Challenges Techs Face When Doing Lash Extensions- Survival Tips

During your lash career, there are many challenges techs face when doing lash extensions. To save you from feeling disappointed, we will help you solve these issues through this article.

No matter if you are a beginner or a well-experienced lash artist, you might face challenges when doing lash extensions. You should find ways to correct these problems, if not, these mistakes might become bad habits influencing your lash extension process in the future. 

Hence, we have gathered the 16 most common challenges and survival tips in the below list to help you have peace of mind. Fixing these mistakes will take your lash career to the next level. Let’s get started!

Lashes Stick Together

Lashes sticking together is the most popular problem when first learning lash extensions. This is caused by the eyelash extensions not being isolated properly. If you do that for a long time, the natural lashes will be damaged seriously. 

The lashes have different lengths due to various stages of growth. Some lashes are growing while others are falling. Appropriate isolation allows the lashes to develop naturally. In case you add lash extensions improperly, you will gather lashes with different lengths together, and your clients will have itchiness and pain in the lash line. In the long run, this can destroy the lash follicle and make your customers lose natural lashes permanently. 

However, there are 3 ways to save you from this disaster. To isolate the lashes correctly, you should spend 10 minutes at the end of the application process to check if you do this appropriately and thoroughly. 

The second way is to work in layers. The natural lashes consist of 2-3 layers. For people with a lot of hair, there are up to 5 layers. You can divide lashes into one layer at a time with the help of taping. 

The last way is to use an isolation tweezer to check for stickies. It allows you to inspect individual lashes from root to tip. You should grip and up-grip delicately to avoid hurting the lashes. Don’t forget to check baby lashes to ensure these lashes are not stuck somewhere. 

A tip for you is to apply 4-6 lashes or fans to one eye. You should start from one corner of the eye to the other and repeat on the opposite eye. This process will help the glue have enough time to dry. 

The Tools Are Not Sanitized Carefully

The eyes are vulnerable and easy to be infected if you don’t sanitize tools and equipment carefully. There are many cases relating to this hygiene problem such as people getting conjunctivitis after wearing eyelash extensions. 

The best way to protect your clients from this is to boil all tools including lash cleansing brushes, tweezers, and lash wands. Then, you can run them through a sterilization machine. Everything near the eyes needs to be completely sterilized. Don’t forget to wash your hands carefully as well. 

The Shakes

You might feel confident and ready to start your lash career after finishing lash courses. However, working on the in-person lashes is a different story compared to your practice on models. It takes new lash artists hours to complete an eyelash extension set. Hence, your hands will be unsteady due to holding tweezers for a long time. This can lead to some problems when you are trying to separate lashes. 

Isolation lashes are a crucial step, if it is not done, you cannot proceed further. We have a few tips for you to help you maintain your steady hand. You can rest it lightly on your client’s forehead. Don’t worry, a gentle touch will not make them mad at you. The tips of tweezers will rest gently on the under-eye pads to provide you stability and support. 

You can try various tweezers to find out the most suitable tweezers for your customers. Last but not least, don’t try to grip the tweezers too tightly, you should keep your hands relaxed and a light tense is enough to hold them. 

Makeup On Lashes

No girl goes out without wearing makeup, especially waterproof mascara. If there is any makeup residue left when you attach eyelash extensions, serious problems will occur. The eyelash extensions cannot adhere to the original lashes properly, their shelf life will be shorter. 

Therefore, you can remind your customers not to wear waterproof mascara on the day of your appointment. In case they applied mascara, you can ask them to clean it. For waterproof mascara, you have to use an oil-based makeup remover. This product will leave oil residue on the eyes. 

That’s why you need to follow the correct pre-treatment carefully before attaching extensions. You can use lash shampoo or protein wipes to remove makeup, grime, and dust from the lashes. For deeper cleaning, you can use a saline solution and a small fine bristle brush or lipgloss and keep cleaning until you cannot see any discoloration at all when wiping with a tissue.

Keep in mind that you have to carry out the pre-treatment process for both attaching a new set or infills.   

Eyelash Extensions Are Too Long

All people wish to have long lashes, so they would like to wear long eyelash extensions. We deeply understand this desire, but keeping the natural lashes safe and comfortable is an important mission. You have to balance the client’s demands and her lash condition. 

