Do You Really Need to Carry Out Pre-Treatment for Eyelash Extensions?
We hear this a lot, and it’s a valid question. In the lash industry, there seems to be a common discussion around the idea that pretreatment is optional, and down to personal preference, but it’s time we debunk this myth. We wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if we didn’t tell you the truth about pretreatment - It’s SO important and can make or break your lash sets.
What is Lash Pre-Treatment?
Pretreatment is the process the natural lashes should go through before ANY lash extensions are applied. It’s a way of prepping your lashes to get the most out of the lash set whilst ensuring the natural lashes stay healthy.
Lash pretreatment should consist of;
- Lash Shampoo - An antibacterial cleanser for the lashes and skin
- Protein Removing Cleansing Pads - Remove makeup and proteins on the eye area ensuring eye patches stay in place
- Lash Cleanser - Alcohol-based cleanser to thoroughly clean oils and makeup from the lashes
- Lash Primer - Hydrates natural lashes allowing the glue to bond
- Retention and Speed Booster - Gently opens the hair cuticle to increase retention
If you are a beginner, we don’t recommend following all five steps, as it can be a little overwhelming. London Lash trainers recommend sticking to Lash Shampoo, Protein Removal Pads, Cleanser and Primer as a beginner lash tech and adding booster in once you’re more advanced.
Why is Pre-Treatment so Important?
Retention
The most important reason for thorough pretreatment is retention. Applying lash extensions to unclean lashes is a recipe for disaster. The excess oil and sebum on the natural lashes will reduce the chance of the glue bonding properly with the natural lash. This will result in the lash extensions will slide off super easily and your client will be messaging you asking what’s gone on - not what you want!
Hygiene
Thoroughly cleansing the lashes is hugely important for the health and safety of your client. Cleaning the lashes of oil and makeup buildup actively reduces the risk of eye infections such as blepharitis and in extreme cases, eyelash lice.
Setting Yourself Up Properly
Some people avoid pretreatment as they feel it takes up too much time. What if we told you that good pretreatment will actually save time throughout your set?
Removing oils from the under-eye will make sure eye patches don’t move around. We want to avoid constantly readjusting the eye patches, as it can take up valuable treatment time and cause irritation as well as hiding the inner corner lashes meaning your set will be incomplete.
If an eyepatch moves around too much and touches the eyeball, it may cause bruising which can be extremely painful.
Now, we hope we’ve managed to convince you that pretreatment for lash extensions is NOT a waste of time – at London Lash we firmly believe that lash prep is non-negotiable. If you’ve decided you need to up your pretreatment game but need a little bit more information, check out this Guide to Incredible Pretreatment.
