Why You Should Always Advise & Educate You Clients
The lash extension world is full of new and innovative products, trends and aftercare. The education of a Lash Artist never ends, and that’s a good thing. As they say, every day is a day to learn something new. As you know, Lash Techs spend a lot of time learning and specialising in the art of eyelash extensions, but that knowledge needs to be shared with the client, especially when it comes to lash care. Whether that is before your client turns up to an appointment or the aftercare of their new lash set, educating clients is an important part of the process of getting a fluffy set of eyelashes. Let’s discuss some important aspects of educating your clients and what are the most important tips to give them.
Before The Treatment
Regardless of the fact if your client is a brand new customer who has never had eyelash extensions before, or they’re a returning client for an infill or a new set of lashes, when a client books in, you should inform them of some lash pre-care. This involves coming to their appointment with clean and prepped lashes. Of course, you will perform a thorough cleaning Pretreatment routine on their lashes to get rid of oils and impurities to make sure their lashes are ready for adhesion, but there is nothing worse than if a customer comes to the salon with dirty lashes.
This section is of course, not to shame any client, but more so to shine light on the importance of clean lashes. A good adhesion between the natural lash and Lash Glue will happen if the natural lashes are completely clean, to help you save time and perform the best treatment possible, your client should arrive with a freshly clean face, that means no makeup, eyeshadows, glitter, foundation etc. Excess product or oils around the eyes and on the lashes means you will have to perform a very deep clean during the Pretreatment process which runs the risk of less time to perform the actual application of lash extensions. When a client books in or has a consultation, simply advise them to come to their appointment with clean lashes, no makeup, foundation or excess sunscreen or moisturiser.
Allergies
Clients should be fully aware of the side effects of eyelash extensions. While allergic reactions are rare, they do occur. Always explain that allergic reactions to eyelash extensions, particularly the lash glue used is accumulative. Therefore if a client has had a safe patch test for lashes or multiple lash extension sets over a long period of time, they can get an allergic reaction at any given moment after glue exposure. Accumulation simply means that the more exposure to lash glue and its chemicals in the client’s body, over time the body may form a reaction to these fumes and suddenly recognise them as irritants. While this is rare, it is important to perform a patch test for every new customer or returning client who hasn’t had lashes in a long time. You can read more about patch testing here or a deep dive into allergic reactions to lash extensions here.
Myths
Some clients may believe that every natural lash can handle any lash set or suit all lash extension styles. This is of course a myth. All clients have different eye shapes and therefore won't suit every style of lashes, it is important to assess the client’s eye shape during consultation and advise accordingly to what will suit them best, even if their desired style is something which won’t go well with their shape. Read all about suitable lash extension styles for different eye shapes here.
On the other hand, there are clients who may have very sparse natural lashes or brittle eyelashes which cannot handle certain types of extensions. In this case it is important to advise the client on the volume or type of lash extension used. For clients with brittle lashes, the innovative Ellipse Flat Lashes have become a saving grace, weighing only half of the weight of a classic lash extension, Flat Lashes have become a staple for clients who love extensions but cannot support the weight of classic or voluminous lashes. Take a look at this blog post which dives deeper into Flat Lashes. For those clients who have sparse lashes, a perfect option would be to get Volume lash extensions, while they may be looking for something more classic, they may not have enough natural lashes for this procedure. The perfect alternative is to fill out any gaps using the volume lash technique which can still provide a classic look if performed correctly using 2 - 5D volume fans. For a quicker treatment, the Premade Volume Fans are an amazing choice.
Another myth which clients often don’t take seriously is lash shedding. Some of the time you may get calls or EMails with complaints about shedding, this is a natural process all lashes go through. While the natural lash grows out and sheds, it will inevitably take the extension with it, while the client may believe that their extensions are falling out due to your application. On the contrary, during certain times of the year, lash shedding is more evident, especially during Autumn and Winter. Clients should be aware that lash extensions are semi-permanent and their length depends on their natural eyelash growth cycle. You can read more about lash extension shedding here.
Infills
Speaking of shedding, for those clients who are aware that they must come back for an infill to maintain their lash extensions, it is important to know when an infill is necessary. In the eyelash industry there is a common understanding that after a certain amount of shedding a full lash set may be necessary. If the client has not booked in for over 4 - 5 weeks after their full set or last infill and they turn up very minimal lash extensions left, then a new full set of extensions is needed.
Having an honest conversation with your customer, new or regular, is very important. While this may be awkward to tell your client they need to pay for a new set of lashes instead of for an infill session, there simply isn’t any way to return their set to how their expect in the time frame of an infill session if their extensions have shed to less than 40% coverage of their natural lashes. Here is a comprehensive blog post breakdown on a full set or infill for returning clients.
Aftercare & Removal
During the end of every appointment you can boost your retail sales by offering your clients a Clean Lashes DUO which comes with a Lash Shampoo and Cleansing Brush. To keep their lashes clean and healthy from any oils, makeup or bacteria, they should wash their lashes daily by adding this process into their daily routine. You can also print out an Aftercare Leaflet on how to look after their extensions in between sessions. Aftercare is important as it reflects your work for the weeks following your treatment, the health, fullness and cleanliness of the client’s lashes when they return for an infill will make your work all that much easier in the long run.
If a client no longer wants their eyelash extensions after several weeks, you must advise them on how to safely remove the extensions. The only safe way to do this is by coming back to your salon where you will have the perfect products to remove cured lash glue and extensions. Gel or Cream Removers are formulated to break down glue bonds safely and should be used by professionals. Lash Glue is a hard glue once it cures, therefore if clients decide to perform a DIY removal at home it could lead to unsafe practices. Not only is this dangerous, but it can pluck or damage their natural lashes leading to a painful removal. Take a look at the dangers of DIY removal of lashes here.
We hope you learned more about why it is important to educate your clients on these very in depth topics. These are conversations you can discuss with your customers during their consultation or during the actual treatment itself. Advising clients on the best and safest practices is paramount as you are the trained professional with quality products which are designed for safe application or removal. Clients are more inclined to trust honest and educated Lash Artists who give them the most up to date information, so make sure you’re always on the lookout for new trends, products and advise.
