Getting more miles out of your lashes keeps them lush and saves on the cost of refills. It also saves the most important part of your look: your follicles. Whether you have natural eyelashes or wear extensions, follicle care is a specialised process.

Eyelashes and eyebrows are fragile and  shedding is a natural part of follicles' life cycle. But cosmetics and extensions often speed up this process leading to a loss of volume over time. Our eyelashes are not just decoration -- they help protect eyes from sunlight, dust and infections. We lose around 20% of our lashes every week through normal shedding

Fortunately eyelashes also grow faster than other hairs on our body. But regrowth can slow down or even stop completely if there’s too much trauma to the follicles. It doesn't take much to damage these sensitive hairs!

The weight of even the lightest extensions and adhesives tension contributes to wear and tear. But there are ways to protect your follicles (and your wallet) from shedding. Here are three tips from our beauty experts on how to help your lash extensions stay fresh.  

1. Avoid Stressing Your Lashies: 

For the purposes of eyelashes -- "stress" means pressure, movement and weight. The delicate eye area is extremely easy to damage through vigorous rubbing and washing. Even without makeup, applying thick SPF and creams your eye skin can weigh down your extensions or potentially damaging the adhesive

When it comes to skincare around your eyelashes, go very gently. Try to avoid heavy products -- there are lightweight, fragrance-free sunscreens and moisturisers made for exactly this purpose. Do not use microfibre cloths, physical exfoliants (scrubs and peels), or makeup wipes. Oil-free cleansers can softly and thoroughly remove cosmetics and debris from your eye area. Just use the tips of your fingers and lukewarm water

Never use waterproof Mascara -- this will pull down on your follicles and takes a lot of friction to remove. If you feel you need some extra oomph for volume, try going up a size in your extensions, or a shade darker, instead of using mascara. But if you must whip out that black brush, make sure the formula is water-based

It's also a good idea to sleep on your back (try putting a pillow under your knees or using a back-sleeping pillow). We do not recommend wearing sleeping masks. And most importantly, avoid touching and playing with your extensions. Your follicles will feel relieved and you won't need to go back to your beauty specialist as frequently 

2. Comb, Care and Pamper Your Lashies

This goes for all lashes, even those without extensions -- they don't like stress, and they enjoy being cared for. And just like the hairs on your head, eyelashes get tangled without regular brushing. We recommend combing your eyelashes every other day with an eyelash comb. This will keep extensions straight, and neat lashes are  less tempting to fiddle with

Your lashes are only the dead part of your hair, the live part is the follicle. A soft combing will encourage circulation and keep the base of the hairs feeling loved

 Blow dry your lashes on a gentle setting with a low heat after showering. If you want to curl your extensions, do not use mechanical curlers. These cause a lot of damage for a bit of temporary pop. Instead use a heated eyelash curler on the tips

 A silk pillowcase may also reduce friction while you sleep. Silk has antibacterial qualities and is generally a good for skin health 

3. Use Lashie-Friendly Products:

Eyelash and eyebrow hairs are precious. They tend shed more frequently and grow back slower as we age. Fewer lashes means less available space for mascara and extensions. Once a follicle is dead, there’s no way for it to recover -- so it's best to start caring for your lash health as early as possible

Products which address the specific needs of lashes and brows are essential for maintaining their lifespan. Serums promoting lash hydration and strength will give these delicate hairs resilience. Some formulas contain growth factors and nutrients to encourage natural length, and help stimulate follicles after shedding

Extensions are made synthetic or natural hairs and attached via cyanoacrylate adhesive. Specialist eyelash serums are made with these chemicals in mind. Certain ingredients may harm or interact with the adhesive, or degrade the quality of  extensions over time. So don't rely on products which have not been manufactured and tested for the Extreme Sport of lash extensions

If you decide to give your lashes a break from extensions or curling, apply growth serums to help rejuvenate them. Continue to hydrate, smooth and wash with gentle cleansers. Good quality eyelash and brow serums are safe to use around the eyes. There's no point in trying to get full, shining lashes by using treatments which cause irritation. Any damage to the cornea, tear ducts or eyelids will ultimately lead to inflammation, shedding, itchiness and the urge to rub 

Check out our store for a range of products to help promote growth and protect your eyelashes and extensions