How Old Do You Have to be to Get Eyelash Extensions?

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Figuring out the right age for beauty procedures like ear piercings and eyelash extensions is never easy. Age requirements vary from location to location, and from spa to spa. But parental consent should be provided for minors. 

Apart from the legalities sake, you might still wonder how old do you have to be to get eyelash extensions? Is there a certain age you have to be for the extensions to stick? What is a good age to get eyelash extensions?

Salons often target an age of around 16 as a minimum, and we think that’s a sensible age. There is maintenance and regular costs involved, and younger kids may not be ready for that.

We’ll go into further detail below. 


Is your child attending a special event? Is she in high school and does she want eyelash extensions so she doesn’t have to use makeup to make them full and long?

Most of those who go for eyelash extensions are adult women (and even men). However, there might also be reasons why a younger person might wish to have them. 

No matter what the reason is, you first have to figure out if it is possible or even legal to have that beauty procedure done. 

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How Old Do You Have to be to Get Eyelash Extensions?

There aren’t typically any state-mandated age requirements for eyelash extensions. However, not all salons would be willing to apply extensions to a young person. 

A good bit of guidance as to when a child is ready for extensions is: can the child maintain the lashes, and can the child pay for regular lash extensions themselves? Generally, that age is around 16+, but individual kids will vary.


Why It’s Not A Good Idea To Use Eyelash Extensions On Younger People

Professionals who apply eyelash extensions have to decide where they want to draw the line when it comes to age.

There are some who perform extensions on kids as young as 12 years old. However, many don’t want to do it for the following reasons:

Insurance

First of all, they’d have to consider if providing this service to younger people is covered by their insurance.

They’d have to consult with their carrier first so that if anything happens, they would still be covered. 

Chemical Exposure

The second reason is the exposure of the younger kids to the chemicals. In order to get eyelash extensions, eyelash glue is used. 

The composition of eyeglass glue could include various chemicals that could irritate the eyes. There are many types of glue, and even those for sensitive eyes could still have irritating properties. 

Care Concerns

Another reason for aestheticians to avoid extensions on younger people is that younger people may not be ready to care for the extensions properly. You can’t shower with them in the beginning. You can only wear certain types of makeup with lash extensions.

If the results don’t last, the client would be wasting their money — or worse, calling back complaining about the job!


False Eyelashes to the Rescue 

For the most part, it’s best for minors to stick with false eyelashes, whether magnetic or glue.

Fake eyelashes  that can be removed at the end of the day are much easier for minors to deal with than eyelash extensions.

There are many fabulous selections of temporary fake lashes that you could still use for that party or event.

The main reason to get an eyelash extension procedure is to simply avoid applying and removing the fake eyelashes repeatedly. 

If you or your child are just thinking of getting eyelash extensions for that special event, the temporary solution is almost certainly the way to go. 


What Is A Good Age To Get Eyelash Extensions?

A good age to get eyelash extensions is when you are old enough to know how to take care of them. You don’t just get them done then forget about them, there is maintenance involved.

For this reason, a good age for lash extensions is around 16 years old.

Even if eyelash extensions done at the salon offer a semi-permanent result, they will still not last a lifetime. Generally, you can expect the eyelash extensions to last for around 3 weeks.

As the days go by, the eyelash extensions will gradually fall out. If you want to maintain their beauty, then you’d have to go for regular fills, as you would your acrylic nails. 

They need to be cared for, and there are things you shouldn’t do to prolong their life.

The Dollar Rules

As a general rule, a good age to get them is when you are old enough to pay for them yourself.

Sure, it’s awesome if someone can pay for them for you. However, that would usually mean you’d just be getting them once and won’t be regularly having fills. 

That isn’t so bad because you’d still get to experience having them. You just wouldn’t enjoy the benefits and perks they bring for a very long time. 

People usually get eyelash extensions to save them some time in their daily makeup routine. It is a great solution for those who are too busy to spend a lot of time using makeup or applying the lashes. 

If you tend to wear fake lashes a lot, then eyelash extensions are a great alternative. You don’t have to attach them in the morning, then remove them at the end of the day. No cleaning, no reusing.

It just provides convenience. 


Other Things To Consider

Aside from age, there are other aspects to consider when thinking about getting eyelash extensions.

First is the overall health of your eye. 

Those who have eye diseases aren’t advised to get eyelash extensions because the procedure could just worsen their problems.

Even if you just have an eye infection, that could still worsen due to this procedure. 

Secondly, you should consider your allergies. Some people may be allergic to the glue or ingredients of the glue.

That’s why most salons will first require you to fill out a detailed form. That will help them identify if you could undergo the procedure or not. 

Also, those that have an eyelash perm shouldn’t get eyelash extensions. There should be an interval of about 6-8 weeks between the two procedures.

This is to ensure that the eyelash extensions bond well with your natural lashes. 


Final Thoughts

At some salons, you can get eyelash extensions at any age. However, it is not ideal for minors for a few reasons. 

They may not be able to properly care for their eyelash extensions so the procedure won’t last. Exposure to chemicals should also be avoided. 

Apart from that, there are also some professionals who would reject younger clients for insurance reasons. However, there are some who will gladly do them with parental consent. 

Additionally, there are other considerations when it comes to eyelash extensions. Those with eye diseases, sensitive or allergic to the glue, and those who had their lashes permed should not go for eyelash extensions. 

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Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).