Eyelash extensions are not cheap. A single appointment can cost hundreds of dollars. If you choose to maintain them, that can translate into thousands of dollars in spendings over the course of a year. For a lot of us, that’s a significant expense, which leads to a very reasonable question: Are eyelash extensions worth it?
In this post, we’ll analyze the main reasons why extensions are worth it, as well as the reasons why they aren’t. We’ll also tell you a little about our favorite budget-friendly alternative (spoiler alert: It’s DIY lash extensions), and finally, break down the main deciding factors to help you figure out what’s right for you.
Reasons Why Eyelash Extensions Are Worth It
These are the main reasons why lash extensions are worth it for a lot of happy customers.
They Require a Lot of Skill
Before we dive into the main reasons why lash extensions might be worth it for you as an individual, it’s worth understanding what’s behind the price. When you get extensions, you’re paying for the time of a highly skilled professional, and that comes with a cost.
Applying lash extensions is a pain-staking process that requires both technical skill and artistic flair. An appointment can take upwards of two hours as your technician attaches the extensions, fiber-by-fiber, to each one of your natural lashes.
As is often the case with beauty service costs, the pricing also has to do with factors like the cost of living in your city, the skill and experience level of your technician, and how luxurious or high-end the salon you choose happens to be.
Incredible Look
Eyelash extensions can look truly incredible. For most avid extension fans, the look is the main reason why eyelash extensions are worth it. They enhance the eyes far beyond what you can achieve with mascara, giving a result that’s on par with false lashes.
Save Time On a Daily Basis
If you like to look glamorously immaculate in the mornings but don’t have a lot of time to spend on your makeup, eyelash extensions can be major time savers. They frame the eyes dramatically, so they don’t only save you the time you’d spend applying falsies, but they can also replace your mascara, eyeliner, and maybe even eyeshadow.
Very Customizable
Another fantastic thing about eyelash extensions is that they’re highly customizable. There is a lash extension style to suit almost every taste, from demure, light-weight classic style to ultra-dramatic Russian volume style. Your lash technician can adjust the length, shape, density, and width of the lash extensions to suit your eye shape and your personal preferences.
Immediate Results
There aren’t a lot of aesthetic services out there that give you immediate results, but lash extensions do. If you’d like to try something that’ll make you feel instantly more glamorous with minimal effort on your part, eyelash extensions very well might be it.
Long-Lasting Results
Lastly, one of the biggest reasons to get lash extensions is that they last for a long time. You can expect them to stay put for between 3 to 6 weeks following an application, although most technicians recommend coming in for touch-ups every two weeks. There is no other lash-enhancing treatment that lasts quite so long.
Reasons to Avoid Eyelash Extensions
We’ve covered all the good, but it’s undeniable that there are some reasons why you might want to avoid eyelash extensions. Here they are:
They’re Expensive
Justified or not, lash extensions are not a cheap beauty treatment, especially when you consider the long-term costs of maintaining them. It depends on how you budget in your own personal life, but for many, they can be a difficult regular expense.
Mindful Aftercare
Aftercare for eyelash extensions isn’t complicated, but it does require some mindfulness. If you’re not going to take good care of them, the extensions can shed which translates into money down the drain.
Safety Concerns
When lash extensions are applied correctly and are then well taken care of, they’re quite safe. However, there are still some safety concerns, especially if you don’t clean them well or if you pick an inexperienced lash stylist. It’s definitely something to keep in mind when deciding if lash extensions will be worth it for you, but it’s even more important when you select your salon or technician.
Time-Consuming Appointments
Lash extensions may save you time in the morning, but you’ll still need to schedule appointments, find the time to go to the salon, and then spend hours lying in the technician's chair. If you already have a busy schedule, this can be quite difficult.
What to Try Instead of Extensions
What if you had an option that looked just as good as professional lash extensions but didn’t cost an arm and a leg?
That’s what DIY lash extensions are all about. DIY extensions share a few benefits with professional extensions: They look incredible, they save you time in the morning, and they last a long time.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, DIY extensions are a sort of hybrid between false lashes and professional extensions. They come in easy-to-apply clusters for easy customization, and they can stay put for up to 10 days.
The big difference is that with DIY extensions, you create your look all by yourself (or with the help of a friend). A year’s supply of materials will often cost less than a single lash extension appointment, so it’s hard to argue with the savings.
So... Are They Worth It?
Bottom line - are lash extensions worth it? It’s clear to us that while the price of lash extensions is definitely justified, whether they’re actually worth it is much more individual.
If spending an extra few hundred dollars a month isn’t an issue for you, and you’d rather just lie back and let someone else beautify you, going for lash extensions can be a really nice treat! If you’re on a budget or you enjoy doing your own beauty treatments and getting creative with your look, we think you should consider giving DIY extensions a try!
