My Biggest Struggle As A Beginner Lash Tech

I began my lash career in 2017, starting with classic lashes. Being a male in a female-dominated industry, I knew I would stand out, regardless of what I did. I was determined to be the best in my town so that my reputation would work in my favor instead of being a liability. With determination and perseverance, I got there, but it wasn’t without struggles.

Not Understanding Lash Adhesive: My Biggest Challenge

My biggest struggle as a beginner lash artist was learning to properly use professional lash extension adhesive. During my first year, there was a lot of concern about using “too much glue.” I saw artists on social media calling out others for supposedly using excessive amounts, and in the training classes I attended, this was also emphasized. The constant warnings about “using too much” had me terrified of getting it wrong, and as a result, I became almost scared of the adhesive.

This fear shaped how I worked, and my retention suffered greatly in the beginning because I simply wasn’t using enough adhesive.

Room Conditions: A Lesson Learned

Another challenge that took me far too long to understand was how room conditions, such as humidity and temperature, affected the adhesive’s curing time. My first winter as a working lash artist in central Texas was a cold one, and I was operating out of an older house that had been converted into a spa. The rooms were drafty, and when the first cold snap of the season hit, I was extremely frustrated and confused. The low temperature and humidity slowed the adhesive’s dry time to the point where it simply wasn’t drying, and I couldn’t figure out why. To me, it seemed like the extensions just weren’t sticking to the natural lashes.

Eventually, I reached out to the lash brand I was using for help and discovered that to get better results, I needed to add humidity to my room and raise the temperature. So off I went to the local CVS and bought myself a humidifier. However, this wasn’t an immediate fix. I initially set up the humidifier so that the mist settled right on my workstation. What you need to know about a humidifier is that it’s essentially a giant nano mister, and if you position it directly over your work area, it will cure your lash glue too quickly to work with. Through trial and error, I eventually found the right spot for the humidifier — off to the side of my client, where the mist didn’t settle on my workstation — and that solved my adhesive issues.

Mastering Lash Extension Glue: Lash Tech Tips

As a lash artist, mastering your adhesive and learning how to adjust its behavior in real-time is crucial. The higher your room’s humidity, the faster your adhesive will dry; the lower the humidity, the slower it will dry. With this knowledge, you can deduce that if you’re experiencing a lot of stickies, your adhesive isn’t drying fast enough. In this case, you can use a humidifier to raise the humidity in your room and speed up the dry time (or work a little slower). Conversely, if you find extensions popping off when you brush through your work, your humidity might be too high. You can use a heavy-duty dehumidifier to lower the room’s humidity and slow the dry time (or work a little faster). Don’t waste time with small tabletop dehumidifiers; they’ll take all day to make any noticeable difference.

You’re Not Alone In Your Struggles

Whatever you’re struggling with, I promise you are not alone. Someone out there has faced the same challenges and found a solution—all you need to do is reach out. At PLA, we have a team of industry-leading professionals, excellent customer service personnel eager to help find solutions, and even a wonderful chemist! PLA is always here to help you succeed.

For More About Our Lash Adhesives, Visit PLApro.com.

Chris Carr, Lash Artist at PLA