Are Eyelash Extensions Worth It? An Honest Look at Both Sides

are eyelash extensions worth it? the pros and cons

Salon lash extensions are worth it if you want a look you wake up with and never think about, and you are willing to pay for a refill every two to four weeks. They are the wrong choice if you want to change styles, if glue has irritated your eyes before, or if you cannot commit to daily cleaning. Here is the honest version of both.

What are the advantages of lash extensions?

You wake up done. No daily application at all, which is the whole appeal if your mornings are tight.
They stay on around the clock, including while you sleep, because each extension is bonded to an individual natural lash and only leaves when that lash naturally sheds.
No eye makeup needed to look finished.
No skill or steady hands required from you. That matters if you struggle with makeup or your close-up vision is not what it was.
The style is made for your eye, designed in consultation rather than chosen off a shelf.

What are the drawbacks?

Maintenance. An hour or more in the chair, then refills every two to four weeks. As extensions grow out they twist and unbalance, and the refill is as much about removing those as adding new ones.

The result depends entirely on your technician. Applying extensions tastefully is genuinely an art form. A good tech gives you a proper consultation about what suits your natural lashes and what is realistically achievable. Find someone well trained and well practised, and be clear about what you want.

Allergies. Extension glues are cyanoacrylate based, which is temperature and humidity sensitive and needs stabilisers for shelf life. It is usually those stabilisers, not the cyanoacrylate, that trigger a reaction in a small number of people. Cyanoacrylate is a very large polymer, and its size makes it less likely to provoke an immune response, which is the opposite of what most people assume.

Fumes. Glue fumes irritate sensitive eyes. This is largely preventable: a well trained technician cures the glue regularly through the appointment and again at the end. That burning sensation when you open your eyes afterwards usually means the glue was not cured properly.

Irritation. If lashes are poorly isolated or set too close to the lash line, the result can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful.

You are committed to one style. Changing means either months of growing out or a full removal and a fresh set.

Cost. Each lash is applied individually, so it takes time, and the refills keep coming.

Daily care is not optional. Extensions must be washed every day to stop build-up at the lash line, which is what leads to demodex mites proliferating and to chalazions.

Are magnetic lashes a good alternative?

For some people, yes, and for a specific reason: magnetic lashes attach to a liner drawn on your eyelid rather than to your natural lashes. Nothing is bonded to your own lash, so nothing pulls on it, and there is no cyanoacrylate involved at all.

They suit you if you want to change your look, if adhesive has irritated you before, or if you would rather not maintain a booking cycle. They suit you less if the entire appeal of extensions is not having to do anything in the morning, because magnetic lashes are still a daily step, albeit a one minute one.

Compare the ranges in The Lash Guide, or try the quiz.

Which should you choose?

Extensions if you value waking up ready above everything, and the ongoing cost and cycle suit you.
Magnetic lashes if you want variety, a lower running cost, no adhesive on your natural lashes, or you are recovering from lash damage or lash loss.

We offer both a professional lash extension service and the magnetic lash system, so the advice you get from us is not steered towards one. Ask us if you want an honest read on which fits you.

Frequently asked questions

Are eyelash extensions worth it?

They are if you want a look you wake up with and never maintain daily, and the refill every two to four weeks fits your budget and schedule. They are worth less if you like changing your look, have reacted to lash adhesive before, or cannot commit to washing them every day.

Why do some people react to eyelash extension glue?

Usually the stabilisers in the adhesive rather than the cyanoacrylate itself. Cyanoacrylate is a very large polymer, and its size makes it less likely to provoke an immune response. The stabilisers are added to extend shelf life and are the more common trigger.

Why do my eyes burn after getting lash extensions?

Almost always uncured glue fumes. A well trained technician cures the adhesive regularly during the appointment and again at the end, which largely prevents it. Persistent burning is worth raising with your technician and, if it does not settle, with your optometrist or GP.

How often do lash extensions need refilling?

Every two to four weeks. As the extensions grow out with your natural lashes they twist and lose balance, so a refill both replaces shed lashes and tidies the ones that have rotated.

Are magnetic lashes better than extensions for sensitive eyes?

They avoid the main irritants: there is no cyanoacrylate adhesive and nothing bonded to your natural lashes. That said, any product near the eye can irritate, so patch test on the inner arm and wait 24 hours, and speak to your optometrist or GP if you have an eye condition.

In Melbourne?

You can see Shirley in person at our Balwyn North salon

Youthphoria's founder Shirley Be, a practising pharmacist, cosmetic chemist and 5x certified lash artist, sees clients at the Greythorn shops in Balwyn North, Melbourne. She specialises in exactly the situations covered in this guide: lash loss from chemotherapy and alopecia, weak and sparse natural lashes, and previous allergic reactions to lash adhesive. Rather than guessing at a style online, have someone qualified look at your actual lashes.

Book a lash consultation About the salon

The $50 consultation fee is redeemable on any product, and waived for clients having cancer treatment or living with alopecia.