Lash Artists, Stop Chasing Your “Unicorn” Adhesive

Despite what you may read on the lash forums, unfortunately there is no magic adhesive formula that’s going to have AMAZING retention for absolutely everyone who uses it.

Of course, there are some eyelash extension adhesives that are better than others, but the truth is: if your techniques are outdated, your knowledge isn’t sufficient or your clients aren’t following correct aftercare, the best adhesive in the world isn’t going to save you.

Instead of trying to chase that magic glue, it’s far more beneficial to look at other ways that you can improve your clients’ lash retention.

So, here are my top tips!

Preparing the Lashes

● Prime the lashes for every single appointment, and make sure you do it thoroughly: don’t just wet them! Tape up the layers to clean between them if you need to, and concentrate on ensuring the bases of the natural lashes are as clean as possible.

● If your temperature and humidity are at the higher end of the recommended working range for your adhesive, but your adhesive is still setting slowly, this means that the natural lash has a barrier on it which is preventing the adhesive from adhering and setting properly. You need to stop lashing, and double cleanse and re-prime the lashes.

Lashing Techniques

● Avoid ‘swiping’ or ‘painting’ the adhesive on the lash prior to placement. You want the adhesive in a bead at the end of the extension so that, when it makes contact with the natural lash, it breaks and surrounds the entire lash and extension base.

● Instead of wiping excess adhesive on your eyepads or tape (which is not best practice for client safety anyway), simply re-dip to get the correct amount.

● Isolate your natural lash before you dip your extension in the adhesive – this will minimise the time the adhesive is out of the cup, helping to avoid a ‘skin’ developing around the adhesive before it makes contact with the natural lash.

● If you choose to use a nebuliser or nano mister, be very careful that you don’t over-saturate the lashes. I personally don’t recommend using them at all.

Adhesive Storage and Preparation

● Store your adhesive correctly. It should be upright with the lid on tight, in a small airtight container with an oxygen absorber sachet. It needs to be away from temperature fluctuations (such as in a dark cupboard or drawer). Don’t put it back in the fridge once you’ve opened it.

● Your adhesive should be replaced every 30 days. Yes, that can be costly, but it’s not going to cost anywhere near as much as all of those free refills you’ll need to do if you use old adhesive!

● Refresh your adhesive in a new glue cup every 45 minutes at the very least, and before you notice it thickening/growing tacky.

● Ensure you shake your adhesive vigorously for 30 seconds before dispensing it. If you don’t, it will polymerise much more slowly.

Environment Conditions

● Invest in a quality hygrometer so that you know exactly what your lash room conditions (temperature and humidity) are at all times.

● Stock both high and low humidity adhesives, so that you can swap between them as your room conditions change. For example, a rainy day often means higher humidity. Relying on dehumidifiers and air conditioning to change the environment of your room to suit your adhesive is super frustrating and time consuming, not to mention unreliable. It’s much easier to simply change your adhesive formula to suit your environment.

Client Aftercare

● Advise your clients to cleanse their lashes daily, but only with a specialty lash cleanser. Many standard cleansers can contain ingredients that either break down lash adhesive (undoing all your hard work), or leave a residue on the natural lashes that stops the adhesive from properly polymerising.

● Some clients may need to cleanse both morning and evening, especially if they are very active (and sweaty) or if they use high-strength or heavy skincare. Sweat, chlorine, sunscreen, moisturisers and oils are lash adhesive enemies!

Looking for a new eyelash extension adhesive? My LashJoy Academy Eagles rave about LashJoy Aquila – available in both a Low and Medium humidity formula. Visit our adhesive collection to shop our adhesives, and feel free to ask our friendly LashJoy team for help choosing the right glue for you!

Still struggling with lash retention? I have even more game-changing tips in my online course, Lash Retention 101.

Read the original article written and published in Beauty Biz Magazine Australia.