To Lash or Not to Lash

PHOTO BY: TYLER WILLIAMS.

Nayeli Hernandez – Fashion and Lifestyle Editor

Every makeup enthusiast knows that you can’t have a complete routine without some false eyelashes to enhance your look. Within recent years, many have gone away from the everyday falsies and have gone a different route with eyelash extensions.

Heather Hooker, an eyelash extension artist and owner of Lashes LLC on 229 S 9th St, has been lashing for 11 years and was able to provide insight as to what eyelash extensions are and how they are applied.

PHOTO BY: IAN GOLBA. The space is as relaxing as possible as it should for a lengthy appointment such as this. Grand Junction, CO. 2021

Eyelash extensions are synthetic hairs that you attach to each individual lash to extend and make your eyelashes look fuller. A full set takes about two hours to complete, since the synthetic hairs are being attached one by one. The touch ups later on, can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

The good thing is that with eyelash extensions, there’s an array of styles that you can choose and switch from to give you a natural mascara look or a more glamorous full-lash look.

The main different kinds of sets are the classic, hybrid and mega volume sets. They each differentiate in the amount of synthetic lashes that can go on your natural ones. Although Hooker stops at the mega volume set as they could be extremely damaging to the lash.

As you may have heard of on social media or by others, there could be some downsides to getting eyelash extensions. One of those being that many people may have an allergic reaction to the glue being used in the procedure.

According to Hooker, it’s typically the black colorant or the latex in the adhesive that could cause an allergic reaction for eyelash clients. Luckily at Lash LLC, they’re able to provide tests behind the ear before going through with the procedure to see if you would be allergic to the glue.

PHOTO BY: IAN GOLBA. After applying dyed glue to end of the lash, Heather ensures it is placed right where it needs to. Grand Junction, CO. 2021

Something else to be cautious about when going to get eyelash extensions is making sure that you are going with a certified lash artist. The way that the eyelashes are attached by the artist could also cause damage to your natural lashes.

The extensions must be placed one by one other than sticking multiple on together. Because once they start to grow out they can potentially rip out your natural eyelashes because of the different speeds that lashes grow.

If you’re someone who picks and pulls at your eyelashes a lot you might want to reconsider getting eyelash extensions because this can also cause irritation and damage.

Overall, there’s a few things you need to look out for in terms of damage and safety of your eyes, but if you follow these guidelines you will be satisfied with your results.

“If they are attached properly and they’re not too heavy for your lashes and you’re pretty good about leaving them alone, they won’t cause any damage at all,” Hooker said.

Eyelash extensions may sound like a lot of work just with that, but the aftercare is also essential to keeping your set looking new and making them last. With the glue that is used at Lashes LLC, you can’t get your eyelashes wet for 24 hours. If you do happen to get them wet, they won’t just come right off but, it will weaken the glue faster causing them to last for a lesser time.

Following these guidelines will keep your eyes safe and will also make your extensions last. But if there’s one thing that should be highlighted about eyelash extensions it is that there is no doubt that they make your routine easier and they keep you looking ready to go all the time.

PHOTO BY: TYLER WILLIAMS. The finished product; the appointment lasted longer than the 45 minutes we were there.

“You can wake up and fluff your lashes and go. It looks like you have full makeup on so you just don’t have to do much,” Hooker said. “You can go swimming and work out all of those things without makeup running down your face.”

Alexis Tapia, a CMU student who got her first set three years ago, prefers eyelash extensions to the regular strip lashes because they make it easier to get ready.

“I think they make me more confident, I am also into makeup so it makes my makeup process easier,” Tapia said.

If you’re a makeup lover who puts on falsies everyday or even if you don’t necessarily like all the effort it takes to do your makeup, you should definitely give eyelash extensions a try.

“It just makes it simpler, you know? People say that eyelash extensions are higher maintenance; it’s actually the opposite. It’s for lower maintenance people that don’t want to do anything,” Hooker said.