If you extend too much length, the original lashes cannot bear the extensions in place easily. A lot of pressure will be put on the strains and will cause damage to the natural lashes. The long eyelash extensions can rub the skin above the eyes, along the socket area or brow bone which makes the eyes red, swollen, or itchy because of irritation. 

To avoid that, you should apply the lash extensions which equal nearly 3/2 of the original lashes. That means if the natural ones are 8mm, the recommended length is 11mm. The natural lashes should cover at least 1 to ⅔ lengths of extensions. Choosing the right lengths will help your client’s lifestyle to be easier such as when wearing glasses.

The Weight Of Extensions Are Improper

Many lash techs believe that a beautiful lash extension set is an extreme lash set. But it’s wrong. If the client wears heavy lash extensions, she will not feel uncomfortable and her look is unnatural. To maintain thick lashes, you need to use a lot of adhesive, it hurts your clients. When the eyes get pressed a bit by your pillow, these lash extensions will dig into their eyelids and have a huge impact on sleep quality.

If you choose the proper lash extension weight with the right application technique and aftercare, the extensions can last for up to 6 weeks. Hence, you need to consult them to opt for the appropriate weight which is safe for their eyes health. You can suggest clients buy a lash wand brush to save their lashes from clumping and apply lash-care products simply.

Pick The Wrong Glue

There are hundreds of adhesive brands out there and it is tough to pick the best one. If you choose a glue that dries too slowly, the lash will stick together. Besides, you and your clients have to expose to glue fumes for a long time and lash placement is not straightforward. 

On the other hand, the glue dries too fast will lead to complicated issues. The replacement and attachment process will not take place smoothly. You have to pour glue many times due to the quick drying of glue droplets. 

To save you from promising descriptions, you should understand your environment and demands. Then, read as many blog posts as possible to look for the best adhesive. 

Too Much/ Too Little Glue

Applying too much glue to lash extensions will make a look bad. This also leads to the lash sticking together and creating tension between lashes and withdrawing the original lashes prematurely. Therefore, the lash extensions cannot stay long on the eyes and the natural lashes will disappear. Moreover, it can increase the risk of irritation since the adhesive takes more time to dry. 

On the contrary, using too little glue will make lash extensions fall out quickly. The tip is you do not swipe the lash in the adhesive, this just creates a film of glue, it is not enough to stick to the original lashes properly since the glue will dry before that.

You should dip 2mm of extensions into the glue at a 90-degree angle in the middle of the glue drop for a while, then slowly slide out to get the tiniest ball of adhesive on the lash. If you get too much adhesive, you can scoop steadily to adjust the correct amount of adhesive. Never wipe on gel pads or glue palettes. 

Attach Extensions To The Skin

Attaching lash extensions to the skin is the worst problem a lash artist can do. The outcome is really dangerous. The adhesive can block the lash follicles, then the lash growth will be infected and damaged for the long term and even create bald spots in the lash line. The glue can make your clients face allergic reactions: redness, puffiness, itching, and blurred vision. 

How about attaching extensions too far from the eyelid? It will make your clients look messy and cause the lash extensions to twist. Remember to apply the lash extensions 0.5mm to 1mm away from the skin to ensure your customers’ looks are safe and beautiful. 

Temperature Problems

As we mentioned, your own environment can decide which glue you use. The humidity can change the drying speed and viscosity of the adhesive. Instead of investing in a pricey automated system to control the room temperature and humidity, we have tips to help the adhesive and extensions stay on the eyes longer. 

You should give the glue bottle vigorous shakes for 2 minutes before your first appointment of the day. Between each treatment, you should also shake it for 10 seconds. On hot days, you should dip the lashes into glue longer than normal and make sure the lashes will not gather together. 

On high-humidity days, you should try to get more adhesive and just swipe the extensions on the glue to slow down the curing time. Moreover, you need to keep the glue bottle away from direct sunlight. You can store it in a bag and place it in the darkest, coolest area. 

Eye Irritation

Eye irritation can be caused by many factors: eyelash extensions, poor techniques, or placing under eye patches improperly. If you position the eye pads too close to the waterline, the eyes will have redness or swelling. This symptom is usually mistaken for irritation. 

