Let's Talk About Why Some Lash Extensions Don't Last

One of the most common client complaints is that their lash extensions are not lasting. This is a common complaint especially as a beginner Lash Artist, but, it should not discourage you as we can discuss some of the products you can use to make sure that you prolong the life of the eyelash extension sets you produce.

Natural Hair Growth Cycle

Sometimes, the fault is not actually with the Lash Artist, and it is important that you know the natural hair growth cycle so you can also educate your clients, especially when they have a complaint about lash retention. 

Let's go over the basics really quickly. There are three natural hair growth stages during the cycle. Anagen (the growth phase), Catagen (the transition phase) and Telogen (the resting phase). You never know which hair is in which phase (although baby eyelashes are most likely in anagen) so you should educate your clients on lash shedding and that it is completely natural to see some lashes fall out naturally. For clients with a fast growing cycle (if they see their lashes fall out faster than usual) then opting in for Volume Lashes is a great idea, that way if the lashes fall by themselves, then the density of Volume Eyelashes will fill out the gaps much easier.

Is It Your Fault The Lashes Are Not Lasting?

Lash Technicians may often blame the Lash Glue or poor lash aftercare by the client, but in reality it is often because the attachment made by them is actually poor, or the Pretreatment routine has been neglected. Being self-aware as a Lash Tech is very important and skipping on Pretreatment for example is poor practice. Read our article on the ultimate Pretreatment guide here. Here are some questions you can ask yourself if your client's eyelashes are not lasting:

• Have you completed the perfect Pretreatment to clean the natural lashes before beginning to lash the client? Remember, the presence of any oils, dirt or makeup residue will lead to bad retention. Any presence of oils or dirt will mean that the eyelash glue simply wont adhere to the natural lash alone and when the client washes their eyes the lash extensions may simply slide off.
• Are you using the correct eyelash adhesive? Is it drying too fast to form a good bond? Fast drying glues are for experienced Lash Techs, a fast drying glue does not mean it's the BEST glue. The best lash glue is one that works perfectly with your experience. Take a look at our Glue Chart here.
• Are you using enough glue when you dip into the glue dot? You need to have enough lash glue on the lash extensions for it to wrap around and adhere to the natural lash - you don't want a huge amount of glue, but you don't want too little either.
• Poor isolation and placement. Is the placement correct? For correct attachment you should have at least 2 mm from the base of the natural lash. Is the lash extension leaning to one side? Or is it stuck to a neighbouring lash causing 'stickies'? Make sure at the end of treatment you go through all the lash extensions to check for these potential issues.

Retention Duo

Two incredible products you can use for promoting long-lasting retention is the Retention Duo Booster and Superbonder Sealant. Following your Pretreatment the last step you would take is to use some Booster on the natural lashes before you begin the procedure. Booster opens up the cuticle of the natural hairs ever so slightly to create a larger surface area for the adhesive to grip on to. 

On the other hand, Superbonder should be used at the end of the lash procedure. Once you have finished your immaculate lash extensions, apply a little Superbonder Sealant on a Micro Fibre Brush and witness the immediate curing of the lash adhesive. Not only will it create the perfect bond, but it will add elasticity to the lash glue and seal all of those lash fumes. It is the perfect retention promoting product. Read our full blog post dedicated to Superbonder here.

Aftercare

Once your client has left the eyelash salon following hours of lashing and hard work, it is then their responsibility to keep their eyelashes clean and fluffy. You can advise your client to purchase a Clean Lashes Duo directly from you, it contains Lash Shampoo and a Cleansing Brush which if used daily will clean their lashes throughly and promote natural lash health with Tea Tree extract.

You could also provide your client with an Aftercare Leaflet alongside their aftercare products. This way, your client will be aware that you have done everything in your power to promote long retention and good aftercare advice to prolong the client's lash extensions. 

Keep up the amazing work, educate yourself and your clients and you will witness longevity in your lash extensions with happy clients returning for their infill sessions with good retention and natural lash health.