6 reasons your lash extensions aren't lasting

Tis the season of weather change and harsh shedding of lashes. Before we get into that, lets learn a little about our natural hair growth cycle with and without lash extensions.

The Natural hair growth cycle is the same for everyone... Natural eyelashes grow in and fall out in cycles, every 60 – 90 days. When a natural lash matures and sheds, a new lash will grow and quickly replaces it. Most people seldom notice when their natural lashes shed.

A few things that can modify or mess this cycle up; If you pull your natural hair out prematurely, or you break the natural lashes, poor diet can cause fragile hair, etc.   Now why dont you see this happening when you don't have extensions on? well its easy the size of a natural lash is much less visible than a lash extension see below for example. You can see how much more visible the extension is, than the natural lash? of course you will notice when your extension falls out. The diagram is a good example of what they should look like when they shed with an extension attached. 

Now with that being said, what a bad application looks like? The following picture is what will cause your natural lashes to fall out, and cause serious damage. Many places do this method, and use "cluster lashes" and apply way too much adhesive. These clusters are designed for an evening out, and must use a gummy glue, not the extension adhesive. If you opt for the following look, good luck to you. Cheaper almost always turns out like this. Saving time, and rushing you in and out. A good technician will take up to 2 hours to apply a full set of individual lashes. A fill can take 1 hour, to 1.5 hours every 2-3 weeks. 

OK - Got it? now lets discuss what can cause premature shedding, or loss of extensions... 

Premature shedding can occur by sleeping on your face, rubbing your eye, watery eyes, extreme weather changes, steam, sauna and other activities may damage the adhesive or crimp the extensions and may require more frequent re-lashes. 

Now looking at each of these individually: 

1. The Pillow Smothering Sleeper  -  Sleeping on your face will be the demise of your lashes. When you have lash extensions it is advised you sleep on your back, or side (when using a lash pillow). Sleeping on your face, your lashes can get stuck to the cotton in your pillow case, you will smash them and usually you don't stay in one place while you sleep. You are likely rubbing your face, turning it side to side, and smothering your lashes into the pillow. This will create your lashes to be compromised and fall out, break, and just be ruined! If you are a pillow smother, lash at your own risk!  

2. Rubbing your eye - You aren't a baby, so when you are tired, don't rub your eyes... Just go to bed! By rubbing your eyes, you will definitely break the bond, your natural lashes, and create some swelling, that will cause for the natural lash to fall out. Allergies can sometimes urge you to rub your eye. I have gotten really good at finding another way to relieve the itch!

3. Flooded eyes - That's right water is the worst enemy of lash extensions, especially for the first 48 hours. The adhesive must be cured before any moisture may reach them. This means; steam, watery eyes, crying, showering, bathing, swimming, any type of moisture will ruin the bond and they will likely fall off one by one within the first 3-4 days. This is something all lashers will warn you about, and if you find yourself doing any of these within the first 2 days, its your fault! Take ownership, I know we will honor any fix if it indeed is something that we did. But Be honest! Don't take advantage of your technician. 

4. Extreme weather changes - Hormones released in the body during the summer can increase the rate of growth. It has been found that hair shedding also increases in the spring, and the summer. By fall as many as 100 hairs per day can be lost. This does include LASHES! This varies from person to person, and some may shed more, others may shed less. In the lash world, we call this the "dreaded shed", or "Seasonal Shed", or the Fall/Spring Shed... Its not uncommon. with being in Arizona, we have had a funky season so far, it was winter for a week, and then we had spring for a day, and jumped into summer for a week, now back to spring. This chaotic season/weather change can have a huge effect on your lashes, just like it can with your allergies!  I cant stop mother nature, so prepare that for this season change issue, you may need to schedule your fills closer together than you did in the winter.

