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Why Hydration Matters After a Lash Lift (and Always)

Why Hydration Matters After a Lash Lift (and Always)

by Megen Lopez in My Megu's Blog

Why Hydration Matters After a Lash Lift (and Always)

When we think about aftercare for our skin or hair, hydration is often the first thing that comes to mind—but it’s just as important for our lashes, especially after a chemical process like a lash lift.

After a lash lift, your natural lashes go through a softening and restructuring process. To maintain their health and strength, they need one thing above all else: moisture. Just like skin and hair, your lashes are made of keratin, and keeping that keratin hydrated is key to preventing breakage and maintaining flexibility.

What Happens to Dry Lashes?

Let’s use a simple visual: uncooked pasta. If you try to bend it, it snaps immediately. But once it's been cooked—softened with water—it becomes flexible. The same principle applies to your lashes. When they’re dry, they’re brittle and prone to snapping under any kind of tension or friction (like rubbing your eyes or brushing them too aggressively). But when they’re hydrated, they bend instead of break.

Hydration = Flexibility = Less Breakage

Moisturized lashes are more resilient. This is especially important after a lash lift, when the hair shaft has been temporarily weakened. Hydration supports recovery and helps restore the lash’s natural elasticity. That’s why I always recommend a nourishing lash serum or coating essence for clients after a lash lift. Personally, I like to send clients home with the leftover Step 3 solution from their appointment—plus an extra packet—to encourage consistent nourishment.

Think About It Like This…

Nail techs tell you to apply cuticle oil after a manicure to keep your nails from cracking.

Estheticians use steam during facials to hydrate and soften skin for gentler extractions.

Your hands get painful and cracked when they’re dry—but stay soft and protected when moisturized.

The same concept applies to your lashes. They’re tiny, but they go through a lot—especially during a lift. Hydrating them isn’t just an extra step—it’s essential aftercare that protects your results and prevents long-term damage.

So if you’ve just had a lash lift, don’t skip the nourishment. Think of it as your lashes' version of conditioner—and just like you wouldn’t skip that after shampooing your hair, your lashes need that same love too.

Tags: For the Clients Lash Lifts
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Is Cysteamine Really Gentler Than Thioglycolate? What the Science Says

Is Cysteamine Really Gentler Than Thioglycolate? What the Science Says In the lash and brow industry, cysteamine-based lifting solutions are often marketed as a “gentler” alternative to thioglycolate. But does the science support this claim? The short answer: not really. While cysteamine is a newer reducing agent with some interesting properties, it has not been shown in published research to be gentler, safer, or more effective than thioglycolate. In fact, it performs differently — and not necessarily better. What Are the Differences? Both cysteamine and thioglycolate work by breaking disulfide bonds in keratin so the hair can be reshaped and “locked” into a new configuration during neutralization (Manuszak, 1993; Ghanem et al., 2025). However, the kinetics and effectiveness differ: Thioglycolate acts faster, reducing more disulfide bonds in the same time frame. Cysteamine reacts more slowly and less completely under identical conditions. Thioglycolate follows predictable pseudo-first-order kinetics; cysteamine can exhibit moving-boundary kinetics at lower pH, making it harder to control. Simply put, cysteamine breaks fewer bonds and may leave more hair unprocessed. That’s not necessarily “gentler” — it can also mean inconsistent results. Why Do Brands Call It Gentler? The perception that cysteamine is gentler seems to stem more from marketing than evidence. Because it acts slower and to a lesser degree, it might cause less visible damage if misused — but that hasn’t been demonstrated in controlled studies. Thioglycolate, on the other hand, has decades of research and proven safety when used properly (Manuszak, 1993, p. 79). This is why it remains the gold standard in professional hair, lash, and brow services. Regulatory Perspective: Banned in Japan It’s also worth noting that cysteamine is currently banned for use in cosmetics in Japan. While not uncommon for regulatory bodies to differ, this underscores that cysteamine’s safety and efficacy are not universally accepted. In contrast, thioglycolate continues to be approved and widely used worldwide — a testament to its long-standing track record. Why Professionals Still Trust Thioglycolate The bottom line: while cysteamine is a promising alternative worth studying further, current evidence does not support the claim that it is gentler or safer than thioglycolate. When applied by a trained professional and neutralized correctly, thioglycolate remains the most predictable, effective, and reliable option. References Ghanem, H., et al. (2025). Effects of thioglycolate compounds in an emerging technique in the world of cosmetics—brow lamination. Manuszak, M. A. (1993). A study of the effects of reduction by cysteamine and ammonium thioglycolate on the physical and chemical properties of hair (Master’s thesis, University of Cincinnati). University Microfilms International.

