The current must-have for any fashion conscious person are lash extensions and anybody wanting to start a career in the beauty industry must know how to apply them. The most important thing to consider when wanting to know how to apply lash extensions is quality. Quality in training and quality in products used.
Premium Jetset eyelash adhesives are one of the most important investments any lash artist can make, you don’t want to buy expensive extensions just for the glue to let you down and leave clients disappointed. This could mean they don’t return and possibly leave a bad review which would come from poor products, not poor talent.
For the best way to learn, it is always recommended to undertake professional training, this will ensure you practice your art safely and to the best ability possible.
However, sometimes training isn’t available, within budgets or perhaps you just want to know what you’re getting into before taking the plunge. Below is everything you need to know if you’re looking for a career change into the fabulous world of eyelash extensions, from the basic steps of how to apply them, to the tools of the trade.
Eye Patches
Disposable eye patches or pads must be applied just below the eye of every client, this protects their skin while providing a base for fanning out those fluttering lashes.
It should be placed roughly 3mm from the lower lash line, anything closer could cause damage to natural lower lashes and the sensitive skin of the lid.
Selecting Lashes
Lash extensions come in various lengths and colours and it’s important to choose the right ones for what the client is looking for. However, not all styles will look great on everybody, this is why lash mapping is crucial for each client.
Lash mapping is quite literally drawing a map of what lashes should go where. You can find eye pads that already have a guide for you or you can create your own by following online pictures.
By doing this, you will be following the natural growth of the lashes, teamed with the lash extensions to give the most natural appearance as possible and enhancing your clients’ natural beauty.
Then you need to choose the lashes, typically lash extensions start at 8mm and go up to 14mm although you can buy specialist lengths as well. The inner corner of the eye should be the shortest lashes and the longer in the centre.
It’s not unheard of for clients to demand the longest length of lashes possible, hoping to look like Kim K after their treatment but this can end up looking too fake if not done correctly.
It’s important to remember to not gradient throughout the entire lash line, you need to mix and match the lengths, just like natural lashes, they are at different stages of growth along the line.
If you don’t vary the lengths throughout, you risk giving a client ‘spider eyes’ or the same look we gave ourselves in our pre-teens when we first learn to use mascara.
Picking Up Lashes
This is where you will discover the importance of good tweezers. Knowing which style of tweezer to use comes with experience so if you are just starting out and using a straight tweezer, the lashes should be at a 90-degree angle when picked up.
There are plenty of tweezers available on the market, from classic pick-up tweezers (most lash artists’ preference for picking up lashes) to curved, isolating and fan tweezers. Each one has its benefits so it is worth investing in the full kit.
Pick up the lash extension a few millimetres from the base with care and gently tweeze them upwards from the packaging or you risk causing damage.
The Glue
As we said before, this is the crucial bit. Use a quality adhesive for every client and make sure the bottle has not turned bad, clumpy, old dry glue can cause terrible application.
Pour a little of the adhesive onto a glue palette and gently dip the end of the extension into it. You only need a tiny amount so if you feel you have too much on the lash, wipe off with a lint-free cloth.
Applying the Lash
Use a curved tweezer to isolate the natural lash and swipe from the base to the tip with adhesive, this fuses the two together. Gently apply the extension roughly 1mm from the base of the natural lash.
The extension should be parallel to the other lashes and any excess glue should be removed before drying. Repeat this process but alternate between areas or eyes so each lash has a chance to dry.
None of the extensions should be sticking together, if this has happened, use tweezers to separate them with a horizontal motion. If you pull vertically, you risk pulling out all your hard work.
Dry
Once everything has been applied, your client will be excited to see the result but they need to wait 3-5 minutes before you remove the pads and they can open their eyes.
Using an instant cure can help speed up this process and can also remove glue fumes that can be an annoyance to the clients.
Other Tools
Aside from tweezers, lashes, pads and glue, there are other tools you can use to make your job easier and provide a better experience for your clients.
Pillows are always advised as clients will be spending up to two hours laying down. While a conventional pillow is fine, they are not the best for helping clients keep their head still.
Buying a proper neck pillow for beauty clients can make your job easier and clients comfier.
Although the fumes from adhesive aren’t overly toxic, if you are exposing yourself to them all day, every day, it is advised to wear a protective mask. This also prevents germs from spreading throughout the salon.
Good lighting is essential and you can’t always achieve this with natural light as your salon may not have windows to provide privacy whilst clients are having their treatment.
This is when you can fake it with Glamcor lighting, they highlight every tiny little baby lash, meaning nothing is missing and imperfections are reduced.
We can’t stress enough the importance of quality when looking into how to apply lash extension. You may feel confident practices on friends and family but when you have a paying client, you can’t afford to go wrong.
With the proper training and right tools, you can create a new career revolving around a very in-demand service.