5.  The final Demise of your lashes - Saunas, Steam, and Heat. Excessive steam, or humidity will affect your lashes. If you have them applied in a dryer climate, that lash technician has adhesive that will hold in that climate, if you are traveling to the Bahamas from Phoenix AZ, please expect that you will likely be bare upon your return.  Steam of any kind will loosen your bond of the extension and they will literally just fall off! This means, when you are cooking, you better be wearing goggles. ha ha can you imagine? JK just be careful not to stick your face into the oven when pulling out the cookies, or standing directly over the stove when your boiling the noodles. Or how about that poof of wet heat when you open up the dish washer? Often times too, the heat of these elements will take the curl out of the lash and you will have very long straight lash extensions. This often results in getting a new set, they aren't pretty when they are straight. These are synthetic and the curl is created with heat, so heat will also remove the curl.

Speaking of heat, stay out of the tanning bed, not only for your lashes, but hello lets not get cancer while we are at it... Straight lashes and increased chances of cancer, NO THANKS!

6. Makeup - if you are getting lashes, either you are a makeup lover, or don't wear makeup at all. either way its important to know what you can and cannot apply to your lashes or near the lashes.  , Makeup is tough, as the ingredients aren't always labeled. Be sure you are not using any oil based product, or any waterproof makeup. Lotions and sun screens around your eyes can be an issue too - the oils from your makeup, and products, will seep down and rest on your lashes. If you aren't cleaning them properly, this will start to loosen the bond. The more makeup you wear, the more you have to remove, and the harder it is on your lashes.
Eyelash curlers and fiber mascara are a NO NO - Just don't do it... I will fire you as a client. Just don't do it.

I hope this has helped clear up some questions, and always check with your lash technician to ask additional questions, or address concerns.

Best wishes,
Bashful Lash
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www.bashfullash.com
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Q & A Eyelash Extensions

Many people have been asking us about how safe Lash Extensions are for you. The simple answer is, if they are done properly by a trained technician, and cared for by the client, they are 100% safe for your natural lashes.

Q: Will the Lash Extensions cause my Natural Lash to fall out, or break off?
A:The short answer, is they can be, and No! The reason for this answer is it depends on a few things.

Your lash extensions will shed with your natural lashes, you will loose about 3 lashes a day, so every 2 weeks is a fair amount of time for a fill. If you are gentle with them they could last up to 3 weeks. Some people charge their fills by the hour, others just a flat fee. This would be a question I would ask. (Bashful Lash offers by the hour, and a VIP, call to discuss details).

The initial set is about 2-2.5 hours, if they claim they can get a full set on you in an hour, pass on them. Its not possible, and you will have lashes clumped together. This can cause damage to your
natural lashes.

1) Is the lash tech a trained and licensed professional? If so it is likely you will be just fine, and no damage will be caused by the application of the lashes.

2) Is the technician applying a single lash per single natural lash? If so you will also be fine. You will need to avoid the techs that want to use a premade cluster of lashes. These are simply just to heavy for your natural lash to support. Causing them to break off, and causing damage at the follicle or just to break off. (Russian Volume is ok, this is applying more than 1 lash extension to 1 natural lash. The weight of these lashes combined is usually less weight than your 1 natural lash).

3) How are you, the client, caring for your lashes? If you wear mascara or makeup every single day, this is hard ware on your lashes and can cause not only the lash extensions to break off, but your natural lashes. Often times the clients that don't wear much makeup to begin with have healthier lashes from the start.

4) Do you groom your lashes, and keep them clean? If so you will likely end up with healthier lashes by having the extensions on. Oil and dirt build up can cause a breakdown of the glue, and often times the buildup will clump together and pull at the other lashes.

These are just the top questions that you need to know about how to keep your lash extensions and still have your beautiful natural lashes underneath.

Here are a few pictures to show you what a bad application of eyelash extensions look like, and pictures of our work to show a proper application.

Top photos are not property of Bashful Lash. Unknown owner, located from Google. Bottom Pictures are property of Bashful lash, and are actual clients of Bashful Lash LLC. of Glendale, AZ

 

I hope you have found this helpful. Please comment below of your experience good or bad. Id love to answer any other questions you have. Email me bashfullash@gmail.com, Call 623-824-9782 or comment. I cannot wait to hear from you.

 

Don't forget to find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/bashfullash

 

Have a Lashtastic Day!

Your team at Bashful Lash LLC

What are lash extensions?

