Imagine waking up every day with beautifully curled eyelashes that make your eyes pop, without the need for mascara or a lash curler. Sounds dreamy, right? Enter the eyelash perm, a beauty treatment that has been gaining popularity for its ability to enhance the natural curl and lift of your lashes.
An eyelash perm, also known as a lash lift, is a cosmetic treatment that uses chemicals to curl your natural eyelashes semi-permanently. The process typically involves applying a perming solution to the lashes, setting them around a tiny curling rod or silicone pad, and then finishing with a neutralizer to lock in the shape. The result is a natural-looking curl that can last for six to eight weeks.
For many, the appeal of an eyelash perm lies in the convenience and the subtle yet striking enhancement it offers. It’s perfect for those who want to ditch the daily use of eyelash curlers and mascara or for anyone looking to enhance their eyes without the maintenance of lash extensions.
The eyelash perm procedure is typically performed by a certified beauty expert in a salon or spa. Here’s a general overview of what to expect:
Consultation: The technician will start with a consultation to understand your desired curl type (soft and natural or tight and dramatic) and assess your natural eye shape and lash length to determine what’s achievable.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide: Eyelash Primers for Sensitive Eyes
Preparation: Your technician will ask you to wash your face, remove any makeup, and take out your contact lenses. They will also clean the area around your eyes thoroughly. Avoiding eye makeup remover that has oils or moisturizing properties. You should avoid wearing face makeup as well because you will not be able to get your lashes wet for a day or so after your appointment.
Choosing and Applying the Curling Rod: A silicone pad or rod is selected based on the desired amount of curl and your natural lash length. A gentle glue is brushed onto your lids. The glue acts as a barrier to protect the skin. A small hand-rolled rod or silicone pad is then placed up against the top lash line between the lid and the upper lashes. You can customize the size of the rod if you want a tighter or looser curl.
Applying the Perming Solution: A perming solution, which is essentially a mild form of the same chemicals used in hair perms, is applied to your lashes. This breaks down the structural bonds in your lashes, allowing them to be reshaped. This is left on for ten to fifteen minutes. During this time, make sure to keep your eyes closed tightly during the procedure to prevent any chemicals from getting in your eyes. My technician covered my eyes with plastic-which boosts the process-and an eye mask.
Applying the Neutralizing Solution: After the perming solution has worked, it is removed, and a neutralizing solution is applied. This ‘sets’ the new shape of your lashes and rebuilds the bonds in a new curl. The lashes are brushed and shaped around the rod to form the ideal curve. Then, once again, I waited for 15 minutes with plastic and an eye mask on my face.
Final Touches: Once both solutions have done their job, the liquids are carefully wiped off with water, and lashes are separated with a miniature comb. At the very end, the specialist applied a conditioning product.
Read also: Tinting at Home with Roux
The entire procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour from start to finish.
Eyelash perms work by using a chemical process to break and reform the disulfide bonds in the hair. The perming solution softens the lash's inner structure between the protein chains of the hair, allowing the lashes to be molded into a new shape. The neutralizing solution then rebuilds these bonds, locking in the new curl pattern.
Generally, eyelash perms are considered safe when performed by a trained professional. However, like any cosmetic procedure, there are potential risks to be aware of:
Allergic Reactions: One of the main concerns with getting a lash lift is the potential for an allergic reaction. Very frequently, people can have a sensitivity to fragrances or added chemicals. Allergic reaction to a lash lift procedure can often include the following symptoms around your eyes: Redness, Swelling and Rashes. Ideally, a test patch can give your technician a good idea if you’re going to have an allergic reaction. Overall, I don’t recommend these being done, but if someone insists on having it done, I really think it’s the best practice to at least have a patch test done prior,” she stresses. “And it seems like that’s not being done routinely.”
Overprocessing: Just like getting your hair dyed - after a certain number of times, it can damage it in the long run. So, too, can eyelash procedures. If you’re always applying some sort of chemical to these lash follicles, it changes them over time. Over-processing is another risk where the perming solution might be left on too long, potentially weakening or breaking the lashes. This overexposure can chemically alter the lash follicle, leading to brittle lashes that are more prone to falling out.
Read also: Perfect Lash Look
Eye Conditions: Aside from allergic reactions, lash lifts can also cause some other eye-related conditions that you do not want to deal with. Doing any kind of intense cosmetic procedures to your lashes (even extensions or fake lashes) can make you more prone to conditions like blepharitis or inflammation of the eyelids. Eye hygiene is at times overlooked when people are getting cosmetic procedures like this. You want to keep your eyelashes clean,” she advises. “It’s horrible advice to tell someone not to clean around your lashes because that lets things build up. Sometimes, some of these eyelash treatments can make you more prone to infections.”
Lack of Research on Long-Term Effects: As far as long-term effects go, there’s still limited research on how lash lifts can impact your lash growth and eye health in the coming years.
Chemical burns or corneal scarring: if the perming solution enters the eye
Dry or watery eyes
Brittle-feeling eyelashes
Possible sensitivity in and around your eyes immediately after your lash perm. Your lashes may feel drier than normal after treatment as well.
Due to the chemicals and adhesives used during the procedure, eyelash lifts are not recommended for everyone. If you have any of the following conditions or experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis, consult your doctor before getting a lash lift:
Note that your eyelashes must be at least 4 mm long for a lash lift to be effective. If you’ve had eye surgery recently - such as an eyelid lift, double eyelid surgery or LASIK - you should wait at least six to 12 months before having an eyelash lift.
Since it takes a full day to set, the first 24 hours after your eyelash lift are crucial. Make sure to:
To maintain your lash lift:
Lash perms and lash lifts are terms used interchangeably by many beauty lovers, but they’re not the same treatment. Lash perms use a similar process as a conventional hair perm. They use a perming solution and a neutralizing solution to curl your lashes. A lash lift uses a newer, simplified technique. Another difference is that lash perms will often mold your lashes around rods, whereas lash lifts mold your lashes to a silicone strip on your lid.
Eyelash tinting is a 15-minute procedure, during which semi-permanent dye is painted onto the eyelashes to make them look thicker, darker and fuller. Like regular hair dye, lash tinting lasts about three to six weeks. It is said to be particularly striking on those with naturally blonde or red lashes.
There are currently no production or use standards for the dyes used in eyelash tinting, and no dyes are FDA-approved specifically for the purpose of lash tinting. Just as people can react to semi-permanent hair dye when getting their hair colored, eyelash tinting dyes can also occasionally lead to allergic reactions and infections.
No. If you do opt for trying a lash lift procedure, it’s best to go to an expert. They’ll know the right products to use and can do a test strand to see how your lashes and skin react to the procedure. Plus, as Dr. Bajic notes, it’s risky to do an intense procedure like this to your own eyes, as it’s hard to actually inspect what you’re doing. You’re way more likely to experience negative side effects like infection and lash damage if you attempt a lash perm at home. Another risk of attempting an at-home lash perm is that your lash kit could contain risky ingredients.
If you’re feeling weary about lash lifts, there are luckily other options you can go for that can give your eyelashes a lift. “My recommendation is, if you want a curled effect of your lashes, just use a regular old eyelash curler,” says Dr. Bajic.
tags: #eyelash #perm #information
