How To Choose The Right Lash Adhesive
This can be one of the most frustrating things about lashing, choosing the right lash adhesive. We get many calls from artists around the globe that struggle to find an adhesive that dries fast, is good for classic and volume, has great retention, low fumes, good for sensitive clients, etc... Many of these artists are searching for this "perfect" lash adhesive that checks all of the boxes. The truth is the perfect lash adhesive has less to do with the adhesive itself and more to do with the artist skill and the environment that you are working in. Let's dive deeper into how these elements affect your lash sets.
STEP 1 | CHECK YOUR LASH Environment
As we've discussed before, all lash adhesive has a cyanoacrylate base which cures in the presence of humidity to form an acrylic resin. The humidity in your workspace is important because relative humidity directly relates to how much moisture is present in the air. The higher the relative humidity percentage, the faster your adhesive cures and vice versa. The lower the relative humidity percentage, the slower your adhesive cures. So knowing your relative humidity is the first step to choosing the best lash adhesive for you.
We recommend using a hygrometer that has the temp and humidity in an easy to read format which you can keep close to you at your station. Once you have it, turn it on and let it do its thing for about an hour. After the hour is elapsed, come back to record the current humidity. Do this 3 times a day morning, noon and night for 2 days. Take a calculator and add the 6 percentages together, then divide by 2 for the days. The resulting number is your average relative humidity (ARH). If your ARH is under 30 we recommend purchasing a humidifier such as this one. If your ARH is over 80, a dehumidifier is going to be your best bet. 45-55% is the sweet spot humidity range that you want to shoot for while lashing.
STEP 2 | USE A LOVE SHACK FOR ADHESIVE STORAGE
If you are improperly storing your adhesive, it won't matter which kind you are using, it just won't work! In days past, storing your adhesive in the fridge was normal. But with the adhesives of today, storing in the fridge can actually compromise it. The reason is that when the adhesive is opened, moisture can get into the bottle and the fluctuating temp in the fridge will cause condensation. As stated above, moisture is a big factor in curing the adhesive so if there is moisture trapped in the bottle, it can start to cure in the bottle and result in thick, stringy adhesive that won't work properly. To store your adhesive properly, we recommend storing lash glue in the Love Shack, which is an airtight container that is available for $17. You should store your adhesive upright in the Love Shack with a silica packet. Keep the Love Shack in a cool dry place and replace your opened adhesive bottle every 4-6 weeks.
P.S. Never store your adhesive and remover in the same Love Shack, you can get a black and a white one to store them in different areas.
STEP 3 | WHAT IS YOUR LASHING SPEED, BABE?
Speed is huge when choosing adhesive. If your humidity is high but you are using an adhesive that is designed for low humidity, it will cure so quickly that it becomes unusable. So if you are a newer artist and you are slower at the process of lashing you are going to want a thicker adhesive that cures more slowly. This will give you time to isolate, place, and form a great bond between the natural lash and extension.
STEP 4 | CHECK YOUR LASH Isolation SKILLS
If your isolation is not on point then you are sure to get stuck together lashes no matter what adhesive you choose. It's so important for good isolation to be the backbone of your lash service. Whether you do single hand or double hand isolation, make sure that when you are isolating the natural lash, it is actually isolated and there aren't small lashes trying to make their way in. Make sure that once the lash is placed, the adhesive dries before moving onto the next lash. You can test this by counting to 2 after you place the extension, then just giving the extension a slight tug. If the extension is moving you will need to use less adhesive, if it pops off when you tug, you may need to use a bit more adhesive or make sure that the base of the extension is meeting the base of the natural lash and isn't lifting at all.
STEP 5 | KNOW THE POROSITY OF YOUR CLIENTS LASHES
What's hair porosity, anyway? Porosity is the measure of empty space available in a material. With regards to hair, we use it to measure how much water or moisture your hair follicle is able to hold. There are holes, or pores, present in the outermost layer of the hair follicle called the cuticle. This is where your level of hair porosity is determined.
Understanding your clients lash porosity is sooo important in choosing the right adhesive for them. Check out our Hair Health Type + Texture Course to learn more about hair porosity and use the chart below to help assist you with what adhesive is best.
STEP 5 | KNOW THE HAIR TYPE OF YOUR CLIENTS LASHES
All lashes curl, regardless of race or heritage. However, lashes can vary in the amount of curl. For instance, lash curls are sharper among Caucasians and straighter among Asians. There are five different recognizable lash types:
- THIN
- THICK/COURSE
- SMOOTH/STRAIGHT
- TEXTURED/CURLY
- FINE
Understanding your clients lash type is critical to choosing the right adhesive for them. Check out our Hair Health Type + Texture Course to learn more about hair type and use the chart below to help assist you with what adhesive is best based on type.
CHOOSE THE BEST LASH GLUE FOR YOU
So next time you want to ask the question, "What's the best adhesive out there?" Reframe that question to be: "What's the best adhesive for me and my client?" Dig deeper into your environment and skill level to understand which adhesive will perform the best for you. Check our our lash adhesives to dive deeper into each of the adhesives we offer, and make the best choice for yourself.
Also, check our our adhesive quiz to answer more of your questions.
Still have questions? Lash Affair offers sample sizes of adhesive if you want to try before you buy, email customerservice@lashaffair.com!
Leave a comment