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Can you get your lashes wet after a lash lift?

Can you get your lashes wet after a lash lift?

Can I Get My Lashes Wet After a Lash Lift? If you've ever had a lash lift—or scrolled through TikToks of artists rinsing lashes right after the service—you might’ve had that moment of confusion: Wait... I thought you’re not supposed to get them wet? Let’s clear it up once and for all, based on real chemistry—not lash myths. TLDR: Yes, you can get your lashes wet. However, be careful not to mess up the direction of the lashes in the first 24-48 hours. While water is okay, avoid steam (saunas, hot yoga, hot showers) for up to 48 hours after the lash lift service.  Why Do Some Artists Say “Don’t Get Them Wet for 24–48 Hours”? You’ll hear a lot of lash artists tell their clients to avoid water for an entire day (sometimes two). But I personally only ask clients to wait four hours—and here’s the reason why. It all comes down to understanding what actually changes the shape of the lash. Water Alone Doesn’t Break the Curl In the chemistry section of my course, I explain that a lash lift works by breaking and reforming disulfide bonds, which give lashes their natural shape. These can only be changed using chemical reducing agents like thioglycolate or cysteamine. Water doesn’t have the ability to break these bonds. However, it does affect hydrogen bonds—a secondary, temporary bond in the lash. When hair gets wet, hydrogen bonds soften, which is why you can style head hair differently when it’s damp. The same goes for lashes. So, in short: cool water touching the lashes after a lift won’t drop the curl. But that doesn’t mean anything goes right away... Why I Still Say “Wait Four Hours” While water won’t chemically reverse the lash lift, I still recommend avoiding it for the first four hours—not because of bond disruption, but because of lash styling. Right after the lift, lashes are still being set into place. The product used at the end of the service (often called a coating essence) helps lock in direction and shape. If water hits too soon, especially if lashes are touched or rubbed, it can shift the styling—not the curl itself, but how the lashes sit. Steam vs. Water: What’s the Real Concern? Here’s where things get more serious: steam. Steam is different from water because it combines moisture and heat, and that heat speeds up absorption. Let’s break this down: During a lash lift, the cuticle layer of the lash is opened so product can penetrate. After the treatment, the cuticle begins to close, but it takes up to 72 hours to return to its natural state. While the cuticle is still partially open, the lash is more porous, and anything that penetrates—like steam—can cause swelling. Swelling means too much water gets inside the lash, disrupting the setting process. This can weaken the curl or even cause the lash to feel brittle or over-processed. What Happens to the Lash Cuticle After a Lift? Here’s a breakdown of the lash’s porosity: Before lift: Cuticle is about 5–10% open During step one (reduction): Cuticle opens up to 40–60% After step two (neutralization): Cuticle drops to 20–30% 72 hours after lift: Cuticle returns to 10–15%, back to a healthy state The takeaway? The lash is most vulnerable right after the service, especially during that 72-hour reformation window. Why Steam Is More Damaging Than Water Steam isn’t just hot air—it’s water in vapor form that carries a lot more energy than liquid water. When that vapor hits the warm surface of a lash, it condenses back into liquid quickly and deeply penetrates the still-porous cuticle. This combination of sudden heat and moisture can: ✧Disrupt the lash’s structural reformation ✧Soften the shape before it fully sets ✧Cause premature weakening of the curl So while a cool face splash or shower after a few hours is totally fine, hot showers, saunas, and steamy facials should be avoided for at least 48–72 hours. In summary:You can get your lashes wet after a lift, just not right away—and it’s not about water ruining your curl. It’s about giving your lashes time to set, allowing the cuticle to close, and avoiding steam that could cause swelling. Stick to cool water, skip the steam, and your lift will last beautifully.

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