Lash Beginner Tips, My Personal Experience
As a lash artist, nothing feels better than knowing your clients can go 3-4 weeks between fills without needing to upgrade to a full set. Some of my clients even push it beyond the 4-week mark and their lashes still look fabulous. But it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I dreaded those "hey girl" texts… because they were often accompanied by a photo of a handful of lash extensions that seemed to have fallen out overnight. It was so frustrating and often even made me question my career choice. But I was determined to figure out what was going wrong and more importantly, how to avoid situations like this in the future.
The Struggle: Confused And Disappointed Clients
In the early days of my lash career, I often found myself anxiously checking my phone the first few days after a client’s appointment, hoping not to see that telltale text. "Hey girl… I don’t know what happened, but all of my lashes fell out last night." I prided myself on my work and felt like I was doing everything my trainer taught me, so why was this happening? I knew I had to dig deeper to understand what was causing these issues and how to prevent them.
Beginner Lash Tech Tips – The Turning Point: Research And Discovery
Determined to improve my clients’ lash retention, I started researching everything I could about lash adhesive and its functionality. It didn’t take long to discover that one of the key factors affecting adhesive performance is humidity. Turns out, the amount of moisture in your workspace plays a crucial role in how quickly the adhesive cures. High humidity can cause the adhesive to cure too quickly, leading to poor attachment to the natural lash. Too little, and the adhesive takes very long to cure, resulting in stickies or lashes that don’t adhere fully.
With this knowledge, I realized that the adhesive I was using might not have been the best match for my application speed. Appointment lengths were a major concern for my clients as they had extremely busy schedules and couldn’t manage to be in my treatment room much longer than an hour, so naturally I purchased the quickest drying lash glue on the market. However, from my research I realized that if the adhesive cured quicker than I was able to get it to the natural lash, it would start to harden prematurely, leading to poor retention. Finding an adhesive that worked perfectly with my speed and in my environment was crucial.
Another helpful revelation was about the overuse of primer. Like many lash artists, I was told to prime every client’s lashes, thinking it was a must for better bonding. However, I learned that this wasn’t always necessary and could even be counterproductive, especially for clients with very dry hair follicles. Most primers contain alcohol which is great for removing excess oils and roughening up the hair for a better bond when dealing with a client who has oily skin, but using primer on client’s with dry follicles could actually counteract the bonding process, leading to a weak bond between the natural lash and the extension. For customers with normal to dry skin, a good quality cleanser that is specially formulated for lash extensions will do the job.
Lashing Tips For Beginners – The Transformation: Implementing Changes
With these insights, I began making adjustments to my routine. I started paying close attention to the conditions in my workspace and adjusted it as best as I could to be in the optimal range for my adhesive. I also experimented with different adhesives until I found one that matched my application speed perfectly. Finally, I became more mindful of when to use primer, reserving it for oily clients whose lashes truly needed it.
The results were almost immediate. My clients’ lash retention improved across the board, tips were a lot bigger and 5 start client reviews were my new norm. Additionally, my appointments became shorter and my clients were having to return for fills a lot less frequently. It was the exact boost of confidence that my business needed.
For More Lash Extension Tips For Beginners, Check Out Our Lash Courses Here!
Perfecting lash retention was one of the biggest challenges I faced as a lash artist, but it was also one of the most rewarding. By researching, experimenting and being open to change, I learned that understanding the science of lash adhesive was key to amazing retention.
To all the lash artists out there facing similar struggles, I encourage you to keep learning and trying new things. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve. Don’t stress about being perfect, no one started off having it all figured out. Embrace the journey and remember that every setback is just a setup for your next breakthrough.
xoxo
Ashley Gonzalez