Since entering into this business, I get a lot of "what are lash extensions". I have seen some very bad "lash extensions" and felt I needed to start educating the public as to what to expect. Please do your research and get to a certified lash tech, and a licensed one. Nail Techs are not licensed to do lashes unless they have a cosmetology license, or an esthetician license.

      These are NOT lash extensions: 

If you have a lash artist that applies these to your natural lashes, or applies too much glue, or just untrained, you will look like this...

Damage lashes from the use of clusters,
and too much adhesive

So what are lash extensions? Lash extensions come in two options; tray and loose. These are individually applied to your natural lash. You can stack several lashes onto one lash, however this is an advanced process and takes a professional to prefect it. Bashful lash LLC will be introducing volume lashing in the very near future. stay tuned.

So please remember to do your research, and find out what they are applying, and how. If they are using the clusters as in the picture above, you will need to run, run fast and far away!

Happy Lashing!
xoxo

6 steps to a lasting tan

Airbrush tanning is taking over by storm, as the cancer is hitting the younger generation each year. Since learning about airbrush tanning, I have never gone back to sun bathing! I love to spray tan, so when I do, I want it to last. Here are the top 10 tips to making your tan last!

1. Come clean, and freshly exfoliated to your appointment.
The tan is only applied and soaks into your outermost layers of skin. As we shed our skin daily, you are likely to shed your tan with it. The tan will fade with your skin shedding, so the better you have exfoliated upon your appointment the better application you will receive.

2. Shower the day before, or the day after. If you shower the day of, you will have your pores soaking up the tanning solution as well. This will leave you with a lot of tiny little brown dots all over your legs, (not pretty).

3. DO NOT Shower or apply water to your tanned skin for up to 12 hours.  the tan will take a total of 9-12 hours to completely dry, and develop. It is very important to not get any splatters of water or liquid on your tan. it will leave spots, streaks, etc.

4. Apply moisturizer daily, several times a day. The more moist you keep your skin, the longer the tan will last. If you allow your skin to get really dry, you will notice the tan will disappear very rapidly.

5. Avoid lotion, moisturizer and deodorant before tanning. I mentioned the lotion before, but I will say it again. These products can not only block the tan from getting to your skin, but it could also have a counter reaction and cause the tan solution to change colors. I have seen deodorant turn the tan GREEN! Yikes! within the first 30 minutes of the tan, you will be able to apply some deodorant if you care to. Otherwise just head home for a quite night in, and look forward to showering in the AM. 

6. When you do shower, be sure to use non-detergent based soaps/moisturizers. Cleanser with Vitamin E will also help condition the tan. 

Do's and Dont's of Eyelash Extensions

What and how to care for your Lashes
Eyelash Extensions are a small investment to make women feel better, and speed up their beauty routine. Small price to pay for a few extra minutes in the morning. I feel that each moment is so precious and worth the investment.  So once you decide to make the monetary commitment you should expect to care for your lashes. The better you care for them, the longer they will last.  

DO's 
Do use only water based (oil-free) eye make-up and eye make-up remover - If you aren't sure, please let me know I will check it out for you. 

Do cleanse lashes gently while cleansing the eye area and pat lashes dry, or you may use the blow-dryer on low speed, and cool to help form your lashes back into shape. 

Do schedule a touch-up session with your Bashful Lash LLC. 

Do Avoid water for the first 24 hours, to allow adhesive to cure. 

Do Avoid steam/sauna or hot baths for at least 24 hours

Do tell people about Bashful Lash - Contact us about the referral bonus. 


DONT's
DO NOT use a metal lash curler - This is the fastest way to ruin your extensions, as well, rip out your natural lash before its ready to fall out. This may cause permanent damage and bald spots on your lash line. 

DO NOT overuse sauna's or hot tubs, the moisture on a frequent use, will damage the adhesive and the lash extension will fall off of the natural lash. 

DO NOT pick or pull at your extensions. You may lightly groom them with a comb or brush, just at the tips, do not mess with the base of the lash. If you have issues, or they are uncomfortable please make an appointment for us to fix them. 



