How to Remove Eyelash Extensions at Home? A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to remove eyelash extensions for utmost eye care. With the best and most effective tips and tricks, you can take them off at home with minimal effort.

Chhavi Puri
Written by Chhavi Puri , Skincare Coach & Makeup Expert
Updated on Sep 06, 2024 | 12:13 PM IST | 44.6K
How to Remove Eyelash Extensions
How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

When it’s about makeup and beauty, it is essential to groom your eyelashes as they brighten and widen your eyes. In fact, fluttering eyelashes add the missing drama and enhance the look of your eyes seamlessly. For that zero-effect glam and instant transformation, you can vouch for eyelash extensions, promising instant gratification of fuller, longer, and flattered eyelashes. However, learning how to remove eyelash extensions safely is as important as the application process. 

Eyelash extensions are synthetic or real strands of hair that are supposed to be glued to your natural eyelashes. They are available in a variety of colors, lengths, curl types, thicknesses, and styles to help you achieve the desired appearance.

With the right choices and proper knowledge about how to take off lash extensions, you can cut down on your salon bills and save your hard-earned money. As long as you have an eyelash extension remover and some DIY tools and equipment, you can easily remove eyelash extensions at home without damaging your real lashes.

Our tips and a step-by-step guide on how to get lash extensions off with minimal effort will not only help you get rid of the few stubborn stragglers but also give your natural lashes a rest. Without further ado, let’s get started! 

 

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions Safely?

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

There are two types of eyelash extensions available on the market — temporary and permanent. Temporary eyelash extensions are applied with the help of a temporary adhesive glue that lasts for a day or up to a week. On the contrary, permanent eyelash extensions are applied with a permanent and stronger adhesive glue whose effects may last for up to several weeks or months. 

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Applying them can seem easy, but removing them can turn out to be daunting due to insufficient knowledge. When it comes to taking your false eyelashes off, you need to focus on dissolving the adhesive glue. 

There are various types of adhesives. The most commonly used glue is cyanoacrylate, which is also utilized as a surgical glue and is found in medical adhesive bandages. The two well-known enemies of the glue are moisture and heat. These elements dissolve cyanoacrylate — the adhesive of lash extension.

Following are the ways to remove eyelash extensions at home.

 

Easy Ways to Remove Lash Extensions with Great Care

 

1. Use an Oil-based Cleanser Or Eye Makeup Remover

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

The solution for quick removal of fake eyelashes is to use an oil-based cleanser, especially the one that contains glycols or glycerin. It is used in the majority of cosmetics as a solvent and has proven to dissolve adhesive bonds. You can soak a cotton pad in the cleanser and apply it to your lashes every day. This will gradually weaken the bond, making the extensions detach on their own. 

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2. Take a Steamy, Hot Shower to Loosen the Glue

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Taking a hot steamy shower can loosen the eyelash extension glue over time. To speed up the process, you can also expose your face to steam using a bowl of hot water or any steamer available at your home. All you need to do is place your face with your eyes closed and let the steam break down the lash adhesive. This is the most painless and the best way to remove eyelash extensions.

Please note that one steamy hot shower may not fetch you immediate results. Hence, don’t expect your eyelash extension to come off in one go. The trick here is to keep your hands off your lashes for optimal results. 

If you have used a good-quality adhesive, then it may take a lot of steam to break or weaken the bond of the glue. Therefore, with this method of eyelash extension removal, it is advisable to be a little patient with the results. Refrain from plucking. picking, or pulling off your lashes as it may cause lash damage.

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3. Use Oils to Dissolve the Bond

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

For anything wondering about “How to get rid of eyelash extensions” quickly, the go-to solution is to follow a nightly treatment to dissolve the bonds of the glue. You can incorporate this easy step into your daily skincare regime with a variety of natural oils at your disposal.  

In the evening, after you are done removing your makeup, take a cotton swab, dip it into the oil, and brush it onto your eyelash extensions. Rub it on the top of your lash line, focusing on the area where your lashes are bonded with great care. Do not allow the oil to enter your eyes as it may cause irritation. If it enters, flush it out immediately with water.  

Below is the list of oils that can help remove your eyelash extensions:

Castor oil: Castor oil promotes the growth of your natural eyelashes. It contains anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, making it safe enough to apply around the sensitive areas of your eyes. 

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is the most versatile oil used in a plethora of beauty and skincare recipes. It works wonders as a makeup remover — hence, it can be used for removing fake lashes with ease.

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Olive Oil: Olive oil carries a low risk of irritations and allergies. Plus, it is well tolerated by most skin types, making it a suitable eyelash extension glue remover. 

These oils compromise the integrity of the lash glue, causing your false lashes to fall out sooner. With the right choice of oil, gentle hands, and great care, you can learn how to safely remove eyelash extensions over time.

4. Apply a Professional-grade ‌Adhesive Dissolver

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

 Think of investing in a high-grade adhesive remover or dissolver. The best advice is to seek help from someone so that the solution doesn’t enter your eyes. 

As your eyelashes are extremely delicate and the skin around them is sensitive, you need to be extra careful. You need to know all the tips on how to remove eyelash extensions at home before attempting to use the dissolver on a whim. 

The glue that you initially apply hardens when exposed to air. It means that your lash extensions and the glue have also hardened on your actual eyelashes. Once your extensions break or begin to fall out, they might pull out your natural eyelashes too. Hence, it is vital to use the lash dissolver with great care and precaution. 

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5. Don’t Pick Or Pull Your Lashes out (Fake Or Real)

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Resist the urge to use pluckers and tweezers to pull out the extensions or the glue, as it may damage your natural eyelashes. It is not recommended to pull, pluck, cut, or tweeze your lashes. Make sure you limit rubbing as it may accelerate irritation or sensitivity, leaving behind sparse lashes. Constantly trying to pull or pluck your lashes with eyelash extension remover at home may hamper the quality of hair follicles, leading to irreversible damage. 

