Can you remove eyelash extensions at home? The experts share their best advice

With salons around the UAE closed, here's what to do if your falsies are nearing the end of their lifespan

Don't pull your eyelash extensions off as you risk damaging your natural lashes. iStock

They can take a couple of hours to complete and require maintenance, but for many women, eyelash extensions are worth the investment. After all, who doesn’t love a fluttering set of falsies to enhance their look?

Refills are usually recommended around three to four weeks after application, but should be done in a salon. And, if you want them taken off, it’s also advised to see a professional. However, with salons in the UAE temporarily closed in a bid to contain the global Covid-19 outbreak, those who may have recently gotten their lashes done are left wondering, what now?

Laila Nazari, a lash and brow expert at Dubai's Pastels Salon Jumeirah, offers her tips for those looking to prolong the life of their existing lashes.

“Blowdry them whenever they get wet. Holding a blowdryer on them for a few seconds sets the adhesive and fluffs them back up,” she says. “Avoid splashing your whole face when washing; go around the eyes keeping the lashes dry. Also avoid oily eye-makeup removers.”

Miko Su, the founder Abu Dhabi eyelash studio Twiink, also suggest people follow health guidelines of not touching their face, in hope of helping lashes tolast longer.

She adds: “Now with people staying at home, it’s actually very helpful to maintain [your lashes]. People don’t put on make-up as much. Plus, touching the face should be kept to a minimum due to the pandemic.”

However, the tricky part is when the lashes begin to fall out. Eyelashes tend to grow at different rates so some may begin to shed before others. It’s during this time some women would normally opt for a refill while others would simply consider getting them removed all together. So what do the professionals suggest you do at home?

“If at all possible, let the extensions fall out naturally, but if they have grown out and have started twisting, then the best way to remove them is to apply a little bit of olive oil. But – and this is essential – do not rub or pull at the lashes,” Nazari says. “Just apply the oil on top of the lashes and leave it to work. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times in order to get the extensions off. It depends on how much adhesive your technician has used.”

Su suggests: “I would recommend home remedies like steaming your face. You can put a towel over your head above hot water or use oils and brush your lashes often,” she says. “However, the glues we use are quite strong and are supposed to withstand many challenges, so everything might not work instantly. It would have to be done a few more times.”

Of course, there is some danger to removing your fake lashes on your own. While it may be tempting to simply pull them off, it's heavily dissuaded.

“Most people tend to rub or pull at the extensions, trying to remove them, and they pull out their own natural lashes,” says Nazari.

Su offers a more cautionary tale when it comes to handling your own eyelashes.

“I have two left and I did end up pulling them out, but it's painful and unhealthy. Don’t do it,” she says. “If you have few and you want to pull them out, it’s very painful and if it’s not done properly, you might cause an infection when the pores are open after pulling it out. Also, it adds more time until you can get new lashes as your real ones would need to grow back.”

So, if you find your falsies are struggling, you can either wait for them to naturally fall out or speed up the process yourself – but do not attempt to pull them out yourself.