Waking up with curled, lifted lashes seems like a dream, but it's something that can happen to you in real life—and you don't even have to get pricey lash extensions or sleep all night with your face mashed into your pillow. All you need is an eyelash perm.

The lash treatment is still not as well-known as lash extensions or lash tints, but it supposedly can give you perfectly curled lashes that last for weeks. Groupon beauty editor Favin wanted to see for herself how an eyelash perm worked, so she went to The Lashe Spot in Bucktown to get the treatment.

Lash Perm Process

Step 1: Remove eye makeup, protect lower lashes.

After Favin lay back on a cushioned chair, lash technician Alex Quinones removed her eye makeup and then placed adhesive silicone pads over her lower lashes to protect them (only the top lashes get permed). Alex then explained to Favin that the rest of the service would take about 45–60 minutes "and that I'd have to keep my eyes closed the entire time. I immediately missed having open eyes," she says.

Step 2: Glue lashes onto a rod.

As with a hair perm, an eyelash perm relies on rods to curl the lashes. Favin picked out the medium-sized rods for a "noticeable yet natural curl." The Lashe Spot also offers two other options: a thicker rod, which creates a soft flare, and a thinner rod, which gives the most dramatic curl.

Alex placed the rods, which are sticky, on Favin's eyelids near the base of her upper lashes. Next, he painted an adhesive on her lashes, drawing them up and back around the rods. He then dried the adhesive with a handheld fan. "I asked him if he'd ever accidentally glued someone's eyes closed," she laughs. "He said no. We were off to a good start!"

Step 3: Apply perming formula.

According to Alex, this hot pink formula is a gentler version of the perm solution you'd use on regular hair. "It definitely had that hair-salon-chemicals smell, and during the 15 minutes it took to set, my eyes started to sting mildly," Favin says. "It felt like when your allergies flare up and you just want to rub your eyes."

Step 4: Apply setting formula.

Alex removed the first formula after the 15 minutes were up, then applied formula No. 2, an electric-blue goop designed to set the curl. The blue goop also had to sit for 15 minutes, but Favin says that "unlike the pink stuff, it didn't stink or sting at all. It was cooling and felt pretty nice.

"I still wanted to open my eyes, though."

Step 5: Clean up.

Despite her eagerness to open her eyes, Favin had to wait for Alex to take off everything that was still on her lashes. "In my mind, this took an hour, but in reality, it probably took one or two minutes," she says. Alex then slowly pulled the rods off her eyelids and finished by wiping her lashes until they were completely clean.

When she was finally allowed to open her eyes, Favin was impressed with the results, calling them "amazing—my lashes were so curly!"

Posttreatment Care

Remember that scene in Legally Blonde when Elle Woods solves a murder case because she knows that you can't get a fresh perm wet without deactivating the ammonium thioglycolate and ruining the curl? Well, the same principle applies here. The lash perm cream contains ammonium thioglycolate, so you're not allowed to get your lashes wet for the first 24 hours.

So just be sure you have some cleansing wipes or some micellar water and cotton rounds on hand. You should also avoid eye creams and lash extensions/serums for 24–48 hours.

Eyelash Perm FAQs

How long does a lash perm last?

According to Alex, perms should last two to three months. It all depends on your lifestyle, how oily your skin is naturally, and the life cycle of your natural lashes (more on that below).

Is a lash perm safe?

There are risks associated with eyelash perms, particularly if you have sensitive eyes or skin. Plus, ophthalmologists tend to disapprove of most beauty treatments involving eyes, including eyelash extensions. But many people have had good experiences with lash perms, so if you're going to get one, make sure you do your research.

And though you can pick up an eyelash perm kit to use it home, this is a treatment that's probably best left to experienced pros.

Will it hurt your natural lashes?

If you go to a reputable salon, you should be OK. And don't worry about your natural lashes falling out. Lashes follow a life cycle and at the end of that life cycle, they fall out—no matter if your lashes are permed or not.

Can you wear your regular eye makeup?

Yes, though you have to wait at least 24 hours after the service (48 if you really want to be safe). You also may want to consider using oil-free makeup remover to help prolong the life of the perm.

Are a lash lift and lash perm the same?

Lash lifts and perms are more or less the same thing, but a lift claims to lift your lashes a little more at the base. Instead of a rod, a lift relies on a flatter cylindrical shield to curl the lashes.

Where can I get an eyelash perm near me?

Click the banner below to find places that do eyelash perms near you and to get a deal:

RELATED READS:

What It's Like to Get False Lashes

See what happens when beauty editors Favin and Mae try out silk and mink eyelash extensions.

How Do Eyelash Extensions Work?

Lash extensions applied individually can make you look glamorous 24/7. Here's everything you need to know about them.