Lashing it up

Going big with eyelashes is a Hollywood trend that dates back to the ’50s and ’60s with actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor epitomizing the look.

Today, celebrities as well as regular women continue to mimic this dramatic look. The difference is the number of options available, which now range from semi-permanent lash extensions to permanent lash tattooing and transplants.

Semi-permanent lash extensions is a procedure becoming increasingly popular in the beauty world. It is a service offered by many makeup artists and aestheticians across the country.

Veronica Tran, owner of Pretty in the City/Pretty Lashes in Toronto, specializes in semi-permanent lash extensions. Tran offers a variety of synthetic lashes, depending on the type of look one wants to achieve.

“There’s a ratio that I go by, it’s about one-third to half longer than your regular lashes,” says Tran. “Some people will request shorter, because they want more natural lashes. Other people will ask for the most dramatic they can get.”

Lash extensions are glued to the natural lash to increase length, volume and curl. The cost can vary; Tran offers extensions beginning at $150 for the first visit and $80 for the refill. 

For people having a difficult time growing their natural lashes, some doctors offer eyelash transplants. This involves the removal of the patient’s own hair, often from the back of the head. Next, selected hair follicles are isolated and inserted into the eyelid with a needle.

Dr. David Clas, a certified surgeon from the Ultra Greffe clinic in Montreal has been performing eyelash transplants for two years. While it can be used to help people with little to no natural lashes, Clas has a vast majority of patients who seek transplants for cosmetic reasons.

Clas advises his patients to trim their new eyelashes every two weeks, as the one-time procedure can help lashes grow faster. But he warns against seeking transplants as an alternative to eye makeup.

“They grow faster but the appearance is comparable to how eyelashes look without mascara. The look is not as noticeable,” says Clas. “Most patients have to use an eyelash curler.”

The cost for the transplant surgery is usually $3,500, and requires about one week of healing time.
For women who are satisfied with their natural lash shape and length, Karen West of Lasting Color, in Edmonton, offers an eyelash enhancement procedure, a permanent tattooing of the lash line. The one-time procedure costs around $399.

“It makes it look like your lashes are thicker because they are coloured in. There is no skin showing between the lashes to make them look sparse,” says West.

While these treatments can cost a pretty penny, women are shelling out to fit this new standard in beauty.

“Lashes just make anybody look better, prettier and just more feminine,” says Tran.