How Do You Know This Technician Will Not Stick Your Eyes Together?
Today I’d like to touch on a delicate topic.
How to choose the technician that is right for you??
Unfortuntely Eyelash Extensions are not a regulated service in Australia, much like hairdressers, anyone can watch a few YouTube videos, buy some stuff from Ebay, and call themselves a Lash Technician. Many go further by ripping photos from google or worse- other technicians. Passing it off as their own and deceiving their clientele.
Now this game is easily lost, as clients will quickly realise the quality of the work on their faces does not match the colour coordinated and crisp Instagram profile they bought from. So how do you know before hand? Before you allow an untrained tech near your face and possibly do damage to your natural lashes, here are some questions to ask:
- Are You A Qualified lash Technician? I know it seems super basic but yes, this is the first question. As we are not a regulated industry you don’t technically need any certification. However without any formal training how will you know what you are doing? Clients run the gauntlet of broken lashes and the risk of having their eyes damaged or stuck together. Do your homework and seek out a tech who is qualified in CLASSIC, RUSSIAN VOLUME and MEGA VOLUME. The Lash Industry is changing so rapidly that we at Lashes On Point Salon update our training at least once a year minimum. With regular training days, conferences etc. to keep us up to date with industry trends, products and safety measures. These certificates should be proudly displayed. The more the better. You can never have enough, and I personally take great pride adding to my wall.
- Are You Registered With Your Local Council? This is important for both HOME and SALON based locations. Salons need non-porous flooring for easy cleaning, hand basins close by, a separate sterilisation area and annual checks with the Health Inspector (just to name a few). These are often random checks to make sure proper log books of sterilisation practises are maintained and protocols are followed stringently protecting both staff and clients. Every Council has a different set of rules so research what is required for yours. This also should be proudly displayed on the wall and updated every year.
- Are You Single Use Disposable? In this modern age we are simply too busy, my salon is often booked back to back and humming with clients coming and going. We stay on top of our cleanliness by simply disposing of everything after each client. Everything is covered with disposable dental bibs, and thrown away as soon as the client gets up. The only thing we don’t throw is our tweezers, we stock enough tweezers per technician to see 10 clients in a row if need be, then sterilise in batches. This keeps things running smoothly from my end, and gives clients piece of mind that when they lie down everything is fresh.
- Are The Photos You Are Using On Socials/Website Your Own? Yep…. its easy to google and simply add your watermark. Sad but true. The Lash Community is very close and when people rip others work it often gets around what’s happened. But as a client you simply don’t know- so don’t be afraid to ask the question “Are these photos your own work?” Feel free to ask to see them without filters, the modern day of iPhone means this is easy to get for you. I often do some skin smoothing and add a filter to my Instagram to give my clients smooth glamorous skin and shining bright eyes. But always keep the originals so you can see just how glam she was before- even without help of a filter. I, myself have often had photos of my work stolen and past off as someone elses- its a horrible feeling 🙁 now I watermark everything.
- Is The Salon Clean? Crap everywhere? Dirty floor? Pets walking around while you are lying there? Run…. Run now.
- Word Of Mouth. This is my personal fav, beautiful social media account and sexy websites don’t tell the whole story. Is everyone recommending them? Do they have raving fans who sing their praises constantly? A loyal band of followers? Then you are onto a good bet.
- Client Reviews. Its literally takes 10min to find some client reviews on Facebook and read a few. Time well spent in your search I think.
- Price. I’m sorry but if you are paying $50 for a full set of Russian Volume do you seriously think it will look like the $250 set your friend got from a Master Lash Artist? No- don’t be cheap, these are your eyes and your technician has spent years learning, perfecting her trade and building her qualification list. Do the research and don’t risk your eye health with the cheapest on the block. Eyelash Extensions are a boutique luxury service, Russian Volume is also a very complex procedure and takes a while to learn. Invest in yourself so you don’t have to pay extra getting a crappy set soaked off, using a lash serum for 3 months to grow back your damaged lashes, then pay for another full set (this time by someone who actually knows what they are doing), its false economy as you end up paying in the end. Do it right the first time and avoid the horror stories.
I hope these few tips help you make a safe and informed decision about which Lash Technician to go with. Finding a technician who is close to you, personable, professional, clean, educated, and open to your requests of seeing all these above points are not hard to find. Good Luck Lovelies xxx