Do Volume Lashes Offer More Support?

This seems to be the question of 2022. While we were in lockdown and unable to get our lashes done, we used serums to grow our lash line full and thick again. So, naturally, when thinking about going back to lash extensions, we want the lightest weight possible so that we can keep our natural fluff.

As Ive explained in a previous blog, the weight used on each eyelash is important. If you have fine lashes, you’ll want the lightest weight fans so they can fluff out and hold the line together. The Penumbra 0.03 weight of lashes can be made into a lightweight fan so that you don’t have one single lever weighing your lash down. A classic lash is .15-.20 in weight and is like adding weight to one end of a teeter totter. It’s very hard for the natural lash to hold up weight that is one directional. However if you distribute that weight in a fan and then put another on each side of it, now that lash has a support group to lean on and isn’t carrying the weight alone.

For clients who have very strong, straight natural lashes, a classic lash may work better because only the classic lashes look good in a straighter curl. To have something that hugs the entire lash and offers a bit of lift is great for these types of clients. If a client has curl to their lashes, the chances are that the lashes are fine because curly hair tends to be more fragile than straight hair.

If you’ve always worn classic lashes, give the volume or hybrid ones a shot and see if they work better for you!

5 Tips for Lash Extensions and Coachella

How to Protect Your Lashes at Coachella if You Wear Lash Extensions

Well, it’s back and it’s sold out.  LA’s favorite music festival has managed to not only get through the pandemic but thrive even with the cancellation of Kanye West.  It was the talk in West Hollywood.  However, if you are a Coachella rookie and you got eyelash extensions for the event, here are some tips for you to protect your investment.

#1. Lash Late

If you’re trying to do both weekends, you should have gotten your lashes done yesterday and not a minute sooner.  We are influencer friendly here and we know how important those camera-ready shots are.  Two weekends in make-up, sun and dust can make you look crazy by weekend two, but if you’re a seasoned lasher, you know this.

#2. Wear Big Sunglasses

This may seem so obvious, but some people have no idea how much this helps with dust.  Coachella is surrounded by low desert, so people assume it isn’t going to be windy.  But, not so fast.  The San Gorgonio Pass causes a “Venturi Effect” (another term for a wind phenomenon) that shoots from North palm Springs to Indio.  This is only intensified as the desert floor heats up during the day.  So, basically, consider it a blessing if you get those gorgeous sunset photos and you aren’t eating dust.

#3.  Baseball Caps win over wide-brimmed Hats

I know.  Your wide-brimmed hat makes every outfit cuter but when that thing blows off your head a few times or you get tired of removing it to get through the drink lines, you’ll end up not wearing it.  A baseball cap that fits just enough can be removed for photos but still protects your lashes from the sun.  BTW, there is no shade.  At least, not where the fun is.

#4.  Wash Your Lashes

I shouldn’t have to tell you to wash your face at night but just know if you don’t wash that dirt off, don’t expect your lashes to reciprocate the love.  Use a gentle foaming cleanser and then wait until your lashes are dry before brushing them out.  

#5. Have Fun!

 At the end of the day, this is so much more important than what your lashes look like. Happy Music Festing!

When You're Not a Candidate for Microblading

It is never easy to turn a client away or tell them they aren’t a candidate for something but in the case of microblading, clients should know they have other options.  While microblading is only good for about 30% of the population, microshading is right for almost everyone.  So, what is the difference?

Microblading is tattooing very fine hair strokes that are meant to resemble real hair into the skin.  It is done with a very fine blade with little cuts into the brow line.  The healing process can be intense, and the results vary depending on the artist, of course, but also on your skin type.  If a client has dry skin and the artist is experienced, caring, and talented, the results can be beautiful and very natural looking.  However, when microblading is done on skin that isn’t dry (as in dry skin type), the lines can become flat and murky.  Those lines against your real hair can look anything other than natural.  They are fatter, grayer, and end up looking like stripes instead of hairstrokes.  Usually, the only way to fix it is to have it removed or shaded over.

Another thing that can happen with microblading is when a technician isn’t experienced enough to know how deep to go into the skin.  If the cuts aren’t deep enough, there is no saturation with the pigment and the client is left with red brows.  The redness is usually caused by a combination of iron-based pigment and scarring.  It can be difficult to conceal but an artist who understands color correction and microshading may be able to help.

So, what is microshading? 

Microshading is a technique known by many names.  Micropigmentation, Ombre Brows, Powder Brows and Combo Brows are all forms of this permanent make-up technique.  It works by leaving microscopic dots in the brow line to give a filling affect, like what clients would do to fill in their brows with brow powder.  When done right, the color is perfectly matched to your hair and skin and is only detectable very close up.  It is a gentler procedure, so it is good for clients over the age of 50.  It is usually done with a permanent make-up pen machine and smaller needles.  The needle size depends on the client’s skin condition.

