Picking the Right Glue for Lash Extensions

Which glue should I use for eyelash extensions? That’s the question every lash artist asks herself when gaining new skills or changing atmosphere by natural causes (caused by the change of seasons, humanity, temperature). Whether you are an advanced or beginner in eyelash extensions, one of the key factors that determines the quality and pace of your work is your choice of glue. The sets the durability of your work, safety of your client, and what’s the most important – comfort. So how can you choose a glue so that you have a helping hand at work?

Before you choose the perfect glue, you’ll have to take the following aspects into consideration.

1) How many sets of lashes do you create per day?

At first, you’ll question how this is relevant, but being aware of your business model is interesting in budgeting and making smart decisions for your business. If you only apply one set of lashes per day then there’s no point getting a 10ml volume glue, because most of this would end up in the bin. It would be more than enough to invest in a 5ml bottle – even taking into consideration a growing number of clients as you develop. The same thing should be considered when you have a large amount of customers, buying a 3ml bottle guarantees that you would have to remember to top up on your glue supply at least once a week.

2) What temperature is your work place?

Being aware of the conditions of your surroundings is imperative and will help you to consciously take steps for these conditions to influence your work positively. High temperatures mean that the solvent in glues will evaporate faster, which consequently, will result in the glue becoming thicker. When buying your glue, check and be aware of which temperate it works best in, it’s important to follow the guides for the glue so that it is the most effective and control the environment in which you work in, in this way you will avoid surprises. Extremely helpful in this situation is a weather station which will help you understand what needs to be done for your working conditions to be ideal.

3) What humidity is in the environment in which you work?

Eyelash extension adhesives belong the cyanoacrylate family which have a short shelf life if not used and air humidity has a large effect on their function. Too high humidity speeds up the polymerisation of the glue, which means that the glue dries faster, whereas not enough humidity results in the glue drying too slow. That’s why in different seasons you may find that the glue you know so well will start behaving differently. Similarly, to the temperature, it’s important to control your room’s humidity – yet again, using a weather station.

4) What is your pace in eyelash application?

Another key factor which greatly affects your choice of glue is the tempo of your work. If you’re at the beginning of your lash journey, and you are slow at applying and every now and then will need to reapply a lash or make a correction then choose a glue which dries slower, but a glue that dries too slowly will also hinder your work, so choosing a good medium is important. For expert lash stylists, every second lasts so getting a fast-drying glue is important.

5) Is your client sensitive to glue fumes?

Choosing the correct glue for your work also includes considering your client. No glue should be considered suitable for an allergic, as the eye area is too delicate and sensitive to guarantee that a client will not react with allergies to a certain glue. It is however possibly to lower the feel of the presence of the glue by applying a glue that has a lower amount of fumes.