Life After Lash Extensions: 6 month update

Leslie Payne — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 22:32:51 +0000

It’s been 6 months since I embarked on my lash growth journey with Latisse! Read my first blog post to get the full scoop. It starts with developing a severe allergy to lash extensions – a story of betrayal, recovery, and perseverance.

Keep reading if you’ve experienced something similar, or you’re simply interested in starting Latisse!

Lash growth update

Top: Before Latisse, Middle: 6 weeks after, Bottom: 6 months after

This is what you came for. As evidenced in the photos above, my lashes have improved in both length and thickness after 6 months of use.

The good, the bad, the ugly

While I do miss the glam of lash extensions, I’m excited to finally have lashes that can take a curl and mascara.

The hard part is you must stay consistent. It takes at least 16 weeks to see the full results of Latisse¹. Moreover, Latisse works by increasing the duration of the hair growth phase², meaning that continued use is required to maintain results. If you discontinue use, your lashes will return to their previous length and volume.

But I have heard on the grapevine that after the initial 16-week growth period, some users are able to maintain them even with pairing down use to every other day.

One last thing worth mentioning is that throughout this lash journey, I experienced common side effects – skin darkening, irritation, and redness¹. The skin darkening is minimal and can be covered by makeup, so that slight drawback is negligible in my case. Thankfully, I only experienced intermittent irritation and redness, which is typically resolved by skipping a day or two of application.

My two cents!

Considering that my biggest gripes are being consistent with daily use and the mild side effects, using Latisse is a breeze! My final verdict is that the benefits of having longer, fuller lashes is worth maintaining Latisse use – so I will!

Starting your own Latisse journey? Learn more here or purchase online here!

Click here for the original blog post written by Leslie Payne for BuildMyHealth.

The post Life After Lash Extensions: 6 month update first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Life After Lash Extensions: What I did after developing an allergy

Leslie Payne — Wed, 18 May 2022 22:18:39 +0000

You love the look of eyelash extensions. You’ve tried lash growth serums in the past, but extensions give you the instant gratification you want! At least, that was the case for me. Because of my naturally short and sparse lashes, I’ve always been self-conscious and felt that I looked like a little baby boy. But honestly, that’s not fair to both babies and men as some have better lashes than I do!

My story

In an attempt to have fuller, longer lashes, I wore lash extensions for 3+ years. While I hated the upkeep, I loved the results. Waking up feeling pretty and ready to walk out the door was well worth the bi-monthly refill appointments, the meticulous care to keep them clean, and the noticeable dent it made in my wallet. Until I developed an allergy – a bad one.

Feast your eyes on this monstrosity:

It started out subtle. Some irritation and redness around my lids that resolved in a couple days with ice. My lash artist (love you, Winnie) confirmed that she had not switched any products. No new glue, no new anything. However, over the course of a few months, my allergy progressively worsened: major swelling, redness, and irritation that did not resolve, even after hydrocortisone, ice, and antihistamines.

From lash extensions to Latisse

I made the difficult decision to say goodbye to lash extensions forever. Until I relapsed, thinking that a “break” would eradiate my allergic symptoms. Big mistake – still allergic.

I needed a solution. I had tried Latisse in the past, but I didn’t stay consistent. I typically stopped after the first bottle and just resorted to extensions. Now that extensions are no longer an option for me, I decided to give it another shot.

I have been using Latisse for the past 6 weeks now. Although I don’t quite have the look of extensions yet (apparently 16 weeks is when you’ll get the full effect of Latisse¹), I’m optimistic! I’ve already noticed some improvement with the length and thickness of my lashes. I’m dedicated to staying the course for the full 16 weeks to determine if I can achieve the eyelash extension look without suffering through my allergic symptoms.

Top: Before Latisse, Bottom: 6 weeks after

Slightly longer and darker, don’t you think?

Check back later to see the final results!

If you’re interested in starting Latisse, learn more here or purchase online here!

*Pro tip: Try applying Latisse in the morning vs at night! One of the side effects I’ve experienced is redness around my eyes. No irritation, just pigmentation. However, when I started using Latisse in the daytime, I noticed that I had less “spread” and less redness. Good luck, folks!

https://www.latisse.com/FAQs.aspx