Answering Your FAQs: Lash Glue Edition

What is Lash Extension Glue Made From, Is There Latex in Lash Extension Glue, and Other Common Questions You've Been Asking.

Aside from lash extensions themselves, lash extension glue is the most important part of any lash extension kit – choose the wrong glue, and you’ll have all sorts of lash retention problems. Choose the right one though, and you’ll have clients queueing up around the block to experience your legendary retention times for themselves. Advice on choosing the best lash extension glue for you is all so well and good, and who doesn’t love a recommendation?

When it comes down to it though, it’s so important as a Lash Tech to know exactly what you’re using on a daily basis and to have a deeper understanding of the products in your lash extension kit, so that you can be sure that you are working safely and effectively. Without further ado, let’s answer your lash glue FAQs.

What is Lash Extension Glue Made From?

By and large, any lash extension glue you purchase, no matter which brand, will be made from cyanoacrylate and stabilizers, with the addition of black pigment, unless you’re using a clear lash extension glue. 

The strength – or more accurately the drying time – of your lash extension glue depends on the ratio of cyanoacrylate to said stabilizers. Power Bond, for example, has more cyanoacrylate than Satin Bond does, which is why it dries faster as there is more of that chemical to react with the humidity in the air.

This is why with faster lash extension glue, it’s even more important to pay attention to your humidity levels. If you don't have one already, it's well worth getting a Digital Hygrometer so that you can keep a close eye on this as you're working.

Does Lash Extension Glue Have Latex In It?

No. Strip lash glue does quite often contain latex as it needs to be flexible and tacky to be able to move with the strip and form to the shape of the eyelid, but lash extension glue is designed to be more rigid and longer lasting – strip lash glue needs to come off relatively easily, whereas we want our lash extension glue to only come off if we’re actively trying to remove it. 

The good news then, is that clients who are allergic to latex will be just fine with lash extensions. Or will they?

Can You Be Allergic to Lash Extension Glue?

Yes, you can. It’s not super common, but it is something that all Lash Techs dread, and something that all clients should be made aware of. The allergy itself is to the cyanoacrylate in the lash glue. You can find out more about allergies to lash extension glue in this blog post which also delves into the separate issue of chemical burns (ie. red eyes after lash extensions), but we’ll discuss it a little more below as well.

What Happens if You or Your Client is Allergic to Lash Extension Glue?

Let’s take this in two parts, because it’s quite different for you to be allergic than it is for your client. 

If you are allergic to your lash extension glue, or if you have any kind of sensitivity, then it’s important to wear a mask while you work, keep your space well ventilated (or take a look at a fan) to keep the glue fumes away, and make sure you’re using a jade stone instead of a glue ring so that your glue is further away from your nose.

The long and short of it is that if you have some sensitivities to your glue, you can work around it. This of course comes with the caveat that you should always put your health first, and maybe look into a different vocation if you’re still having symptoms despite doing all of the above.

If your client is allergic to lash extension glue, they simply can’t have lash extensions any more. Whereas a Lash Tech’s sensitivity or allergy to Lash Glue is due to the inhalation of glue fumes, a client’s allergy comes from the cyanoacrylate in the glue fumes getting into their body via the hair follicles, which can’t be prevented with a face mask. A lash extension glue allergy is a cumulative allergy (i.e. one that develops over time), so each subsequent reaction will be worse. As much as we love lashes, it’s not worth risking your vision or even your life in the worst case scenario.

Is There Allergy Free Lash Extension Glue?

Sadly, no, not so far. Work is being done all the time to create a lash extension glue that has a bonding agent other than cyanoacrylate, but so far the search has been pretty fruitless. Any lash glues without cyanoacrylate that have made it to market haven’t stayed around for long, simply because the retention is no good at all. Besides, even with cyanoacrylate removed, who’s to say that people wouldn’t react to whatever else was in it? 

Which is the Best Lash Extension Glue for Sensitive Eyes?

Other than ‘which lash extension glue should I buy’, this is probably the MOST commonly asked question we get about glues. The short version is that we just don’t market any of our lash extension glue as being for sensitive eyes. The slightly longer version is that as all lash extension glue contains cyanoacrylate, they will all emit fumes, and are all capable of causing sensitivities, ergo, no lash extension glue is truly great for anyone with sensitivities. The much longer explanation is a blog post in itself, so go check that out next if your curiosity is piqued! 

Which is the Best Lash Extension Glue for Retention?

There’s no cut and dry answer to this as it depends on so many factors. Great lash extension retention comes down to your lash prep, the glue you use, and how your clients look after them.

The best glue for retention will differ from Lash Tech to Lash Tech, which is why there are so many to choose from. Simply choosing the ‘strongest’ lash glue doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have great retention – the ‘stronger’ a glue, the more cyanoacrylate it has and the faster it will dry. If you choose the fastest glue because it’s the strongest, you may have issues with your retention if the glue begins to cure before you’re able to place it on the lash. 

What’s the Best Lash Extension Glue for Low Humidity?

If your humidity is low, choose a slightly more rapid glue. It’s usually better to try to get your humidity within a more glue-friendly range so that you have a better idea of which glue is actually best for you, in case you move to a new space or try to lash anywhere other than your lash salon. Once again, we can't recommend highly enough that you invest in a Hygrometer – it’s the one ‘accessory’ that we urge every Lash Tech to get as soon as possible in their lash career.

Using a faster glue to cope with low humidity means that you’ll have the retention issues mentioned above if your room conditions change, so try bending your room conditions to your will where you can.

What’s the Best Lash Extension Glue for High Humidity?

Similar to the above, if your humidity is very high try first to lower it – this is easier said than done, so if you find yourself in a high humidity environment, choose a lash glue with a more gradual drying time than you typically place your extensions after dipping them, to give yourself time to apply the lash with great attachment.

There are so many questions about lash extension glue that this barely scratches the surface! What’s most important is to know the signs to look out for with allergic reactions, how to avoid chemical burns, and how to pick the best glue for you based on your specific needs. If you have a question that we haven’t answered here, pop a message over to our Customer Service team who will be more than happy to help you!