Clients who have a lot of sun exposure, sweat, or swim a lot or have oily skin will benefit more from microshading as the pigment is implanted slightly deeper into the skin so it doesn’t fade as fast.  Touch-ups are usually necessary once per year to refresh the color, but otherwise provides a low maintenance way of life when it comes to daily make-up application.

Book an appointment or zoom consultation.

When Should You Take a Lash Break?

To break or not to break, that is the question.  Clients ask me all the time if their own lashes look alright and if they should take a break.  My job is not only to provide beautiful eyelash extensions but to also care for the client’s natural lashes so that they can continue to be my client.  Lash artists who are in it for the long haul know this is far more important than always giving the client what they want.

When a client asks me if they should take a break from their lash extensions, I take two things into consideration.  

1.)   Do I know their lashes?  In other words, have they been coming to me long enough where I can tell if I’m leaving their lashes in the same condition or better than I found them?

2.)   Have they been on a vacation recently that involved sun, sand and saltwater?

For the most part, eyelashes grow and shed so if a client is getting lightweight extensions suitable for their own natural lash with high quality glue and regular fills, their natural lashes should be perfectly fine.  The exception to this rule is if the client wears any sort of eye makeup on a daily basis.  The wonderful thing about a nice full set of lash extensions is that you don’t need eye make-up but there are those who still love to play in their sparkly shadows and smokey liners.  In Los Angeles, a large percentage of my clients are actors or models who don’t have a choice in what is applied to their eyelids.  In these circumstances where the client is exposed to make-up particles near the lash line on a regular basis, I always advise a break every six to eight months.  This gives the client a chance to thoroughly clean the lash line every day to make sure the skin isn’t over exposed to dirt and oil build up.  The eyelids will naturally exfoliate so it’s a great way to give the eyes a reboot.  Two months is the recommended time but even one month will make a difference.  

When a client is new and I don’t know the condition of their natural lashes before I started working on them, I usually ask if they notice an increase in itchiness or redness.  Then I study the skin on their lids to see if there is any peeling.  When the lids are desperate for exfoliation, tiny skin particles can get trapped in the lash line and has the potential to turn into demodex, especially if the client already has rosacea.  If none of this is happening, then I recommend that the client get a few more fills and let me monitor her lashes during that time.  Sometimes just adjusting the weight of the lashes can promote better results.

 The last consideration is the sun-n-sands obstacle.  Humidity changes, sunshine and salt-water influence our skin and that includes our eyelids.  When a client returns from vacation, I usually recommend filling them with lighter lashes than they are used to for one round.  This helps to allow exfoliation and breathing of the lash line.  If they have a severe sunburn or sun damage to the natural lash hairs, I recommend a break of one month.

And of course, a good lash serum is always recommended.

Hair Loss? Don't Stress!

There is some info going around the beauty industry in Los Angeles that hair stylists and eyelash artists are noticing signifigant hair loss in their clients that have either had Covid or who are recovering from an overly stressful time during our intense lockdown.  If this is you, I want you to know you are not alone.  Californians may have suffered more stress than most of the country during the past year, particularly Anglenos.  Clients who had Covid were terrified of having to go to the hospital in an already overcrowded situation and then the “not knowing” of how bad it could get or what kind of care you would receive even if you did get a hospital bed wasn’t the only thing they were wrestling with.  Many had young children at home depending on them and work that couldn’t be done while they were so ill.  Then, there was shame.  All the questions like “How did I get this?”  or “Could I have been more careful?’ or “Did I or will I pass it to others?”  All of this, on top of being violently ill and short of breath is enough to cause the most severe form of stress in the human body.

Alopecia Areata is a term used for hair loss caused by extreme stress.  Even if you did not suffer from the actual virus itself, you may have still suffered from the actual pandemic and all that came in that time.  This type of hair loss can affect the scalp, eyelashes and other parts of the body and usually shows up a couple of weeks after the situation.  So, with a pandemic, clients may have been suffering minor hair loss the whole year without even knowing it, until they see their hair stylist of lash extension artist who remembers this detail about them.  This type of alopecia usually grows back once the person is removed from the stress but lots of self-love and patience are required as it can take several months.

Medications and extreme diet changes can also cause hair loss but the rate at which it shows up is much slower.  Clients who took antibiotics during this time may not see the hair loss for about four to six months after the body has adjusted.  So, a person on a medication for Covid may suffer even more hair loss than a normal person who was unharmed during the pandemic.  But really, were any of us unharmed?  

Should you see extra hair in your shower drain, hairbrush or sink, try not to stress.  Stressing about the hair loss will only make the situation worse.  Try to take a deep breath and be grateful you made it through.  Love yourself right now and be as kind as possible.  Your hair will grow back.