Congratulations! You've completed your lash course and are starting an exciting new career as a lash technician. Perhaps you are joining a salon or starting solo. You may be nervous and excited, and perhaps a little unsure about yourself. Stop fretting! We have 10 great beginner lash tech tips to help build your confidence and get you started.
1. Invest in Quality Training
Even if you have completed your course, never stop your training. The more you learn about lash extensions, the greater your skills will become. Seriously, we’ve been in the lash game for a while now and we’re still learning new things all the time!
Spend time researching lash tips and techniques so that you can constantly upskill yourself. You may find that seminars provide a wealth of information for beginner lash artists. There are also quality advanced masterclasses for lash technicians to take their skills to the next level.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practise every day. Practice leads to experience, and experienced lash artists make happy clients. It's best to practise and make your mistakes on inanimate objects before you take on real clients. Remember that the more you hone your skills, the better technician you will become.
You could invest in toy dolls or even shop for mannequin lashes to practise on. Ask your friends and family if you can practise on them at no charge – you get to practise and they get free lashes. It's a win-win!
3. Learn Different Styles
Everyone has their own style. But by watching experienced lash techs, you can learn about their techniques and perhaps gain some eyelash extension tips along the way. Don't forget to ask questions! And who better to ask than experienced lash artists?
A professional lash artist can also give you extra tips on how to deal with things like the frustrations of fluffing lashes or the best tricks for quickly applying lash adhesive. We’re all pretty friendly in this line of work, so don’t be afraid to ask your favourite lash artists for advice!
4. Prioritise Client Consultations
With any client, you need to establish what they want.
Assess their natural lashes. Take note of the shape of the eyes, their lash line, the condition of their lashes, and if their lashes are straight or curled. Even take note of the natural lash direction, as this could affect the lash extensions.
A beginner lash artist may work slower, but with time, you will gradually pick up the pace. Preparation helps. Before you get started make sure that your lash kit is set up before your client gets there. Then, take a moment for lash mapping. Lash mapping helps you plan where to place each lash extension. Use a brow pencil or eyeliner to plot out your lash map.
5. Perfect Your Isolation Technique
It's important to learn the best technique that works for you to isolate lashes. The tools you use need to be of high quality. Use precision tweezers to access each individual eyelash. This will help prevent the clients' lashes from clumping. The inner corner lashes are sometimes harder to work with, but precision tweezers come in handy here.
Be patient and don't rush! Just like a doctor operating on a patient, you need to have steady hands and work precisely. If you learn how to isolate lashes, half the work is done. Affixing a perfect lash extension can only be accomplished if you know how to isolate a single natural lash properly.
It may sometimes be difficult to isolate a short natural lash. But, a simple lash tip is to start with the small baby lashes. If the tiny natural lashes are done, it becomes easier to complete the rest.
6. Maintain Lash Health
Your client's lashes need proper maintenance, but they may not know about the steps they need to take for textbook-perfect lashes.
As a value-added service, you can educate them about the best products to use that won't damage their lash extensions. Teach them how to keep their lash extensions clean and debris-free. Also, don't forget to encourage regular touch-ups (every 2-4 weeks).
7. Focus on Comfort
Make sure your clients are seated comfortably, and chat with them to help put them at ease. Ensure that there is enough light, but not too much to hurt your client's eyes. The room should also have decent airflow. Put on some soft music, create a relaxing atmosphere, and your client will enjoy their pamper session.
8. Invest in Quality Products
Always use good-quality products. This is an essential part of your lash extension business.
You need precision tweezers (not just any old ones) for lash isolation. Quality eye patches or pads are also needed to cover the bottom lashes to protect them.
Eye tape is needed to cover the inner corners of the eye. Gently press the tape into position without hurting your client.
The lash adhesive you use will impact how well the extensions stick to your client's lashes. If you use a lash adhesive that is too strong, it could damage the eyelash extensions and the natural lashes. Poor quality lash adhesive could also cause discomfort to your client's eyes. With quality lash glue, you only need a dot to append the lash extension to the natural lash.
9. Manage Your Time Wisely
Beginner lash artists may find it hard to work at pace. Just remember that quality is more important than the quantity of clients you can speed through. Use a calendar, diary, or scheduling app to block out your appointment times and keep track of the work you have done.
Leave a bit of extra time between appointments. If one client is running late, the rest of your day will follow suit. You also need to give yourself time to rest. If you don't take adequate breaks, your quality will suffer!
10. Stay Informed and Innovate
Things change quickly in the lash industry. Follow trendsetters to educate yourself on any new products that come on the market. Just remember to test these products before you use them on your clients! Learning new lash extension tips can also make your lash extension business flourish.
Bonus Tip: Build Your Brand
Beginner lash techs may not have the luxury of an existing client base. But, by applying all the lash tips we have given you, you will soon start collecting clients.
Build your brand identity. Be unique. Be better than the competition. Spread the word about your business and firmly establish yourself as the number-one go-to lash artist. An easy way to market your business is by making use of social media - don’t forget to post those Instagrammable before and afters!
Conclusion
Starting out in the world of lashes isn’t always easy, but if you spend time mastering these ten valuable tips to build solid client relationships and establish your brand identity you’ll be off to a good start. This will help you become the lash technician of choice. Just remember that everyone started somewhere!
And, with BELO Lash, you have a partner in lash extensions. For the best training courses to help you hone your skills, contact us today.