3 Tips For Better Retention - It Might Not Be Your Glue...

Hi Friends, 

Well, this is awkward, but someone’s gotta say it. It may as well be your trusted friends at Lash Line!

In our years of experience, retention issues are almost always because of 3 reasons. 

(and neither reason is bad glue)

1. You are not using enough adhesive
2. Improper attachment onto the natural lash makes for an unstable bond
3. You aren't refreshing your drop

You are not using enough adhesive

As Lash Artists, we always want to protect the integrity of the natural lash, and we know that adhesive is dense and heavy. But somewhere in the growth of our industry, the correct amount of adhesive to use got lost in translation. 

You don’t need to be afraid - when applied correctly, using more adhesive may be the key. As a rule of thumb - dip 50% of the extension into glue for Classic lashes, and 20-25% of the way for Volume Lashes. (1-3mm)

If you have 2+ dots of glue, now is where you want to tap off the excess (not on the gel pads - this causes increased exposure for the client)

Tip: You’ll stop getting beads of glue on the extension when you slowly remove the lashes from the glue. Beads occur when we dip and lift up too quickly. Instead, a slow exit from the glue drop will evenly coat the extension.

Improper attachment onto the natural lash makes for an unstable bond

Not sure how to tell if it’s properly applied? You should see absolutely no lifting or gaps between the applied natural lash and the extension. If your base is pointing upwards off the natural lash and not glued down -- those babies are sadly going to pop off life popcorn in the next week when they get brushed.

If you aren't sure how to check, turn your head and look at the attachment from the side. This angle will help you see how well it was applied. Looking directly above at the extensions when applying can mess with our depth perception, so a good ol’ angle change is always an advantage

You aren't refreshing your glue drop

When lash adhesive is expelled from the bottle and exposed to air, it begins to polymerize from the outside of the drop to the center. You will physically watch the appearance of the glue change from a glossy finish to more dull the longer it’s sitting out. This is why we always preach that after about 20-30 minutes (depending on your humidity and temperature) it’s best to neutralize the adhesive with a drop of water, and make a new drop! 

After about 20 minutes, your glue isn't in its prime state anymore. It’s been absorbing the humidity in your environment and slowly curing. As the glue starts drying out, you will not get a strong bond as efficiently to your client’s lash. 

Pay attention to these few tips in your lashing workflow and see if there are areas you can improve! It is possible to give your clients seamless retention. Of course, the products matter just as much as the application. Our best selling adhesives and Super Bonder are always flying off the shelves for their reliability and supreme results. You can even subscribe to have us auto deliver them to you on a monthly restock… that’s pretty great.

Sending love from our lash room to yours, 

XX

Lash Line