The lash extension market has been taking its share of lashes recently. For a myriad of reasons, from changing trends to lofty prices, entrepreneurs and technicians working in it detect it’s not extending how it was before the pandemic interrupted consumers’ regular beauty maintenance. Although prognosticators still predict the market will grow, insiders wonder if it will ever repeat the boom it experienced pre-pandemic.

On social media, the expense of lash services is identified as the principal culprit for their slowdown as squeezed consumers pull back on discretionary spending. In an April 24 TikTok video that’s drawn 4.7 million views, a user with the handle Swagtastic1738 mentions that lash extensions and refills can set customers back $250 every month—and frequently aren’t worth that amount.

“Now let’s consider what bills I can pay with that $250,” she says in the video. “I can pay my light bill…I can pay my car insurance…I can pay my phone bill and put some gas in my car for $250. And let’s be honest, some of your skill sets don’t match your prices.” Similarly, a TikToker named Amara says, “At the end of the day, people don’t have enough money to afford these things.”

In a April 23 TikTok video that’s racked up 6.2 million views, lash technician Katrina Ruiz points out the crux of the problem is that lash extensions are a “luxury, not a necessity” that customers can easily do without if they aren’t satisfied—and they’re not. She singles out at-home lash kits for eating into lash services’ business.

“The first mistake that a lot of lash techs make is thinking your only competition is Susie down the block,” she says. “It’s not, it’s DIY lashes…it’s affordable, convenient, fast…you do it on your own time, and sometimes it lasts just as long as people’s lash extensions. That is so hard to beat.”

Lash extension applications are typically priced between $150 and $300 for full sets, and refill services to fill gaps in lash extensions are priced between $50 and $150. At-home lash extension kits can be much cheaper. For example, the brand Flutterhabit’s The Flirt lash extension kit is $29.99.

Acknowledging lash extension services are down, Michelle Nguyen, CEO of lash education, salon and products company PLA Beauty, argues false and magnetic lashes aren’t a massive threat to them. “Eyelash extensions have always been competing with the alternative options,” she says. “Considering the experience, the customer service and the professional expertise that eyelash extensions come with, it is not a replaceable service.”

It is, nonetheless, a pricy service, and that’s because the business of at-home products is just not the same as the business of providing lash extensions in physical environments. Nguyen notes the prices of services are established to cover the overhead of brick-and-mortar locations.

Lash service places aren’t unique in having to contend with costs that push up prices—and they aren’t unique in receiving criticism from consumers for those prices. On TikTok, hair salon patrons complained about the rising costs of hairstyling after a salon owner posted a video to TikTok explaining why holiday traffic slowed last year.

Despite the lash service lull, Nguyen argues that demand for lash extensions remains strong. PLA’s Reno salon is completely booked, and customers have to wait eight weeks to get in. Classic lash sets at location are priced at $175, with volume sets going for $200.

“We see a slowdown in the industry, but we expect it to bounce back with the economy,” says Nguyen. “Experienced lash artists continue to stay booked and busy year round regardless of the economy and pricing. Newer lash artists will have a more difficult time breaking into the market simply because they are new and clients do not have as much disposable income in this current economy.”

Megan Madere, COO of four-unit franchise lash studio Honest Lash, isn’t convinced the lash industry is moderating, but she has noticed that dramatic lash extensions are falling out of favor as customers gravitate to natural looks with comparatively minimal upkeep. She says, “This is why you see a lot of people going with lash lifts and tints as well as using more serums to help grow the natural lashes.”

In a TikTok video posted April 24, an aesthetician posting under the name Xobridenise recommends lash service providers offer subscriptions to keep customers coming back. “It has to come with something more than just lashes,” she advises. “Now you have a regular customer that brings in consistent income. You just have to switch up the marketing.”

Honest Lash’s extensive service menu includes lash extensions, lash lifts, lash tints, waxing and brow shaping. To stoke loyalty, it has membership tiers that start at $99 a month, giving customers the option of two lash fills, a lift and tint or two brow services. Madere says bookings are ticking up for lifts and tints.

Nguyen agrees that lash service businesses should diversify menus with brow and waxing services to weather trend downcycles. She suggests lash technicians network in their local communities to gain new clientele. Nguyen says, “Social media is great. However, in beauty, people trust recommendations when it comes from someone they know.”

Cara Kapler, co-founder of lash supply company Lash Line, declares in a Instagram video posted on May 2 that lash businesses fostering close connections with customers will thrive while those that focus solely on profit will struggle. “We have to fight harder for every client we get and, to be honest, maybe we were a little comfortable before,” she says. “Consider what you’re doing to stay up with the times and evolve with the changing needs of the market.”