What Are Lash Clusters and How Long Do They Last?

Lash clusters are small groups of lashes, usually two to six bound together at the base, that are applied to your natural lashes to add fullness. They last up to 7 days. That makes them a short-term option: more than a strip lash you peel off at night, and far less commitment than lash extensions.

How are lash clusters different from strip lashes and extensions?

The three get confused often, so here is how they compare.

• Strip lashes are one band of lashes glued along the eyelid, above your own lashes. They come off the same day.
• Lash clusters are small sections placed along your lash line a few at a time. Because they go on in pieces, the fullness can be built where you want it, and they stay on for days.
• Lash extensions are single fibers bonded one at a time to individual natural lashes. They last for weeks, need regular fills and take much longer to apply. Ashley does not offer extensions.

If you are weighing longer-lasting options, lash lift vs. lash extensions walks through that choice.

How long do lash clusters last?

Up to 7 days. How close you get to the full week depends mostly on how you treat them. Oil, heavy rubbing and sleeping face-down in the pillow all shorten their life. So does an oily eyelid, which is nobody’s fault.

They are not meant to be worn for weeks. When the week is up, they come off and your natural lashes get a rest.

Who are lash clusters good for?

Clusters make sense when you want fuller lashes for a specific stretch of time. May and June are full of those: graduations, weddings, a Memorial Day weekend at the lake, the first trip of the summer. Book them a day or two before the event so they are fresh for it and still on for the days after.

They also suit anyone who is curious about a fuller lash look but does not want the upkeep or the cost of extensions.

They are less suited to someone who wants a low-maintenance, everyday result for weeks at a time. That is what a lash lift is for (more on that below).

How do you take care of lash clusters?

• Keep oil away from your eyes. Oil breaks down lash adhesive. Use an oil-free cleanser and makeup remover around the eye area while you are wearing them.
• Wash around them gently. Clean your face as usual, but do not scrub across your lash line or aim the shower spray at your eyes.
• Do not rub your eyes. This is the hard one in a central Illinois spring, when pollen has everyone’s eyes itching. Press a cool cloth near the eye instead of rubbing.
• Skip the mascara. Clusters already give you the fullness, and mascara means removing mascara, which loosens them.
• Sleep on your back if you can. A pillow pressed against the lashes bends and loosens them.
• Leave the lash curler in the drawer.

Can lash clusters damage your natural lashes?

Worn for a week and removed properly, they should not. The damage people associate with clusters comes from two things: wearing them far longer than they are meant to be worn, and pulling them off.

A cluster that is tugged off takes natural lashes with it. If one starts to lift at the edge before you are ready, do not pick at it. Ask at your appointment how to remove them safely when the week is up, and follow that.

If you have sensitive eyes, wear contact lenses or have ever reacted to a lash adhesive, say so before the appointment. If your eyes become red, swollen or painful while wearing any kind of lashes, have them removed and check with a doctor.

Lash clusters or a lash lift?

They do different jobs.

• Lash clusters add lashes. The look is fuller than your own lashes can be, and it lasts up to a week.
• A Lash Lift & Tint adds nothing. It curls your own lashes upward and darkens them, which looks like a good coat of mascara, and it lasts for several weeks.

For an event, clusters. For everyday mornings without mascara, a lift. Some people do both at different times of year.

At Spathetics in Effingham, Ashley applies Lash Clusters in a short appointment, and the current price is on the service page. You can compare both lash services there too, and book online a day or two ahead of whatever you have coming up.