The importance of regular refills...

Having a set of eyelash extensions, whether Classic Individual or Russian Volume, is in theory no different to having a set of nail extensions. Once fitted, the lashes look great, but after a couple of weeks the natural growth starts to show and holes appear. Just like with our nails, having lashes is a commitment, we need regular maintenance or refilling to keep them looking fresh and full.

Our eyelashes, like our hair cycle, have three stages of growth: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen. Without going into detail, I will briefly explain. Anagen is the active or growth phase of our hair, Catagen is the transition phase and Telogen is the resting phase. You can't look at our eyelashes and say they are in a certain growth stage, but it determines how long our eyelash extensions will last.

You see, both classic and Russian eyelash extensions are classified as a semi-permanent treatment, which means that if they are maintained and cared for properly, the synthetic eyelash will remain attached to the natural eyelash to which it is connected until that natural eyelash sheds or comes off.

Coming back to our fillers or maintenance, it is said that on average we can lose 2-3 natural lashes per day. This means that the loss of natural lashes over one week is about 21 lashes, over two weeks about 42 lashes and over three weeks about 63 lashes. With this in mind, it is advisable to reline or rebalance the lashes every two to three weeks.

 

HOW SHOULD THE LASHES BE RETURNED FOR A FILLING?

When clients come back for a fill, the number of lashes remaining depends entirely on what they did (did they go out in the heat, did they bathe every day, did they wear a lot of make-up, etc.). It will also depend on the natural lash cycle and the stage of the natural lashes at the time the extensions were placed, as well as how well she maintained her lashes. Ideally, at the time of filling, we would like to see about 50% of the lash extensions still in place and a percentage of these lashes having visible regrowth.

At the time of filling, it is imperative that the lash technician removes all fallen lashes to rebalance them. Without the removal of the fallen lashes, it is impossible to recreate a dense and clean lash line.

It is not necessary to use a remover to remove these lashes. There is more than one way to remove an eyelash with tweezers. For example, the banana peel technique involves separating the natural lash and the false lash from the tip or base with tweezers. Another method is to support the base of the natural lash with your tweezers and slide the isolation tweezers along the lash shaft, once the tweezers have reached the base of the extension, continue to slide up and the extension will come off without damaging the natural lash.

 

WHY DO WE FILL THE EXTENSIONS RATHER THAN REMOVING THEM EACH TIME?

Excessive use of remover can dehydrate and strip natural lashes, taking away their value. By filling in the lashes correctly and regularly, it reduces treatment time and increases the longevity of the lashes.

Filling times vary depending on the therapist and whether you are filling Russian or conventional lashes.

On average, if the client has returned within the recommended 2-3 weeks, a Russian fill can take between 1.5 and 2 hours and a classic fill between 1 and 1.5 hours. The price of fills varies completely depending on the region and the competition.

If a customer returns after more than 3 weeks, it is advisable to soak or remove and apply a new set, otherwise a much longer refill will be required.

If the fillings are not done, the extensions can become too heavy due to the growth of the natural lash, which can cause the artificial lash to twist, rotate or tilt, putting pressure on the natural lash and causing discomfort.

by Artiom N