Can You Safely Remove Eyelash Extensions at Home

By Joy Crossingham

I’d like to be able to say that nobody had ever asked me how they could safely remove their eyelash extensions at home. But that would be a lie.

I’ve been asked this question many times over the years, and I always give the same answer!

Unfortunately, the safest way to remove your eyelash extensions is to have a trained lash stylist do it for you. Otherwise, you will need to wait for them to grow out on their own, and even that’s a risk to the health of your natural lashes: the heavy extensions can pull them downwards as they grow.

However, I understand that some people are unable to consider either of these solutions as an option, whether it be due to affordability or time constraints. So, if that’s you, here’s my advice. There are lots of articles and step-by-step guides available on Google to teach you how to remove your eyelash extensions, but I don’t consider many of these methods safe for natural lashes at all.

The oily method

You may have read or been told about some methods using steam and oil to soften lashes and loosen the adhesive. This could be effective, but it usually takes several attempts and it’s unlikely that you’ll loosen all of the extensions in the first few days, so you’re going to have to deal with your lashes looking gappy and messy anyway.

If you only have a few remaining extensions, you can give this a try, but please, please, please: do NOT pick or pull at your lashes in the process. This will break or pull out your natural lashes.

The other issue is that most of the oils that would be able to achieve this task for you are quite heavy, and definitely too heavy for the delicate skin around the eye. It would also be very uncomfortable if you managed to get the oil into your eyes, which is easy to do and can be dangerous, potentially leading to infection.

Likelihood of Success Rating: 5/10. There’s a good chance this won’t work, you’ll pull out your natural lashes, or you’ll have some kind of reaction to putting heavy oils on your eye area.

The Pro Method

Some people may suggest that you try to get your hands on some professional-grade eyelash extension adhesive remover. I cannot stress enough how bad an idea this is. As a very experienced lash stylist and educator, I personally choose to only use lash adhesive remover on my own clients when it is absolutely necessary.

This is because, even when used by trained professionals, lash adhesive remover can be extremely dangerous. In order to break down adhesive quickly, these removers contain solvents, which are not actually safe for use around the eyes. It’s essential that the product doesn’t touch the skin or get into the eyes.

I teach my students that if they do have a situation where a client gets lash remover into their eyes, they must be washed thoroughly with water and then sent immediately to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. That’s how dangerous this product can be!

Even if you have the steadiest of hands, it’s virtually impossible to perform a lash removal with this product on yourself, so please, for your own safety, don’t even consider it as an option. Likelihood of Success Rating: 0/10. Because you’re not even going to try. –

So what can you do? Sorry to be a negative Nancy - I’m just super passionate about maintaining the health and safety of all eyelashes and eyes! This is what I tell clients who really, really want to remove their extensions quickly and by themselves:

Do the opposite of your aftercare advice. It sounds really simple and silly, I know! We tell you all of these rules so that you can keep your extensions looking good for as long as possible. If you don’t want to keep them, doesn’t it make sense to do the opposite?

So...

• Use oily makeup removers and creamy cleansers

• Don’t regularly use lash cleanser

• Go for a facial, lounge in a sauna, hang out in a spa and don’t wash your lashes afterwards

• Work out every day and let your sweat chill on your lashes for ages • Use mascara, gel liners, cream eyeshadows

• Put on loads of eye cream and sleep face down on your pillow!

Likelihood of Success Rating: 8/10.

A final word of warning

If you’re trying to remove your extensions because you’ve had a reaction, or because you feel like they’re stuck together in clumps and potentially damaging your natural lashes, it’s essential that you ask a professional to remove them, and don’t try any of the above methods yourself.

A reaction doesn’t always mean removal is necessary or even a good idea, so get advice in writing first from your doctor. Damaging eyelash extensions are often really tricky to remove – I’ve done emergency removals that have taken more than two hours!

Unfortunately, poorly applied lashes also tend to stay on for a long time, and the longer they’re on, the more damage they’ll cause to your natural lashes. It’s in your best interests to have them removed by an experienced lash stylist as soon as you are able to.

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