Youthphoria Beauty Melbourne - Eyelash Extensions

Usually yes, but only with the right weight. Fine and short natural lashes are best suited to Featherlight and Ethereal lashes because they are so much lighter that they won't drag on or damage the natural lash. We also use special techniques to fill in gaps where lashes are missing or patchy, so the finished line looks even and full. There is far more technical know-how to this than meets the eye, which is exactly why we assess before we apply.

Yes, and this is some of the most satisfying work we do. Lash styling is an optical art: with the right mapping, curl and length placement, extensions can visually balance asymmetrical eyes, open and lift hooded eyes, and bring definition to monolids. What looks like a small adjustment on the lash line can change the whole geometry of the face.

In some clients, depending on their eyelid anatomy, our eyelid-lifting lash technique can even encourage a visible crease, giving a monolid the appearance of a double eyelid. We are careful to say this depends entirely on your individual eye type, and it is not something we guarantee. This is precisely what the consultation is for: we study your eyes and design a map for them, not from a chart.

We have had strong results with clients who developed an allergy to lash adhesive. Typically these are people who had years of extensions with no problem and then reacted suddenly. We take a scientific, conservative approach to the products used and how they are applied. Please book a consultation so we can assess your individual situation. This is not something to guess at.

Honestly: no, not in the absolute sense, and any salon that promises a truly hypoallergenic lash glue is overstating it. Nearly all professional lash adhesives cure using cyanoacrylate, and it is usually the cyanoacrylate itself, or the fumes released as it cures, that sensitised clients react to.

What a careful salon can do is reduce the risk substantially: choose lower-fume formulations, control humidity and curing, use less adhesive per lash, keep it well away from the skin, and patch test before committing to a new set. As a pharmacist and cosmetic chemist, Shirley makes these decisions on the chemistry, not the marketing, and will tell you plainly if extensions are not a safe option for your eyes.

Yes. Book in for a lash rehab session. We do a full, careful removal of the existing extensions and rebuild with a healthy, pain-free set at a weight your natural lashes can sustain.

Madarosis is the medical term for loss of eyelashes or eyebrows. A review in the International Journal of Trichology (Kumar & Karthikeyan, 2012) describes it as a sign with many possible causes, from skin and thyroid conditions through to trauma and cosmetic misadventure, which is why persistent lash loss deserves proper attention rather than just another set of extensions over the top.

Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by sustained pulling on the follicle. Dermatology research (Billero & Miteva, 2018, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology) shows that in its early stages it is usually reversible once the tension is removed, but prolonged traction can permanently destroy the follicle. Extensions that are too heavy for the natural lash create exactly this kind of chronic tension, and ophthalmology studies have documented lash and eye problems arising from poorly applied extensions (Amano et al., 2012, Cornea).

This is the science behind our obsession with lash weight. Featherlight and Ethereal lashes exist so that the follicle is never under load it cannot handle. If we see signs of madarosis or traction damage, we will tell you, and we will not apply a set that makes it worse.

Properly applied, no. Damage comes from specific, avoidable mistakes: extensions too heavy for the natural lash, glue bonding multiple lashes together so they tear each other out as they grow, and rushed application without proper isolation. Because we isolate every lash and match the extension weight to what your natural lash can carry, our clients wear extensions continuously for years, with no need to "take a break", and keep healthy natural lashes underneath.

Clients come to us because we take the health of the natural lash seriously. We are often consulted to fix rushed or poorly applied sets. Heavy, unbalanced and clumped lashes applied by poorly trained technicians lead to breakage, lash baldness and a condition called madarosis.

We always isolate lashes properly, so you leave without clumping and without pain. Cleanliness, hygiene and safe application come first. Our Featherlight and Ethereal lashes are 50% and 75% lighter than traditional classic extensions, which means length and volume without compromising your natural lash, and they are virtually weightless to wear.

We work to our own technique and our own standard. Other studios may lash only a portion of your natural lashes, which is why those sets don't last. A new set elsewhere might take an hour; ours can take up to three. We don't take shortcuts.

