The New Trend in Eyelash Extensions

Perhaps it seemed somewhat natural that, with the popularity of hair extensions, eyelash extensions would come to something of a vogue sooner or later. (Fake eyelashes, of course, have been popular for several generations.) Many women are as particular about their eyelash length as they are about their hair, and not every woman can apply her own lash extensions successfully.

In 2006, ABC News observed that eyelash extensions were likely to become the next big thing in beauty accessories, noting in particular that such celebrities as Paris Hilton and the troubled Lindsay Lohan each had them, while actress/singer Jennifer Lopez had mink extensions. They became so popular, in fact, that several salons offering the service—including and especially Louis Lacari in New York—started eyelash extensions salons and were booked for the procedure several months in advance.

This is not quite the same thing as fake eyelashes that have been popular for several generations and are attached to eyelash hairs in a single strip for a day at a time. Synthetic extensions—individual extensions glued one at a time to eyelash hairs—are a two-hour process intended to last two months or slightly longer. In 2006, the procedure costs between $300-$500; today, it can cost twice that much for a professional salon application even if the lashes by themselves are less expensive.

There are extension makers who now compete along the line of healthy as well as attractive extensions. NovaLash is somewhat typical of the breed: they tout themselves as developing safe cosmetic adhesives based on surgical glue components and not automotive manufacturing byproducts, as some such materials may be made. NovaLash and other extension makers also recommend water-soluble mascara, used in moderation, because the mascara may still shorten the lashes’ lifespan. Waterproof mascara, conversely, could dissolve the extensions’ adhesives, as could waterproof foundation makeup.

Although the one-lash-at-a-time method is the common method, there are those who prefer to undergo extensions by way of flares of three to five strands at once. However, this option often gets criticized for being less comfortable and more awkward-feeling—and even awkward-looking—than the one-at-a-time extensions.