As a lash artist, you have two options for creating volume fans: crafting them by hand or using premade fans that are attached to your client’s lashes. In this article, we will compare premade fans vs handmade fans and help you determine the best choice for your needs.
What Are Premade Fans?
Pre-made fans are volume lash extensions that are already formed into fan shapes by a manufacturer. These fans are typically sold in trays or strips, ready to be applied directly onto the client’s natural lashes.
Unlike handmade lash fans, pre-made fans are created in advance by the manufacturer, either manually or using machines. They are bonded at the base using glue or heat, ensuring that the lashes stay in the fan shape. Lash artists can choose from a variety of lengths, curls, thicknesses, and number of lashes per fan when purchasing pre-made fans.
The Advantages Of Premade Fans
- Faster application: Using pre-made fans eliminates the need to create fans individually, allowing lash artists to complete a set of volume lashes more quickly. This can increase productivity and potentially accommodate more clients in a day.
- Easier application: Applying pre-made fans requires less technical skill, concentration, and patience compared to manually creating fans. This can be beneficial for lash artists who prefer a simpler and more efficient application process.
The Disadvantages Of Premade Fans
- Limited customization: Pre-made fans may offer less flexibility in tailoring the lash look to each individual client. Lash artists have fewer options for creating unique styles, and the results may appear less natural compared to handmade fans.
- Need for a variety of fans: Lash artists must maintain a diverse inventory of pre-made fans to cater to different clients, styles, and natural lash strengths. This includes having various fan types, such as 2D, 3D, or higher, to ensure compatibility with different natural lashes. Not all natural lashes can support the weight of larger (such as 15D or 16D) pre-made fans, which requires careful selection.
What Are Handmade Volume Fans?
Handmade volume lashes are individual eyelash extensions meticulously created by hand, where lash artists form a fan shape using multiple lash extensions. These lashes provide a fuller and more voluminous appearance and are customized to meet the client’s specific preferences.
To create handmade lash fans, the lash artist selects the desired number of individual extensions from a strip. Using volume tweezers, they form these lashes into a fan shape based on their preferred technique. The artist then dips the base of the fan into adhesive before placing it onto the client’s isolated natural lash.
The Advantages Of Handmade Fans
- Bespoke: Handmade fans allow you to customize the desired type of fans according to your client’s preferences. You can tailor the fans to be 3D, 5D, 16D, or even 40D. This offers unlimited lash artistry and the ability to create beautiful, personalized looks.
- Better retention: Handmade fans wrap around the natural lash more effectively, improving retention and longevity of the lash extensions.
- Natural-looking: The subtle variation in handmade fans and their ability to wrap around the real lash can create a more natural appearance, mimicking the irregularities of natural lashes.
- Lower cost of materials: Lightweight individual lashes used for handmade fans are relatively inexpensive, making them cost-effective for lash artists.
- Potential for higher pricing: Clients recognize the value of bespoke, meticulously crafted handmade fans, and are often willing to pay more for the extra time and artistry involved.
The Disadvantages Of Handmade Fans
- Hard to master: Creating handmade volume fans requires practice, talent, dedication, and hard work. It can be a challenging technique to master, but with practice, skills can be honed.
- Time-consuming: Forming handmade fans takes more time compared to using premade fan lashes. However, as lash artists become more proficient, they can work more efficiently. Moreover, the added time investment can be offset by charging a higher price for the handmade volume fans.
What’s The Different Between Premade Fans Vs Handmade Fans
Premade fans and handmade fans each have their own advantages and disadvantages. So, what are the differences between premade fans and handmade fans? Here are some distinguishing characteristics:
Handmade Fans | Premade fans | |
Time required | 2-4 hours | 1.5-2 hours |
Application level | Requires high training and techniques | Easier than handmade fans |
Retention | Good with wrapping technique (2-5 weeks) | Similar to classic (3-4 weeks) |
Cost of lashes to lash technicians | Expensive | Cheaper |
Customization | Flexible | Limited |
Application Level
Handmade fans – Requires high training and techniques: Handmade fans require lash artists to learn and implement various techniques, such as the ‘roll,’ ‘wiggle,’ ‘lean and pick up,’ and ‘pinch’ techniques. Each technique has its own intricacies, and lash artists need to find the method that works best for them. It takes time and effort to become proficient and efficient in creating handmade fans.
Premade fans – Easier than handmade fans: Using premade lash fans can indeed simplify the process of creating volume lash extensions. The fans are already pre-made and arranged on a strip, allowing you to skip the step of hand-making the fans yourself. They are prepared by a lash supplier who ensures that the lashes are fanned out and positioned correctly.
Time Required
Handmade fans – Approx 2-4 hours: On average, it typically takes around 2 to 4 hours to complete a full set of handmade fans. However, it’s important to note that this is just an estimate, and the actual time may vary. If you’re a beginner or relatively new to the technique, it might take longer as you gain proficiency and speed with practice.
Additionally, if you’re aiming for a very full or mega volume set, it may require extra time compared to a standard volume set. Conversely, if you’re working on a lighter volume set, such as a 3D set with fewer lashes per fan, it may take less time.
Premade fans – Approx 1.5-2 hours: Typically, the application time for premade fans is similar to that of a classic set, which is around 1.5 to 2 hours for a full set. This estimation assumes that you are already familiar with the application technique for premade fans. As you mentioned, there may be a learning curve initially, but with practice and experience, you can become more efficient and proficient in applying premade fans.
Customization
Handmade fans – Flexible: Handmade fans offer high flexibility for customization (like 3D to 14D, 0.03 to 0.10, B, C, D curls,..). By assessing each natural lash individually, lash artists can tailor the dimensions of the fans accordingly. This ensures that delicate lashes are not subjected to excessive weight, preventing damage. For example, lighter fans can be used for shorter anagen lashes, promoting lash health and safety.
Premade fans – Limited: Premade fans have traditionally had limited customization options, but with the increasing popularity among lash artists, suppliers are now offering more variety. At Vietnam Lash, we provide a wide range of premade lashes, including different stem lengths, and a diverse selection of boxes, ranging from colored lashes to different curls, types…
Retention
Handmade fans – Good with wrapping technique: Handmade fans excel with the wrapping technique, which involves wrapping the extensions around the natural lash instead of laying them flat. This technique enhances retention, making handmade fan lashes last longer. It is one of the significant advantages of using handmade fan lashes.
Premade fans – Similar to classic: Premade fans have similar retention to classic lashes since the pre-glued base doesn’t allow for the wrapping technique. To improve retention with premade fans, opt for pointy and slim base options to ensure neat application and prevent a “T-bar” situation. This also reduces the accumulation of dirt and oil between the extensions and natural lashes, which can negatively affect retention.
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