Every professional lash artist knows how hard it can be to make your lashes last during the summer. While the summer is a time for fun and sun, we all know from experience that it can wreak havoc on your eyelash extensions. The high temperatures, humidity, and sun exposure that come with the summer can have a negative effect on lash retention.
But that doesn't mean your business has to suffer once the summer starts. Our team of lash artists here at BELO Lash have put together this guide on how to maximise lash retention during the summer.
What is eyelash retention?
Eyelash retention is essentially the art of making sure your new eyelash extensions last as long as possible. Retention is measured based on the amount of time your client's eyelash extensions last between appointments.
While clients can help maintain lash retention through using the right aftercare products and regularly cleaning their new lashes, at the end of the day it all comes down to the lash artists. With the right application techniques, lash technicians will be able to make sure that their client's new lashes will last longer between each appointment.
Factors affecting retention during summertime
While lash retention practices typically use the same principles all-year round, you'll have to count for some extra factors when applying lashes during the summer.
Temperature
When summer arrives, mother nature starts cranking up the heat. While this may be great for getting your tan on, these rising temperatures aren't exactly ideal for lash extensions. Higher temperatures can start affecting the adhesive and weaken the bond between the clients natural lashes and their new extensions.
Likewise, constant use of air conditioning can also reduce eyelash retention. Air conditioning dries out the air, which reduces the humidity and may cause your lashing room to no longer be within the ideal conditions for your adhesive. This may cause your adhesive to cure too quickly to adhere correctly to the natural lash. Not only this, air con via fans or in office buildings can dry out the natural lashes in the period between appointments, causing them to become brittle and fall out.
Humidity
Summer usually comes with rising humidity levels too, which can prevent the eyelash glue from setting properly, causing stickies or causing a weak bond between the extensions and the natural lash.
Also, if your client has oily skin, humidity can also cause their skin to produce excess oil which will weaken the adhesive's bond even more. In this case, be sure to use a lash primer before application to create the perfect base for the extensions. Please note: not every client will need lash primer, so evaluate this on a client by client basis.
Chlorine & saltwater
With sweltering temperatures coming up pretty soon, you can’t blame your clients for making plans to head to their closest pool or beach - maybe they’ve got their annual holiday coming up! But going for a swim can actually impact lash retention as the chlorine and saltwater can weaken the bond between the clients natural lashes and their extensions.
Sweat
Look, we get it. It's hot, humid, and the sun's warm glow is too pretty to stay away from all day. All this is going to cause your clients to sweat out a bit more than they usually do. While we're not anti-sweat here at BELO Lash (anybody else a fan of hot yoga?), sweat and any excess moisture can weaken the glue between the natural lashes and the lash extensions. That’s why it’s super important to stress the importance of washing lash extensions 1-2 times a week to your clients.
How to maximise lash retention in the summer
Now that we've gone through all the ways the summer can affect eyelash retention, here are some top tips on how to maximise retention during the season.
Use a stronger adhesive
To make sure the client's new lashes are absolutely summer-proof, you might need to start using a different type of eyelash glue. We recommend switching over to using a stronger adhesive during your summer appointments. Strong eyelash adhesive is designed to hold up against humidity and moisture, which means your client's new eyelashes are more likely to stay put even in the hottest and most humid conditions. For the strongest hold possible, we recommend switching over to our strongest adhesive – the Bulletproof Max Adhesive.
Apply lashes precisely
While you should be doing this every time you're applying a new set of lash extensions, correct and precise application is even more important during the summer. Make sure you're using a high quality adhesive to glue the extensions on and that you're applying the lashes at the correct angle.
Keep lashes dry
Getting a fresh set of eyelashes too wet is a surefire way to get your lashes to fall out early, so avoid using too much primer or adhesive remover to minimise the amount of moisture that touches the lashes. If this is a no-go for your client, use our Little Quickie Superbonder to protect between the natural lash, the extension and the adhesive.
Use a sealant
Using a sealant can help prolong the life of a fresh set of eyelash extensions as it helps to protect them from water, sweat, and humidity. This protection then prevents the adhesive from breaking down and the eyelash extensions from falling out.
You'll also need to make sure that your sealant is compatible with whatever eyelash glue you're using. If you're in the market for a new sealant, have a look at the BELO Lock It In Sealant – it's designed to protect the glue from water, sweat, and oil. Plus, it works perfectly with our lash glues!
Avoid oil-based products
When it comes to fresh lash extensions, oil is your client’s worst enemy as it can also break down the bond between the adhesive and the extensions. Make sure you don't use any oil-based products around your clients face and eyes during the application process.
Encourage regular infills
Did you know your hair and lashes actually grow faster during warmer months? This means more refills are required to make sure their lashes stay tidy and full. To keep up with your natural lashes growth cycle, we recommend booking your clients in for more frequent appointments during the summer.
Top tips for your clients
Even if you start using these tips above for your summertime clients, it's just as important that your clients are aware of all the best aftercare tips to help maintain their new lashes during the summer. Here are a few tips for you to pass on to them.
Take care when swimming with lashes
While they may be tempted to cool down with a nice dip in the pool, your clients will need to avoid getting their new lashes wet for the first 24-48 hours after application. This may seem like ages but don't worry, that time will fly in no time. Afterwards, they'll be able to swim with their new extensions – just remind them to rinse them with fresh water after getting out of the pool. It’s also worth mentioning that swimming underwater still isn’t advised. They’ll also need to comb with a clean lash wand, and pat (don't rub!) them dry to remove excess water.
Keep your lashes clean
Proper aftercare is extremely important for lash retention and maintaining the natural lashes’ health, especially during the summer as sweat, oil, and dirt will gradually build up. Your client will need to keep their lashes clean daily using a specially formulated eyelash cleanser. Our own Lash Shampoo foam cleanser is specially designed to gently cleanse the eye area while making sure their new extensions don't budge.
Watch out for sweat
It's pretty hard to avoid sweating in the summer heat, so asking your clients to avoid sweating sounds pretty unrealistic. Instead, try advising them to use sweatbands or towels whenever they hit the gym. Afterwards, they'll need to rinse their lashes with fresh water – similar to a post-swim lash routine.
Summer lashes that you can rely on
Mastering eyelash retention during the summer can be quite tricky, whether you're a beginner to lashes or a seasoned, professional lash artist. We hope this guide we've put together has helped you understand how the upcoming summer can affect lash retention as well as all the ways you can maintain and maximise it. With the right products and proper lash application you can make sure your client's new lashes are absolutely summer-proof.
It's also important to make sure your clients have all the right information and aftercare products they'll need to look after their fresh set of eyelash extensions. These tips will ensure that your clients' eyelash extensions will weather through even the hottest and most humid months of the year.