Have you ever sat back to admire and brush a gorgeous set of lashes half-way through the appointment only to brush out half of the lashes as you do?! It’s so upsetting seeing your hard work ruined and you can’t figure out why.
The key to avoiding brush-offs lies in the technician’s prep, technique and glue control throughout the appointment. Keep reading to find out how you can prevent brush offs!
1. Master Proper Preparation
Poor preparation is one of the biggest causes of brush-offs. Make sure to thoroughly prepare your client’s natural lashes by covering the following steps:
Always start by cleansing your clients’ lashes using a lash shampoo and rinse away with water. Pinkfishes Pink Refine Shampoo is suitable for both lashes and brows and very easy to use! Another great product is the Pinkfishes Pink Prep Pads that are used to cleanse the lashes in wipe form. Cleansing the area prior to a lash treatment creates the ideal bonding surface for lashes and helps aid in retention!
Use a primer on the natural lashes to create the ideal bonding surface. Pinkfishes Pink Creation Primer removes oils and dirt prior to a lash extension treatment. A primer can dramatically improve curing time for the ultimate lash application. It’s easy to apply the primer by using microfibre brushes to swipe through the cleansed natural lashes. The only clients you wouldn’t use a primer on are those with dehydrated lashes.
Ensure that your clients natural lashes are completely dry before beginning the treatment and keep checking for this throughout the appointment. Making sure they are comfortable with the tape and/or under eye pads before you start and during can prevent your client feeling uncomfortable and their eyes watering.
ALWAYS prioritise preparation!
How to prepare your clients lashes (by Pinkfishes Trainer)
2. Adhesive
There are a few things to consider when choosing the right adhesive as there are different curing times to suit different lash technicians.
Pinkfishes have an adhesive for everyone! Check out our full range here:
Pink Royalty: 1-1.5 seconds. Black.
Pink Duchess - Sensitive. 2-3 seconds. Black.
Pink Naked - Sensitive. 0.5-1 seconds. Clear.
Pink Radical: 0.5-1 seconds. Black.
Pink Radical ll: 0.5 seconds. Black.
Pink Supreme: 0.5 seconds. Clear.
The quicker the curing time, the quicker you need to be with applying the lash. At Pinkfishes, we train our students using Pink Radical as we have found the 0.5-1 seconds curing time to work well for most. However, if you try this and find that it is drying too fast and you can’t keep up when applying then maybe try Pink Royalty or Pink Duchess. If the glue cures before you apply, this will cause brush offs.
If you are an experienced lash technician and working very quickly then Pink Radical ll may be more suitable for you. When brushing through your sets throughout the appointment, make sure you avoid the areas when you have just placed lashes to avoid them brushing off.
With adhesive, it is also important to consider how much you are using as too much adhesive can cause stickies, while too little can lead to weak bonds.
Aim to:
Create a dome shape (half a pea size amount) with your glue when first applying it onto your jade stone/in your glue ring – instead of it being too much, too little or too flat.
Dip the lash 1/3 of the way into the glue dome and slowly pulling it out away from you to avoid having too much glue before you apply the extension to the natural lash.
The extension needs to look as if it hasn’t got any glue on it when you pull it out of the glue dot. There should be no ‘blobs’/beads of glue on the extension – it should just look slightly shiny at the base.
Pinkfishes range of adhesive (Available at Pinkfishes.com)
3. Correct Application
Placement is very important – not only for the overall look of the lashes but also for making sure they stay on! If the lash isn’t positioned correctly before curing, it can cause problems. It may twist/fall to one side as it dries – which could lead to it brushing out if it gets stuck to another lash.
Here is what correct placement looks like:
Correct placement (Pinkfishes Training manual)
Flush to the natural lash.
Sitting straight.
0.5mm gap left at the bottom of the base between the eyelid and the where the lash has been placed.
Pause for a second after placement to confirm direction before isolating the next lash.
Top tip: If you have placed the extension in the correct place but it starts to fall to one side or is sitting on the natural lash twisted – quickly use your tweezers to nudge the top of the extension into the right place before your adhesive cures.
4. Maintain a Stable Work Environment
Environmental factors can cause lash extensions to shift or cure improperly, leading to brush-offs later.
Be mindful of:
Humidity and temperature levels. Check the packaging of your adhesive, it should tell you how it should be stored. We recommend storing your adhesive/s in a Hygrometer tank.
Fresh adhesive drops at regular intervals. You should be changing your glue dot every 20-30 minutes throughout the appointment. During the summer, you may have to change it more frequently if it is a hot and humid day!
Good airflow (avoid fans blowing directly on the client).
If you are working in a cabin outside – it may be best to store your adhesive inside a building instead.
A stable environment supports strong bonds and no brush-offs!
5. Avoid Overloading the Natural Lash
Choosing extensions that are too heavy or too long for the natural lash can cause drooping and twisting, which can often lead to brush offs.
Always assess:
Natural lash health. This is super important and the first thing you should do for every client to ensure you are using the correct lashes.
Length balance across the eye. Make sure you are using extensions that are no longer than 1/3 longer than your clients’ natural lashes.
Lashes that are properly weighted naturally fall into place and will be longer lasting.
6. Finish With a Full Set Check
Before ending the appointment:
Carefully brush through the entire set to check if they are feeling secure.
Check for stickies. They should be easy to brush through, and the brush shouldn’t get stuck.
Use a bonder/sealant to secure the lashes into place before your client leaves.
Catching issues before the client leaves can prevent future brush-offs and improves retention.
Pink Elixir Adhesive Activator bonder/sealant (Available at Pinkfishes.com)
Finally, make sure you give your clients the correct aftercare advice to avoid them having lots of brush-offs!
If there's something you want us to cover in our next blog, let us know! And don't forget to tag our Instagram in all of your beautiful Pinkfishes creations - @pinkfisheslashco xx
