- How Long Do You Need To Wait Before Swimming With Eyelash Extensions?
- Can You Go Swimming In The Pool With Eyelash Extensions?Â
- Can You Swim In The Ocean With Eyelash Extensions?
- How To Take Care Of Lash Extensions While Swimming?
- How To Clean Eyelash Extensions After A Swim?
- How To Dry Wet Eyelash Extensions?
- Things to Avoid When Having Wet Eyelash Extensions
- Can You Swim With Fake Eyelashes?
- Can You Swim With DIY Extensions?
- Final Thoughts
Mascara and swimming donât go well together, so if youâre a frequent swimmer, you might be curious about alternatives. But, can you swim with eyelash extensions?Â
Lash extensions are one of the more dramatic ways to enhance your lashes. While they are technically waterproof, their relationship with water can be complicated. In this post, weâll explain everything you need to know about lash extensions and swimming.Â
How Long Do You Need To Wait Before Swimming With Eyelash Extensions?
Normally, youâll need to wait for 24 to 48 hours before going swimming with lash extensions. In fact, youâll have to wait before exposing your lashes to any water, which includes getting in the shower or even sweating at the gym.Â
Lash adhesives donât bond to your lashes immediately. Over the course of a few hours or days, they slowly absorb moisture from the air, which is how they are able to cure. Lash technicians know how to choose the correct glue based on the humidity in the area where they live, since that has a huge impact on how the glue sets.Â
However, if you get in the water too early, the glue will cure too fast, without totally bonding the lashes and the extensions.Â
That said, make sure to ask your technician, as well. There are some lash extension adhesives that set a little faster than normal. These days, some formulas will finish curing in just 6 hours, while others set more slowly. Always listen to your technician and follow her advice for timing and aftercare. Â
Once the glue sets, youâll be able to go swimming again! If youâre a frequent swimmer, let your technician know. They might choose to use a different adhesive or add other bonding steps to ensure that your lashes last for longer.Â
There are still a few important things youâll need to be aware of, especially, when it comes to the type of environments you swim in. Â
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Can You Go Swimming In The Pool With Eyelash Extensions?
You can go swimming in the pool with eyelash extensions, but be aware that chlorine can have a weakening effect on the glue.
Chlorine and cyanoacrylate (the most common lash extension ingredient) donât play well together. Prolonged exposure to chlorine will weaken the glue, so youâll be at risk of losing lash extensions more rapidly than you would normally. Plus, chlorine can also be very drying and irritating to the skin.Â
Salt water pools are kinder to your eyes and your lashes, although theyâre not perfect, either. Salt water can also weaken extension adhesive.Â
There are a few things you can do to mitigate the risk, though. You can wear goggles when you swim and rinse your eyes with fresh water immediately after taking a dip - weâll talk more about these habits below.Â
Can You Swim In The Ocean With Eyelash Extensions?
Just like salt water pools, ocean water is also going to slightly weaken your lash glue. It can increase your risk of losing extensions. The more time you spend in the salt water, the greater the impact on your extensions.Â
Even so, you can still rock lash extensions on your next tropical vacation. The risk is minor, and itâs pretty easy to reduce by simply taking great care of your lashes, as weâll explain below.Â
How To Take Care Of Lash Extensions While Swimming?
Here are a few tips thatâll help you keep your lash extensions looking great when you swim.Â
- Choose your pool carefully. Lakes and natural swimming pools are going to be kinder to your lash extensions and to your skin. If you can avoid salt and chlorine pools, definitely do so.Â
- Wear goggles. Goggles will protect your extensions as well as your eyes from the harsh pool chemicals or salt water. If youâre going to engage in more vigorous activity, like swimming laps or diving, theyâll also protect your extensions from getting pulled off by the force of the water. As a bonus, theyâll even help you see better. Choose a pair thatâs large enough so as not to put pressure on your extensions but that will still create a good seal. We recommend looking at options from Speedo or Barracuda. Â
- Donât rub your eyes. Do not rub your eyes no matter what. Friction and tugging are damaging to both your extensions and your natural lashes, so while you might be tempted to wipe away sweat or water, resist the urge. Goggles, once again, will probably help. Â
- Avoid diving or horsing around. Swimming with extensions is fine, but anything thatâll put pressure on them can be a problem. You may want to avoid diving or swimming intense laps or getting into water fights, especially if youâre not wearing goggles. Sadly, getting splashed with a high-powered water gun can definitely cause you to lose a couple of lashes.Â
- Try a protective product. Lash extension sealants like our Crystal Coat can help further protect your lashes and the glue when you go swimming with eyelash extensions. This coat will create a protective layer surrounding your lashes and glue, to help prevent salt or chlorine from impacting the material and causing lash loss.