Besides, if you attach several lashes too close to the skin, this can lead to eye swelling or irritation. To avoid these situations, you should not place the eye pads away a little from the waterline. Checking the lashes carefully to ensure there is no lash residue on the skin will protect your customers from irritation. 

For some sensitive clients, it is good to attach 1 or 2 extensions to the original lashes as a sensitive test. In case after 24 hours, the clients are comfortable and have no irritation, you can proceed further and vice versa. 

Roaming Eyes

During the eyelash extension application and lifting process, some customers love chatting with lash artists, hence, their iris also moves around underneath the lid. In this case, it is difficult for you to work with sharp tweezers and isolate lashes. 

To avoid this situation, you can create a relaxing playlist for the lash processes, then customers can lie back, enjoy the music and take a lash nap. For the best result, you can suggest to them not to drink too much coffee before the treatment. 

Place Under-Eye Patches 

Don’t underestimate placing under eye patches correctly. If you don’t position below-eye pads properly, this can lead to numerous problems. Your customers will feel uncomfortable even creating bruising and a chemical burn on the eyes when the eye pads expose to the waterline too closely. This will also elevate the inner corner and make you calculate the wrong distance. The outcome is your look will be messy when clients open their eyes. 

But don’t be afraid of putting under-eye patches, we always have solutions for your problems. You should place the pads at least 1-2mm under the bottom waterline. To eliminate air pockets between the pads and the skin since the pads don’t fit the face shape, you can cut the bottom of the patches a bit before positioning them. 

You can prepare a lot of pads to ensure they can embrace the face contours. Don’t hesitate to invest in high-quality patches holding the below lashes well. Choose the pads without too many added ingredients to reduce the risks of irritation. 

We suggest you use extra-sensitive patches, they are more flexible and comfortable for clients to wear. They will help you avoid lifting the inner corners up. Remember to start from the inner corners and then move towards the outer corners when placing pads on the eyes. 

Read more: How To Apply Under Eye Patches – Tips To Protect The Eyes Correctly

Take Much Time To Isolate The Perfect Lashes

Isolating lashes is a step taking you the most time since everyone wants to have perfect lashes. But keep in mind that your priority is to add an eyelash extension to every individual natural lash. You can try to isolate lashes vertically instead of horizontally and vice versa. 

If the baby natural lashes bother you, you can add 0.07mm thin lash extensions to the tiny natural lashes, your vision will be clearer and more controllable. The other way is you should work on baby lashes before working on the longer ones. 

Read more: How To Improve Your Lash Isolation Skills In A Short Time – Never Miss Tips And Tricks

Not Using Lash Mapping

No matter if you are an experienced lash artist or a beginner, you need to use a lash map. Symmetry is the key to a successful lash extension set. In case you don’t use a lash map, it is really difficult for you to remember where the lashes you used are. A lash map allows you to work layer by layer, hence, you will know exactly where you need to add longer lashes or shorter lashes. 

Moreover, this step also helps you to determine the perfect style for your customers. To create a lash map, you have to check their eye shape, face shape, eye angle, and eye spacing. You should start mapping with opened eyes instead of closed eyes since it is extremely tricky to know where the iris is. Use a brow pencil or an eyeliner to mark the middle of the eye (the iris) on the eyelid. 

Bad Lash Direction 

You need to know the 2 kinds of lash directions: the base direction and the tip direction. The first type is usually called “sunrise”, you can remember which direction the lash should always go easily. The inner and outer corner lashes should go outwards instead of straight. For the other, you should pay extra attention to the tips. If you fan the lash extensions out excellently but you forget the tips of the extensions, the overall look will be messy. You even have to be more careful when working on the curlier extensions. 

A tip for you is to use a small mirror to examine the directions of the tips of extensions entirely to have a perfect look. 

Conclusion

That’s all the challenges techs face when doing lash extensions. We hope you will learn some mistakes and how to avoid them after reading our article. Don’t forget to apply these tips and type some words in the comment to let us know. 

In case you have any other challenges, you can reach out to us anytime. We are always here to support you. I Hope you always have perfect lash extensions. 

Visit our webpage for more updated information: https://vietnamlash.com/