Things to keep in mind: Lashes will fall out, this is the nature of hair growth. The lash extensions are applied to each lash, so this does not interrupt the growth cycle. The natural lash goes through three stages, and the growth of the hair only takes place in the first stage. The remainder of the time it transitions, and then falls out during the resting stage and a new lash replaces old lash out. We are applying lashes only to the Catagen stage (transition) 

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Ringing in the New Year!

Happy 2014! Starting a new business is difficult. It sounds easy when you write it out and think it over in your head, but  once you get started you find very quickly that you are up against the world. I figured starting a small business wouldn't be too difficult, and now I am about 2 months into my journey with Bashful Lash LLC; I think I have a few new gray hairs because of it.

I know very well this will all be worth it in the end! Just have to keep moving forward.

Photo is from unknown location

With me going through this process I was searching high and low online to find a quick and easy "how to" list of what to do, and in what order to open a small salon in the state of Arizona. I was surprised that what I found was so generic and this is where I started to make my first few mistakes. I figured I would create a blog about my journey and share it with others whom need guidance as we learn this journey together.

So where do we start? Do we begin with how to get licensed by the AZ BOC, or do we start with "I am licensed, now what"? 

I am licensed, now what? 

Well, the first steps can be done at the same time, so the following steps you can do in which ever order you feel fit. 

1) Choose your business name - Check to see if it is available in AZ Check business name

2) Decide if you want to be a LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or a Corporation. (Click here for definitions) 

3) Find a salon location - this must be done before you apply for your State Board Salon License. 

4) Get a logo made - decide if you want to trademark your name and logo (I have not done this yet, you have to pay each state that you want it trademarked in. If you want to do it national, you have to go through the National Patent Database. 

5) Apply for your EIN for your Tax ID - Be careful, some sites will charge you a crazy amount and I was able to find one that was FREE.  You get this right away, and print off a few copies, you are going to need them. Apply online for EIN

Now that you have the first stuff done, it starts to get difficult. 

6) Sign your lease for the salon location - Give it about 2 weeks from the time you plan on submitting your salon application, you dont want to start paying on your lease bfore you are ready to operate. 

7) Go to the Secretary of State and complete your form for the LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or corporation. Be careful, they are absolutely NO help! If you get it wrong, they will deny your application and you may have to pay for each of the corrections. I was able to do this on my own and made no mistakes, except I messed up on my salon address. I also put my home address on the registry so I need to pay $5 to change that to the salon address, $35 if I want it rushed. 

- Side note, they sent me to the AZ Corporate Commission first, and I found out that if you are doing an LLC, this is NOT where you go, you must go to the AZ SOS. The CC is for trademarks. 

In the next steps you are going to be tying everything together. 

8) Once your LLC or business name is registered, you can print this off, and even several times. You will provide this with your documents, although you don't technically need to, I found it is much easier to include. 

9) Now, go to the AZBOC and pay your $110 and give them your application. They will need your Tax ID and your LLC documents, as well as the salon address. 

10) You will also need to go to the city government where you are going to be operating your business and apply for a City Business License. This is $50 a year for the City of Glendale, however, I had to pay $85 for the fire inspection and the month of December. It makes sense that if you plan on retailing in the future, just get a Retail License, otherwise you will have to do this all over when you are ready to start selling. 

11) Now that you are a business owner on paper, you need to get a business checking account. I went with a local bank. They require a $1500-7500 daily balance, don't be afraid to shop around. Because you want to keep Your social security number separate from your EIN, you must have a business checking account.

*sigh*

If this is not enough, you now need to get your website and logo up. This is where I'm at now and getting stuck on SEO - "Search Engine Optimization", or something like that. The goal with SEO is "Getting seen on the first page of Google". I went through www.GoDaddy.com, its pricey, but it's worth it with all the support you receive. Try it out and see how it all came together on my website, www.bashfullash.com.  

BE SURE TO FOLLOW UP WITH EACH AGENCY TO VERIFY YOU ARE IN GOOD STANDINGS AND THEY ACTUALLY PROCESSED YOUR PAPERWORK. 

As I learn more I will be sure to post. I hope to see you around! 

xoxo 

and GOOD LUCK, here is to a successful New Years! 

Angie 

Bashful Lash LLC 

www.bashfullash.com