What good work looks like
Before the signs of a bad set, here is the standard to hold one against. You can check most of it yourself with a clean spoolie and a mirror in daylight.
| What you check | Good work | Worth a closer look |
|---|---|---|
| Brushing | Each lash moves on its own | Two or more lashes move as one |
| The base | Clean, a hair's width off the skin | Blobs of glue, or glue on the eyelid |
| Length | No more than 2 to 3 mm longer than your own lash | Much longer than your lashes, tips drooping |
| Direction | Follows your lash line and curls the same way | Crossing, pointing down or sideways from day one |
| Feel | You forget they are there | Heavy, tight, pulling or scratchy |
| First week | A few shed with your own lashes | Lots falling out in the first days |
A few extensions on your pillow is normal. It is normal to lose between one and five of your own lashes each day [4], and an extension goes with the lash it is on.
Lashes glued together
This is the one to take seriously. A "sticky" is when glue joins two or more neighboring lashes together [5]. Your lashes grow at different speeds, so if a growing lash is glued to a resting one, the growing lash drags the resting one with it, pulls on its root, and often pulls it out early. Do that across a lash line and you get gaps.
You can often feel it before you see it: a tight or pulling feeling in one spot, or lashes that will not separate when you brush them. Do not try to pry them apart. The American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that if your lashes are clumped together, you should not use anything sharp to separate them [6]. Brush gently with a clean spoolie, and if they stay joined, text the artist who did the set.
Too long or too heavy
If an extension is too thick, too long or too heavy for the lash it sits on, it works like a lever on the root every time you blink. Over time that pull can make the lash fall out early [5]. The rule I keep is that an extension should not be more than 2 to 3 mm longer than the natural lash it sits on [7]. A set that looks dramatic in the photo but droops at the tips, or makes your eyes feel tired by the evening, is often over that line.
Glue where it should not be
Adhesive belongs on the extension and the natural lash, not on your eyelid. Adhesive touching the eyelid skin causes irritation [5]. Blobs of glue at the base also make a set feel stiff and look crusty up close. A little shine at the base is normal; a visible bead that you can feel is not.
Twisting and falling out
Some twisting later in the cycle is normal. An extension on a young lash gets carried outward as that lash grows, and after a couple of weeks it can tip forward or twist [8]. That is what a fill every two to three weeks is for.
Twisting or heavy loss in the first few days is different. It usually comes back to water or steam in the first 24 hours, oil or makeup on the lashes when they were applied, rubbing, or lashes glued together. My guide on why extensions fall out goes through each cause.
When it is your eyes, not the lashes
A little sting during an appointment can happen if an eye opens slightly while the glue is setting [9]. What is not normal is pain, itching, redness or swelling afterwards. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says an allergic reaction can trigger pain, itching, redness and swelling. If you have a reaction, it says not to remove the extensions yourself or treat it on your own, but to see an ophthalmologist immediately [3]. I am a lash artist, not a doctor, and that is not something to wait out. My guide to reactions and irritation has more.
What to do if your set looks wrong
- Do not pull or pick. Pulling them off yourself takes your own lashes with them [1]. Rubbing, tugging or pulling can fracture your natural lashes [3].
- Take clear photos in daylight, eyes open and closed, and text them to the artist who did the set.
- If you want them off, have them taken off with a remover rather than waiting and picking. With me, text me and I will take them off with a gel remover. It takes about twenty minutes [1], and I will quote you before we start [10].
- If your eyes hurt or swell, see an eye doctor first. Removal comes after, when the doctor says it is fine.
If you want a fresh start with me, know that fills are only for sets I did. If another artist did your set, book a new set, tell me in the notes, and I take the old one off first [1]. Full sets run from $140 for a Classic to $240 for a Mega Volume, and every set includes the consultation, the mapping of your lashes, the application and the aftercare walkthrough [11].
A $25 deposit holds your time and comes off your total [11]. Reschedule with more than 24 hours notice and your deposit moves to the new time at no charge. Cancel inside 24 hours and the $25 deposit is not returned, plus a $20 cancellation fee.
First time booking a full set? Use code FIRST20 at checkout for $20 off. One per client, and it comes off the balance you pay on the day, not off the deposit. It does not apply to fills.
Questions about bad lash extensions
What do bad lash extensions look like?
Lashes glued together so they move as one, blobs of glue at the base or on the skin, and lengths much longer than your own lashes that droop or cross. Also watch for extensions twisting in the first few days, and a set that looks uneven between the two eyes. Good work looks separated, even and light.
Should lash extensions feel heavy?
No. A good set feels like nothing once it is on. Heavy, tight or pulling usually means the extensions are too long or thick for your lashes, or that lashes are stuck together. Pain, itching, redness or swelling is a reason to see an eye doctor.
What should I do if my lash extensions were done wrong?
Do not pull them off or pick at them, because that takes your own lashes with them. Brush them gently, take clear photos, and text the artist who did them. If you want them off, have them removed with a remover. If your eyes hurt or swell, see an eye doctor first.