Lash Extension Aftercare: What to Tell Your Clients (and a Card to Copy)

The aftercare rules, in the order clients need them

Give clients five rules they can remember. Everything else on your card is detail. Each rule below comes from glue maker directions or lash-education sources, and each has a reason you can say out loud, because clients follow rules they understand.

1. Keep lashes dry for 24 hours. Stacy Lash's glue directions say not to subject lashes to moisture for 24 hours after extension. The glue needs that time to finish setting.
2. Cleanse every day with a lash-safe cleanser. Dirt, oil, sebum and makeup residue weaken the bond, according to Stacy Lash. A daily wash is also better for eye hygiene.
3. Keep oil away. Oil-based removers, cleansing balms and some eye creams break down the adhesive. Stacy Lash's label says to use only oil-free removers and mascaras.
4. Brush gently once dry. A clean spoolie keeps lashes separated and tidy.
5. Do not pull, pick, curl or rub. Eye curlers are off limits, and pulling extensions off can damage the natural lash.

The first 24 hours

After application, you fan the lashes so the glue finishes setting. Stacy Lash's directions say to fan for 5 to 10 minutes after extension, and then the 24 hour no-moisture rule starts. Tell clients what counts as moisture:

• Showers where water or steam hits the face
• Saunas, steam rooms and hot yoga
• Sweaty workouts
• Washing the face with water near the eyes
• Wet makeup remover wipes on the lash line

Some lash brands say a lash bonder cures the glue immediately, so clients can wet lashes sooner. London Lash makes that point. Only use that shortcut if your glue and bonder directions support it, and tell the client what you used.

Daily cleansing: what to use and how

London Lash says the idea that water is the enemy of extensions is a myth left over from the days of natural mink. After the initial 24 hours, clients should gently clean their lashes daily with a formulated lash shampoo. Their reasoning: clean lashes keep oil and dirt out of the glue bonds and reduce irritation risk.

A simple routine to teach:

1. Wet the lashes with lukewarm water. Not hot.
2. Put a small amount of lash shampoo or foaming cleanser on a soft lash brush or clean fingertips.
3. Stroke along the lash line and through the lashes, pointing downward and outward. Do not scrub.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water until the foam is gone.
5. Pat the area with a clean towel, then let the lashes air dry or use a cool fan.
6. Once dry, brush through with a clean spoolie.

The Studio stocks lash shampoo from Elan (cleanser shampoos and concentrate packets), Stacy Lash (100 ml and 200 ml) and The Studio (Lash Bath Shampoo and Lash Whipped Cream Cleanser), plus Lash Shampoo Brush sets and Defining Lash Brush Wands clients can take home. Stacy Lash notes its shampoo kit is designed to double as pre-treatment and client aftercare, and includes aftercare cards.

Common client complaints and what to say

Clients come back with the same questions. This table gives you a straight answer for each, based on the glue directions and lash-education sources used in this article.

Build a home-care kit clients will actually use

Clients follow aftercare when it is easy. A small kit does that better than a handout. For a basic bundle, The Studio carries each piece in the lash shampoo and lash essentials categories:

• A lash shampoo or foaming cleanser. Options include Elan Lash Cleanser Shampoo in several scents (unscented, lavender, rose, strawberry and a Super Gentle version), Stacy Lash Lash Shampoo, and The Studio's Lash Bath Shampoo and Lash Whipped Cream Cleanser. Pick unscented for clients who react to fragrance.
• A soft cleansing brush. The Studio's Lash Shampoo Brush comes in a 2 piece set in pink, black and white.
• Spoolies. The Studio's Defining Lash Brush Wands come in 20 count packs.
• Your printed card. Stacy Lash notes its lash shampoo kit includes aftercare cards, which shows how brands think about this: the product and the instructions travel together.

Do not promise that any product makes lashes last a set number of weeks. Retention depends on prep, glue, room conditions and the client's habits. Explain the product's job: keep lashes clean so oil and residue do not weaken the bond.

Fills and how to keep clients on schedule

Because extensions grow out with the natural lash over about 4 to 6 weeks (Lash Affair), a set thins out gradually. Tell clients to rebook when the set starts to look sparse, rather than waiting for it to disappear. Fills are easier when enough extensions remain, because there are more bases to build from, and they keep the natural lashes from being left bare and heavy on one side.

Ask three questions at every fill: What did you wash with? What did you sleep like? Did anything touch the lashes in the first day? The answers tell you whether the next set needs better habits, a different glue or a lighter diameter. Pair this with the retention checklist in our retention guide and the diameter guidance in classic vs volume vs hybrid lashes.

Sleep, heat and products

These are the habits that explain most "my lashes fell off and I did nothing" complaints.

Warning signs clients must not ignore

Aftercare is not only about retention. Eyelids are delicate, and the FDA says an allergic reaction, irritation or other injury in the eye area can be particularly troublesome. A dermatology review lists eyelid reactions, red eyes, pain and itchy swollen lids among problems seen after extensions, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (as reported by Ophthalmology Times) warns of corneal and eyelid infection, swelling and lash loss.

Put this on the card: if there is redness, swelling, burning, pain, discharge, blurry vision or itching that does not settle, contact a doctor or eye doctor. Do not try to pull the extensions off at home. The FDA also advises that anyone with a bad reaction to an eye cosmetic first contact a healthcare provider, and encourages reporting reactions to the FDA.

For techs, our article on lash glue allergy vs irritation covers what to ask and what to do when a client reacts.

A short aftercare card you can copy

Use your own wording and your own salon details. This is a plain-language skeleton:

• Do not wet your lashes for the first 24 hours (follow the time your lash artist gives you).
• Wash your lashes every day with a lash shampoo and brush them dry with a clean spoolie.
• Use only oil-free makeup removers, cleansers and mascara.
• No eye curlers. No cotton pads. No pulling or picking.
• Sleep on your back if you can. Warm water, not hot. Skip steam rooms and saunas.
• Book your fill when the set starts to thin. Extensions grow out with your natural lashes over roughly 4 to 6 weeks.
• Call a doctor or eye doctor for pain, swelling, redness or discharge.

If you want clients to buy a cleanser and brush from you, bundle them with the set. See our lash shampoo category, and for the pro-side pieces of better retention, read why lashes fall off early.

Removal: tell clients not to do it themselves

Clients ask how to take extensions off. The answer is: do not pull. A dermatology review notes that hair breakage and even traction alopecia can occur, especially in people who pull extensions off. Send them to a professional.

For techs, The Studio carries lash removers: Elan cream removers, The Studio lash cream and gel removers, and Ardell LashFree for strip lash adhesive. Follow the product's directions, keep removers away from the eyes, and keep the client's eyes closed.

Questions we get at the counter