6. Use Glue-dissolving Products

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Using beauty products with adhesive-dissolving ingredients will help break down the adhesiveness of your extensions. It might take a few days, but eventually delivers great results. You may use any oil-based removers, or facial cleansers, or massage your face with oils that are a part of your skincare routine. 

7. Nourish Your Natural Lashes

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Make sure you take due care of your natural eyelashes and do not sway away in the process of removing your extensions. Be patient and shift your focus from faux lashes to your real lashes. Use lash serums and moisturizing oils for utmost lash nourishment. Your lash extensions will probably fall off in a few days. 

8. Visit a Professional 

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

If you are not well acquainted with how to take off lash extensions without damage, then simply visit a professional or a lash tech. In majority of the cases, eyelash extensions are adhered to using a surgical-grade glue, which you shouldn't mess around with. If you have tried removing lash extensions at home but in vain, visit a professional lash artist or lash tech. 

Scroll down to learn about some damage-free ways to remove eyelash extensions.

Read More: How to Make Your Eyelashes Grow Naturally: A Comprehensive Guide

 

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions: A Complete Guide

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

  1. The first step is to wash your hands with a mild, gentle cleanser and pat dry to keep infections at bay. 
  2. Set up your working area and keep all the necessary materials handy. Make sure the place where you are sitting is well-lit. 
  3. The next step is to wash your face with a mild face wash or cleanser and focus on your eyelids so that all the debris or makeup residue is removed. 
  4. Take a cotton ball and pour a small amount of oil-based cleanser upon it, until it gets soaked well. 
  5. Keeping your eyes closed, begin massaging your lashline with the soaked cotton ball. This will loosen the lash glue. 
  6. Hold on for a few minutes and let the oil work its magic to loosen the adhesive. Check if the oil is breaking down the bond of the glue. 
  7. Take a wide-mouthed bowl and boil water in it. 
  8. Position your face over the bowl and make sure your face is at a safe distance. Use a towel to take steam.
  9. Steam your face for at least 10 minutes. 
  10.  Take a lash comb or a clean spoolie and begin combing your lashes with gentle hands. Try to separate the extensive from your natural lashes.
  11.  At a 45-degree, gently try to pull your extension. Don’t be too rough.
  12.  If resistance persists, again apply a little bit of oil to the cotton pad and swipe it over your lashes. Don’t tug or pull. Be patient and let the extension fall off voluntarily. 
  13.  Once, the extension has begun to come off, cleanse your face again with a mild cleanser. Try removing the applied oil and the residues of the glue. 
  14.  Apply moisturizer or any cream meant to soothe the sensitive area around the eyes. 
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Tada, you are done!  

 

Should You Take off Lash Extensions at Home?

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

You can take them off with proper knowledge about how to remove eyelash extensions at home safely. Since the process involves stripping away professional-grade eyelash glue, it requires patience. Don’t be surprised if it takes days, weeks, or even a little longer for them to eventually all come off.

In addition, with the right lash tools and equipment, you can try to loosen the adhesive bond. After attempting steam, oil, and gentle rubbing, if the resistance remains, it is advisable to seek the assistance of a lash technician to ensure the safety of your eyes.

 

When Should You Remove Lash Extensions?

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Eyelash extensions can be removed at home after two to three weeks of application. However, this time period may vary depending on the growth of your natural eyelashes. It is also completely okay to see your extensions grow or fall out. Instead of plucking, tweezing, or pulling them, try to conceal them with the help of a good black liner. 

You can also use mascara to blend stubborn extensions occasionally. In fact, using it every day can weaken the adhesive bond as mascara contains oils and waxes. 

 

Risks Involved While Removing Eyelash Extensions at Home

How to Remove Eyelash Extensions

Not all lash bonding agents are the same. Hence, there are a few risks involved when it comes to removing the extensions at home. Trying to pull out your extensions too prematurely can result in sparse lashes or breakage of your natural ones.

Ensure that you only try out at-home DIY hacks to remove them completely once you see them falling out naturally. Doing so may cause less damage. Putting too much pressure on your lashes and eye area can damage follicles. 

While attempting to remove your extensions, try to protect your natural lashes. If you are too careless during the removal process, you can end up with thinned or spidery lashes. 

Whether you use oil-based makeup remover or cleanser for eyelash extensions, make sure you know every important detail about how to remove eyelash extensions safely at home. It is vital to proceed with caution and patience to avoid any serious lash or eye damage. Take your time to ensure the health and beauty of your natural eyelashes.

FAQ's

Will removing your eyelash extensions at home hurt?
If multiple lashes are glued together, then it may hurt.

Does eyelash extension damage natural eyelashes?
If extensions are applied correctly and cared for properly, they shouldn't damage your natural lashes.

What if eyelash extensions won’t come off?
Consider visiting a salon or lash technician if your eyelash extensions won’t come off.

Why do my natural eyelashes short after I removed my lash extensions?
One of the reasons may be the clogging of hair follicles, which makes it difficult for natural lashes to regrow and appear short.

Do eyelashes grow back after applying extensions?
Yes, natural eyelashes can grow back after extensions, but it may take longer than usual.

How often should one remove and replace eyelash extensions?
It is recommended to remove and replace the full set after every 6 to 8 weeks.

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About The Author
Chhavi Puri
Chhavi Puri
Skincare Coach & Makeup Expert

Chhavi is a certified Skincare Coach and she's also certified in Makeup Artistry. Her fascination with skincare

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