Every appointment starts with a thorough consultation to design a style that flatters your features, and, most importantly, to choose a lash type compatible with your natural lashes. Because our founder is a registered health professional, your safety and eye health always come before the look.

Our refills can last anywhere up to 4 to 8 weeks, depending on your lash cycle and how you care for them. To stay at full coverage, most clients refill around every 3 weeks: a 2 week refill achieves roughly 90 to 100% coverage, and a 3 week refill around 80 to 90%. Many salons charge for a new set once 4 weeks have passed, whatever condition your lashes are in. Our lashes are designed to last longer than most, so it would be unfair to penalise you for them doing exactly what we built them to do. We don't work on a timer: while your lashes have plenty to work with, a refill is all you'll ever pay for. A new set is only suggested when it's genuinely needed, and we'll explain exactly why.

Extensions last as long as your natural lash cycle. They shed when the natural lash they're attached to sheds, generally over 4 to 8 weeks.

Retention is built in the chair, but protected at home. Forget the old "no water for 24 hours" rule (see the next question); clean lashes are happy lashes. Wash them regularly with an oil-free lash cleanser: dirty lashes shed early, and clean lashes are also healthy lashes. Avoid oil-based makeup and removers around the eyes, don't rub or pick, brush them gently each morning, and skip the mascara, which is unnecessary on extensions and shortens their life. We go through aftercare properly at your appointment.

Yes, you can. The "avoid water for 24 to 48 hours" rule is a hangover from older, slower-curing adhesives, and with modern professional adhesives it is a myth. In fact, the chemistry says the opposite.

Lash adhesives are cyanoacrylates, the same family of adhesives used to close wounds in medicine, and they don't dry like paint. They cure by polymerisation, a chemical reaction that is triggered by moisture. Water is what starts the bond, not what breaks it. Reviews of medical cyanoacrylate adhesives (Singer & Thode, 2004) show they form strong bonds within seconds to minutes, in moist conditions. This is also why many modern lash artists lightly mist lashes with water at the end of the appointment: it completes the cure rather than ruining it.

Real-world retention testing backs the chemistry up. The most widely cited industry study, run by US lash brand Borboleta, compared clients who wet their lashes immediately with clients who kept them dry for the traditional 24 hours, and found no difference in retention.

What genuinely does shorten the life of a set: oils near the lash line, rubbing and picking, and skipping cleansing so makeup and debris build up. So shower, swim and wash your face as normal. The one sensible caution on day one is prolonged sauna or steam-room heat, and that is about temperature, not water. If a set of lashes can't survive your shower, the problem was the application, not the water.

Yes, subject to our judgement on the quality of the existing work, and an additional fee may apply. If the set is clumped or problematic, it is in your interest for us to do a full removal and start fresh rather than build on top of it.

They are Youthphoria's own hand-made application techniques. Featherlight lashes are 50% lighter than traditional lashes; Ethereal lashes are 75% lighter and have around 33% better retention. Because they are so light, they suit damaged, very fine and very short natural lashes, and you never need to take a break from wearing them.

They need refills, but they save time daily: no mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow or curler in the morning, and no eye makeup removal at night. If the upkeep doesn't suit your life, our magnetic lashes and eyeliner are a quick, secure alternative.

If possible, book 1 to 2 months ahead. Because every set is done personally by Shirley and never rushed, appointment times are genuinely limited, and regular clients tend to secure the popular slots well in advance. If you have an event coming up, book early and we will plan your set and refill around the date.

If you have never worn extensions before, have a new set applied about 3 weeks beforehand and a refill just before the event. That way you're comfortable in them and they look their best on the day. Remember to reserve both appointments early, as times are limited.

Either professionally removed by us, or you can simply let them grow out and shed naturally with your own lashes. Never pull them off yourself: that is how natural lashes get torn out and follicles damaged.

Yes. You are welcome to come in and be fitted for our magnetic lashes and eyeliner in person, which is far more reliable than choosing a style from photos. We are open by appointment, so please get in touch first to arrange a time.