Lash Extension Aftercare: How to Make Your Set Last

Extensions are attached with an adhesive, and almost all aftercare comes down to protecting that bond: keep oil off it, keep it clean, and don’t pull on it. Here is the routine most studios give, and the reasons behind each step, so you can tell which rules matter and which are habit.

What should you do in the first 24 hours?

Lash adhesive keeps curing for a day after application. Until it has, water, steam and sweat can weaken or cloud the bond. For the first 24 hours (some studios say 48; a few modern adhesives allow washing after 4, so follow yours):

• No water on the lashes: wash your face around them with a cloth.
• No steam: short, cool showers with your face out of the spray, no saunas, no cooking over a boiling pot.
• No sweating: skip the gym and hot yoga.
• No makeup around the eyes and no eye creams.
• Don’t touch, rub or pick, and sleep on your back if you can.

What is the daily routine?

1. Morning: brush dry lashes upward and outward with a clean spoolie to separate and straighten them.
2. Evening: cleanse (see below), rinse, pat dry with a lint-free towel, and let them air-dry. Brush again once dry.
3. After sweat, swimming or heavy makeup: an extra cleanse.
4. Every 2 to 3 weeks: a fill. See lash fills explained.

Two minutes a day. People who skip the evening cleanse to “save” their lashes lose them faster, because oil and debris at the lash line break the adhesive down and can irritate the eyelid.

How do you clean lash extensions?

• Use a foaming, oil-free lash cleanser or a very diluted gentle baby shampoo. Most studios sell a cleanser with a soft brush; it is worth buying.
• Work the foam along the lash line with the brush or a clean fingertip, in small downward strokes. Don’t scrub side to side.
• Rinse with cool water, splashing or using a cup rather than the shower.
• Pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Cotton pads and tissues leave fibres on the lashes.
• Let them air-dry, or use a hairdryer on cool, then brush.

What should you avoid?

• Oil in any form near the eyes: oil cleansers and balms, oily eye creams, oil-based makeup removers, coconut or castor oil, and heavy sunscreens. Oil dissolves lash adhesive.
• Mascara, especially waterproof. Removing it pulls at the extensions.
• Mechanical lash curlers. They snap extensions and bend the natural lash. Heated curlers are no better.
• Steam and heat on the face in the first day, and in excess afterwards. Hot ovens and candles can also singe synthetic fibres; keep your face back.
• Rubbing, pulling, picking and resting your face on your hand.
• Cotton pads and tissues that snag fibres on the extensions.
• Waterline eyeliner, which deposits product at the base of the extensions where it is hard to clean.

Can you wear makeup with extensions?

Yes, with a few adjustments. Eyeshadow is fine; apply it before cleansing lashes in the evening and avoid powder falling into the lash line. Pencil or gel liner above the lashes is fine; avoid the waterline and avoid liquid liners that need rubbing to remove. Skip mascara entirely, or if you must, use an extension-safe, water-based formula on the tips only. Remove makeup with an oil-free, extension-safe remover on a lint-free pad, wiping downward and away from the lashes.

How should you sleep?

On your back, if you can, for the first night at least. Side- and stomach-sleepers crush the extensions on the side they lie on, which bends them and loosens the bond over a few weeks. A silk or satin pillowcase reduces friction, and some people use a contoured “lash pillow”. If you wake with a few extensions bent sideways, brush them once they are dry rather than pulling.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Not cleansing because it feels like it might pull the lashes off. It is the opposite.
• Using an oil cleanser on the rest of the face and letting it run into the lashes.
• Picking at a twisted extension instead of waiting for the fill.
• Wearing mascara “just for an event” and then struggling to remove it.
• Leaving fills too long until the set needs starting over.
• Getting them wet on day one with a long hot shower.

What if something looks wrong?

Extensions that are stuck together, twisted or pointing in odd directions usually mean the natural lashes have grown out; brushing helps and the fill fixes it. Extensions that come off in clumps in the first few days point to an adhesive or application problem; tell the studio, since many guarantee retention for a set period.

Itching, redness, swelling or watering that lasts more than a day can be an irritation or an allergic reaction to the adhesive, and it can develop even after many sets without trouble. Stop using products around the eyes, contact the studio, and see a doctor if it is painful or getting worse. Don’t try to remove the extensions yourself; a professional removal takes minutes and does no harm. Our guide on whether extensions damage your lashes covers the warning signs.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. To find a studio, search lash extensions near you.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have an eye condition, allergies or sensitive skin, speak to a doctor or a licensed lash technician before any lash treatment.