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Retention

We will always have some sort of problems with Retention. We just need to know how to deal with it & why it happens!

There are so many things out there that affect retention and what our clients do when they leave us it out of our control. This is why some clients’ lashes do amazingly well and some come back with hardly any.

I don’t think any of us will ever really know what products or activities are the cause of poor retention, and this can differ from person to person but below we have put together a list of things that can affect retention and need to be avoided or controlled (where possible) if lashes are to last.

Of course there will be clients who cannot avoid taking certain medications, or take part in activities that will cause poor retention. But if we are aware of them, at least we can educate our clients as to why their lashes may not be lasting.

Learn to solve these issues yourself if you can.
A good tech will be able to do this and learn from her mistakes or be able to diagnose a problem and educate the client accordingly.

So lets break it down...

First question to ask is…..

Are the extensions coming off with or without natural lashes attached?

With

Suggests clients natural cycle or they could be pulling them out/rubbing eyes/face sleeping.

Without

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  • Salon environment – temperature/humidity – is it well controlled and in range for your adhesive to perform at its best? Do you have a hygrometer? Are you monitoring/recording the temperature and humidity, how your adhesive behaves and what retention is like?
  • Adhesive – how old is it? how long has it been open? Has it been stored correctly? Does it have a drastic change in temperature when not in use? (kept in fridge/salon gets very hot/cold overnight?) is it being mixed/shaken properly before use? is the bottle being burped after dispensing a drop? is the nozzle being wiped clean using a lint free cloth/waxing strip after dispensing a drop? Are you renewing your adhesive regularly throughout treatment? (approx 15-20minutes)
  • Have you prepared the lashes before lashing? Cleanse using a reputable/specific product, rinse well with saline.
  • Are you using a primer? Why? Is it really needed? Remember primers dry the natural lashes out and can leave a barrier on the lashes preventing a good bond.
  • Are you using a sealant? Why? can cause shock curing (brittle bond)/create a glaze or barrier that makes cleaning very difficult and therefore risk of infection
  • Have you recently decorated/painted? Cyanoacrylate doesn’t work well with paint fumes.
  • Do you share a working space in a hair salon/sunbed salon? hair product fumes can affect how Cyanoacrylate works.
  • Are you nano misting? Are you using it correctly/in the correct conditions? if your humidity is controlled in salon, you shouldn’t need to mist, if humidity is low in salon (below 45%) then nano misting can help or if throughout treatment you need to speed up the cure slightly. if you use when humidity is good or high then you will shock cure and the bond will be brittle and lashes will just break away from the natural lash.
  • Does your client have a hood? Are the extensions in constant contact with the skin oils?
  • Are we approaching or going through a spring or autumn lash shed? 

The following is a list of products, medications and factors that can also affect  retention.

  • Oils – Break down the bond of the adhesive
  • Glycol – avoid products containing this ingredient, it will break down the bond of the adhesive
  • Anti depressants – change in chemical balance – lash cycle speeds up or slows down
  • Argon oil – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Skin/hair/nail supplements – make lashes grow quickly resulting in a faster lash cycle
  • HRT (hormonal changes) – changes natural lash growth cycle/ severe cases lash growth can stop altogether
  • Steroids – can cause loss of lashes or rapid growth resulting in a faster lash cycle
  • Intense face creams – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Mascara – cakes the lashes/breaks down the bond of the adhesive and prevents thorough cleansing which can cause bacterial infections (Blepharitis)
  • Heavy makeup – cakes the lashes/breaks down the bond of the adhesive and prevents thorough cleansing which can cause bacterial infections (Blepharitis)
  • Lack of aftercare/cleaning – can cause bacterial infections (Blepharitis) and breakdown of bond of adhesive
  • Eyeliner (liquid/crayon/gel) – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive – advise to use a powder/eyeshadow instead
  • Eydrops (latanaprost and Xalatan) – causes the eye to produce more tears, a client on this medication is highly unlikely to be suitable for eyelash extensions
  • Facials – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Sunbeds – extreme heat exposure will shock the cure – advise to wait 24-48 hours post treatment
  • Swimming – constant exposure to humidity and water will affect the bond
  • Sweating – contact with skin oils will affect the bond, good cleaning routine needed and more frequent infill appointments advised
  • Thyroid (under or over active) – can cause loss of lashes or rapid growth, if well managed by clients then shouldn’t be too much of a problem
  • False lash strip glue – very sticky and stringy and very difficult to remove properly and keep lashes underneath clean therefore risking infection
  • Saunas – extreme heat and humidity exposure, affects bond of adhesive
  • Some lash cleansing foams – may contain ingredients not compatible with our adhesives and can break down bond
  • Acne meds – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Self tanning lotion – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Sun creams – Breaks down the bond of the adhesive
  • Hay fever – excessive watery eyes or itching/rubbing of eyes will cause lash loss
  • Living in high humid countries (like the UK) – even if well controlled in the salon, you can’t control the environment when a client leaves you, the weather will play a role
  • Chemical peels – acids are applied to the skin and can have an adverse reaction with the adhesive
  • Menstrual cycles – changes in hormones can cause lash cycles to speed up/slow down
  • Face sleepers – people who sleep on their face will lose lashes faster purely because of the contact/rubbing on the arms/pillows
  • General health – if you’re run down/generally unwell this can cause problems for retention.