I have truly seen it all, lash mistakes, lash horror stories and lash emergencies that land clients in the hospital. There are some gruesome errors that can happen during lash application and here is how to save yourself from encountering them. Thank the lash angels above I have found incredible and safe products and invested in my education so I can lash with confidence that none of these issues ever happen again.
CLIENTS EYE'S GETTING STUCK SHUT- This occurs when the bottom lashes are taped down with a gel pad. Gel pads are very popular for beginners, but they slip around easily especially if the client is chatting, moving their cheekbones up and down. The pad can slip a few mm below the waterline and those tiny bottom lashes can pop up and tangle into the top lashes that we are actively lashing. You won't even know it's happening until it's too late and the client goes to open their eyes, realizing...they can't. Panic sets in and you'll have to manually remove so many stuck lashes. The client probably will be scared to return.
You can avoid this by using foam tape. Foam tape will not budge even if your client is chatting away. Apply it covering all the bottom lashes, root to tip, right underneath the water line and it will stay where you place it. Problem solved!
CLIENT EXPERIENCING REDNESS OF THE SCLERA- If a client's eyeball is red the most probable cause is the eye opening during application. Cyanoacrylate cures with moisture and what is extremely moist...OUR EYEBALLS! If our eyes open even a teeny bit, that curing adhesive will CLING to a wet eyeball and dry it out and irritate it, hence the redness. That redness is temporary but it is very uncomfortable. Make sure the eyes are shut during the entire service, I check every 10 mins with a dental mirror. If your client's eyes just tend to rest open, upper tape their lids using foam tape to comfortably shut them. Offer your client a single use hydrating saline drop to rehydrate the eye and let them know that redness will subside in 1-2 days. It's not comfortable, so try to avoid this at all costs.
GLUING LASHES TO THE SKIN- Lashes should be applied verrrrrrry close to the lid without ever touching it. This is the mark of expert application. The ideal distance is 0.5-1mm away from the skin, the width of a credit card. Very small. If lashes are attached touching the skin this will cause irritation and redness. If you struggle to see what you are doing, invest in a pair of custom loupe glasses to see up close and accurately place each lash.
LASHES ALL FELL OFF IN ONE NIGHT- A retention nightmare that every artist experiences at one point or another. This unfortunately is probably an application issue. If extensions are wrapped around the natural lash, they should be indestructible until the natural lash sheds on it's own cycle. If they are sloughing off immediately after application with no natural attached, we may need to spend extra time prepping that client and attaching lashes with extra adhesive and a more careful approach to application. Have them come in as soon as they can at no extra cost to them. I always offer one free fix if something went wrong on my end. Cleanse them thoroughly, prime generously, attach with a teeeeeny but of extra adhesive and make sure you are wrapping each lash. That's the best you can do in a situation like this! Remember, always take the client's side. It should be you and your client against the problem, not you and your client against each other.
Hugs and Kisses!
Maddi