First and foremost the most important thing before you have your lashes applied is to have a patch test. This is vital for your safety. Any lash tech that does not require you to be patch tested should be avoided. Everyone is taught in their training (if they did decent training) the importance of patch testing - if your lash tech chooses to ignore this it could be you facing the consequences, not them!

A patch test determines whether you are sensitive or allergic to the glue, the under eye pads worn during the procedure, whether you are suitable to go ahead with a full set of lashes. There are different methods of patch testing, 1 is to dab a small blob of glue behind the ear, inside of your forearm and any other sensitive areas of your neck/head to see if your skin reacts. I do not use this method as I believe this does not help to discover if you are allergic around your eye area. The method I use consists of you being asked to lay down, an under-eye pad is placed in situ and I will apply a couple of lashes to the outside corner on 1 eye. This way I can see if your lashes are suitable to be extended, how your eye reacts to having lashes applied and how your eye settles with an eye-pad in place. There are lots of reasons for having a patch test, not just to find out if you are allergic, and all of these reasons that you may not be suitable will show up in this method of patch testing. 

Classic Lashes

Lash Options:

After you have had a patch test and all is well (only a very small percentage of people are not suitable to have lashes) it's time to talk about the look you would like. I use a very soft, lightweight lash and I have different curls and lengths to suit everyone. Lashes can be applied to give a very natural look, a glamorous look, or thick and full look. I always try to accommodate client requirements, but the look you can have will also depend on your natural lashes. If you're new to having lashes I usually suggest starting off with smaller extensions and once you have got used to having them you can go bigger!

You may of heard of 3,4,5, or even 6D Volume lashes. This is also called the Russian technique. The number relates to the amount of lashes you can have applied to a single natural lash. The lashes I use are for this technique. Obviously the more lashes applied to each lash, the more volume you end up with. Again, your natural lashes will depend on what you can have. This technique involes time, skill and experience to apply the correct number of lashes in a way that wont cause damage to your natural lash by not over-loading it. The Russian technique is very clever, and it is not so much the amount of lashes applied, but the way in which they are applied that creates the volume!!

Russian Volume Lashes

Glue:

There are different types of glues available for lash extensions. The glue I use is a medically graded, strong, quick drying glue. This has a bond time of 1-2 seconds. It will guarantee the extension is bonded to your natural lash, until your natural lash sheds. If you are particularly sensitive I also use a lower strength glue - this is great if the glue fumes irritate you. It has a slightly longer drying time, and a slightly less bond guarantee - but it does the job very nicely, without causing you any irritation.

Russian Volume lashes

Classic, Volume or Party Lashes:

I am qualified in 3 types of lash application, the first being classic extensions, another being the Russian Volume technique, and also express/party lashes. The times of the treatments are different, volume takes the longest, and express is express! For a classic set of lashes you can expect this to take around an hour and a half....for volume this is a 2-3 hour application time. Express takes half an hour. You should take this into account as you will be required to lay down flat and keep pretty still during the application of lashes. Party lashes are perfect for a night out, weekend away or maybe a short holiday. They are applied over your natural lash and last a maximum of two weeks, after which they must be removed. Patch testing is always required for all types of lash application.

What happens next?

Ok...so you've had a full set of lashes applied and you're wondering what happens next? Over the next week or 2 you may see some of your lashes fall out, or wake up to find an extension on your pillow. This is supposed to happen. Your natural lashes (like all the hair on our bodies) will shed. It has a life-span, and once the life of the lash is complete, it will fall out. Don't worry though - we all have different cycles of hair growth with lots of layers at different stages of growth - the lashes that fall out are all fully grown, you still have medium and baby lashes to grow. This is why you have your lashes in-filled. The application of lashes does not use any lashes that are too small to be extended. So, as the top layer sheds, the medium layer moves in to become the top, the baby lashes grow into medium lashes and a whole new layer of lashes begins to grow. This is the reason it is so important to have your lashes applied individually - so each and every lash can move freely, independently and shed when the time is due. 

Before Classic Lashes

After Classic Lashes

Infills:

Infills are recommended every 2 to 3 weeks. This will keep your lashes looking full and good as new. Everyone's cycle of hair shedding varies so some people may be able to go for longer before having infills, due to their cycle being longer and lashes growing out slowly. At your infill appointment all the extensions you have on are checked, any lose lashes will be removed and new lashes are applied to any lashes long enough to extend.

Removal:

Removing your lashes is quick and easy. If you only want your lashes for a specific occasion i.e a hen weekend, you can let you lashes grow out naturally. This can take anything from 6-8 weeks depending on your growth cycle and how well you have looked after your lashes. If you don't want to wait that long they can be removed with a solution. You would need to return to have your lashes soaked off. This takes around 15 minutes to apply the solution, wait for the glue to start dissolving, and your extensions will gently wipe away from your natural lashes.

Caring for your new lashes

Your lashes are easy to look after. An aftercare leaflet will be provided to you at your appointment along with a mascara wand and a lint-free stick for you to clean your lashes. You will need to avoid any oily product coming into contact with your lashes as oil is the biggest problem - it will break down the glue bond and cause your lashes to come away from your natural lash. Things such as persistent brushing, picking and pulling at your lashes will also cause problems and may mean the life of you lashes will reduce. The less you do to your lashes the better! Using a coating sealant over your lashes will proling the life of them by creating a very fine membrane and protecting against oily product. This is recommended to extend the life of your lashes and to keep them looking glossy. Sealants are also available to buy at your appointment.