extensions Last Longer
