Refill guide · Timing & cost
Refill guide · Timing & cost
Two different questions hide inside this one. How long does a single extension stay on, and how long does a set keep looking like a set? The answers are about six weeks and about two to three, and the gap between them is the whole reason refills exist.
An extension is bonded to one natural lash, and it stays until that lash sheds. Natural lashes live for roughly six to eight weeks, so that is the outer limit for any single extension.
A set is a different thing. Your lashes are all at different points in their cycle, so a few are shed every day, each taking its extension along. After two to three weeks enough have gone that the set starts to look gappy rather than deliberate. That is the point a refill is for.
If extensions came off because the adhesive failed, you would lose them in patches in the first few days. When they are applied properly that is not what happens. They leave one at a time, attached to the natural lash that was always going to shed.
This is also why finding an extension on your pillow is not a fault. Look closely and there is usually a natural lash attached to it. A handful a day is the normal cycle doing its job.
What is not normal is losing a lot in the first 48 hours, or extensions sliding off with no natural lash attached. If that happens, send a message within 48 hours of the appointment and it gets sorted.
| Classic | Hybrid | Volume | Mega Volume | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full set | $120 | $140 | $160 | $180 |
| Two week refill | $60 | $70 | $80 | $90 |
| Three week refill | $75 | $90 | $100 | $115 |
| Foreign refill | $85 | $100 | $115 | $130 |
Two week refill. You are back within two weeks of your last appointment. Most of the set is still there, so it is a lighter top-up and the cheapest of the three.
Three week refill. Within three weeks. More has grown out, so there is more to rebuild and it costs a little more.
The line between a refill and a full set is roughly 40% of the extensions still in place. Under that, and usually anywhere past three weeks, there is not enough left to refill and a new full set is the honest answer.
Foreign refill. A refill of a set applied by another technician. It costs more because it includes a tidy-up, and because working over someone else’s mapping and adhesive takes longer. If the existing set has lashes glued together, it gets removed rather than built on. Lash removal is $25 as an add-on, and a clean start protects your natural lashes.
In rough order of how often they are the cause:
Oil. Oil-based cleansers, makeup removers, moisturisers and sunscreens break down the adhesive. This is the big one, and it is usually a product nobody thought to check.
Rubbing and picking. Towelling your face dry, rubbing tired eyes, pulling at a lash that feels loose.
Getting them wet too early. The adhesive needs 24 hours to cure fully. Water, steam and heavy sweat inside that window weaken the bond for the whole life of the set.
Not cleansing. It sounds backwards, but dirty lashes shed faster. Skin oil and makeup build up at the base and work on the adhesive all day.
Sleeping on them. Side sleepers see one eye thin out first. A silk pillowcase helps.
The full routine is on the aftercare page.
The full set is the entry fee. The refills are the running cost, and they are the number worth budgeting for.
A classic set on two week refills works out at about $130 a month. Stretch to three week refills and it is closer to $110 a month, with a set that looks a little thinner in the last few days before each appointment. Hybrid, volume and mega volume scale up in proportion.
Skipping refills to save money rarely works. Leave it past three weeks and you are paying for a full set again, which costs more than the refill you skipped. There is a fuller breakdown in what lash extensions cost.
Questions
Every two to three weeks. Two weeks keeps a set looking full the whole time. Three weeks is fine if you do not mind it looking a little lighter in the last few days.
Usually not as a refill. By four weeks most sets are under the roughly 40% needed to build on, so the appointment becomes a new full set. If you know you will be away, book a refill just before you go.
A few, yes, because natural lashes are shed every day and take their extension along. Losing a lot in the first 48 hours is not normal. Message within 48 hours of your appointment and it will be sorted.
Almost always sleep. Whichever side you sleep on gets pressed into the pillow for hours. Sleeping on your back or using a silk pillowcase evens it out.
They can. Sweat, sunscreen and swimming all work on the adhesive. Oil-free sunscreen around the eyes and a rinse with fresh water after the beach make most of the difference.
Not on a schedule. If your natural lashes are healthy and the set is the right weight for them, you can wear extensions continuously. If your lashes do need a rest, you will be told so at the appointment.
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Due for a refill, or not sure whether you need a refill or a full set? Book in, or send a photo first.