- Be careful with sunscreen. As you probably already know, oily skincare products can speed up the breakdown of your extension glue. Itâs so important you protect your eye area from the sun, though, so the best choice is to use a stick sunscreen that wonât migrate.
- No mascara. One question that often comes up is whether you can wear waterproof mascara with extensions to go swimming. The answer is a resounding no. While some mascaras are safe to wear with extensions, these are also the mascaras that are most likely to run in water. If youâre going swimming, we recommend avoiding all eye makeup.Â
How To Clean Eyelash Extensions After A Swim?
If you went swimming in a freshwater lake, you donât need to worry too much about cleaning your lashes. However, after a dip in the sea or pool, cleaning your lashes from residual salt or chlorine is very important.Â
- You donât have to do a full clean - that can wait until evening. However, make sure to rinse your lashes with a bit of tap or bottled water.Â
- If youâre at the swimming pool, you can just splash your face gently with a bit of water from the tap.Â
- At the beach, bring a bottle of water with you, so you can pour some over your lashes after every dip in the water.
- Once youâre done for the day (ideally, as soon as you have access to running water), youâll want to clean your lash extensions thoroughly. Itâs important to remove all the debris, oils, and sweat to keep your extensions clean and your eyes healthy. Â
- To clean your lashes, use a lash-safe cleanser and brush, which you can find in our Lash Cleaning Kit.Â
How To Dry Wet Eyelash Extensions?
Leaving your lash extensions wet is not a great idea. The extensions themselves can get weighed down by the water, which is very uncomfortable. Additionally, when theyâre wet theyâre a little more fragile - you donât want to brush them when theyâre wet, for instance.Â
After you swim, rinse, or cleanse your lashes, make sure to dry the area around them right away. If theyâre just a little damp, you can let them air dry, and avoid touching them.Â
If your lashes are truly soaked, we suggest dabbing them with a paper towel or an ultra-soft microfiber cloth like the one in our Lash Cleaning Kit. Press the towel against your eyes gently, be very careful not to rub them.Â
You can also try drying them with a blow dryer. Make sure the blow dryer is set to a cool setting and at the lowest level of pressure. This can be especially useful if theyâre just lightly damp after youâve finished cleaning them.Â
Drying them incorrectly can also lead to issues. We highly recommend you avoid drying them with a cotton pad since it can actually cause too much friction. You may end up losing a few lashes.Â
Things to Avoid When Having Wet Eyelash Extensions
While your lash extensions and the glue are fairly water-resistant, your natural lashes arenât. Our lashes, just like our hair, will absorb water after theyâve been submerged in it. This causes the hair cuticle to swell, which makes your natural lashes a little more fragile.Â
When you have expensive extensions on, every time you lose a natural lash youâll also lose an extension. So no matter what, avoid tugging or rubbing your lashes. If you want to get water out of your eyes, dab them with a soft towel, instead.Â
You also donât want to brush them when theyâre wet. Brushing your lash extensions to detangle them is important, but wait for them to dry completely to avoid pulling any lashes off while you do it.Â
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Can You Swim With Fake Eyelashes?
The risk of losing your false lashes while you swim is pretty high. Fake eyelashes arenât meant to be worn for more than a day. The adhesive isnât too strong, and at-home removal is pretty easy. While fake lash glues are water-resistant, theyâre also going to get weakened by the salt or chlorine in the water.Â
Additionally, theyâre going to come off a lot more easily when faced with any pressure from waves or swimming. That said, if youâre rocking falsies from a more affordable brand, losing them in the water probably wonât be a big deal.Â
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Can You Swim With DIY Extensions?Â
Yes, you can definitely swim with DIY extensions! If youâre not familiar, DIY extensions are cluster-style lashes that you can apply easily at home. They stay put for up to 5 or 10 days depending on the adhesive you choose.Â
While DIY extension glue isnât as strong as professional extension glue, itâs actually quite resilient in the face of water. Itâs also less likely to be as problematic following exposure to salt and chlorine.Â
With DIY extensions, the glue has a larger surface area to stick to, since the lashes themselves are clusters instead of single strands. As such, it takes a lot more damage to lose a single cluster. If the glue does loosen after a swim, itâs very easy to apply a little more and reinforce the extensions.Â
Plus, if you do lose a cluster, itâs pretty easy to re-attach it or to take the clusters off altogether and reapply anew. With a bit of practice, youâd even be able to redo your DIY extensions in the swimming pool changing rooms.Â
Final Thought
By now, the answer to the question âcan you swim with eyelash extensions?â should be pretty clear. While swimming with lash extensions is possible, itâs important to remember that the salt and chlorine from pools and the ocean can weaken the glue. You can still have fun in the sun and water as long as you care for your lashes both during and after.Â
Lastly, if you want an alternative thatâs totally waterproof but not too expensive to repair, consider DIY extensions that you can apply by yourself at home!Â
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