Eyelash extensions have become a popular beauty procedure among women across all ages, and salons with therapists specializing in the treatment are surging, it has been revealed. Semipermanent eyelash extensions used to be “a beauty technique just for celebrities such as fashion models,” Maki Miura, head of the Japan Eyelist Association said. “But the price for a full set (of extensions) has declined to about 10,000 yen and (the procedure) has spread rapidly among ordinary customers over the last three years,” the Japan Times Online quoted Miura as saying. Semipermanent extensions are an enhancement technique in which false lashes are bonded one by one to a customer’s natural lashes, adding length and thickness and making their eyes stand out while maintaining a natural look. They usually last about a month, longer than temporary eyelashes that are applied by customers themselves and last for only a short time. Among the customers at a beauty salon in Minato Ward, Tokyo, is a company president in her 80s, Miura said. She said semipermanent eyelash extensions are far more popular than nail art among middle-aged and older women. “I think women today are strongly conscious about maintaining their beauty, even if they are busy working or even if they get old,” Miura said. “Eyelash extensions make them look gorgeous and it seems they can’t stop wearing them once they get them,” she added. The beauty industry has stepped up efforts on teaching professional techniques and training to students at beauty schools. Kubota Beauty and Hairdressing College in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, introduced a special curriculum for eyelash extensions in April 2011. The course load includes classes that delve into knowledge of medicine and chemistry — content that goes beyond the traditional beauty education curriculum. Source: Indian Express, Image: flickr.com
