Eyelash Extensions Glued Together? We Got You.

Even if you are new to the lash industry, the lash term “stickies” should not sound foreign. This term in our industry refers to scenarios where an eyelash extension is glued to a neighboring natural lash, or when eyelash extensions are glued together. Today, we will be covering all the details about the latter: eyelash extensions glued together. 

Do you feel stuck when you see the extensions getting stuck (get it🤭)? Well, don’t you worry because this blog is just for you! We’ll be serving up all the details about this topic because accidentally getting eyelash extensions glued together happens more often than you may think! You can use this blog as a guide to better understand why it happens, how to deal with it, ways to prevent it, and what the consequences are if you let it slide. Ready to get nerdy with us on the topic of eyelash extensions glued together?

Why are their eyelash extensions glued together? 
Here are the most common reasons why you will find eyelash extensions glued together: 

🚫The adhesive is curing too slowly
When you have eyelash extensions glued together, this could be a sign that your adhesive is not curing fast enough. You may notice that an adhesive that works for you in the summer months may not work the same for you in the winter. During the winter months, humidity is much lower, and lash adhesive will therefore cure slower than expected. When the adhesive does not cure fast enough, it can easily stick onto neighboring lash extensions.  

🚫Too much adhesive is applied
Finding eyelash extensions glued together can also indicate that you might be using too much adhesive. Similarly to the effects of low humidity, having excess adhesive leads to slower curing time, which results in the extensions sticking onto nearby extensions. 

🚫Poor isolation
Lastly, if lash isolation is not done properly, you will find many eyelash extensions glued together. Perfect isolation is when the lash artist uses tweezers to isolate a single natural eyelash prior to applying the extension onto it. If isolation is not done correctly, the extension can attach onto neighboring natural lashes or extensions. 

How to fix eyelash extensions that are glued together ...

Step 1: Check for eyelash extensions glued together

During the appointment, and especially at the very end, perform a thorough lash check. This check is used to locate any eyelash extensions glued together, or to confirm that there are none. We recommend allocating ten minutes at the end of each appointment to do this. Make it a habit! Thread your isolation tweezers through each and every lash extension starting from the base, and move upwards towards the tip. If there are any eyelash extensions glued together, you will not be able to move your tweezers through the extensions at that exact spot.

Our favourite tweezers to use are “the b.f.f”, and “the m.o.” which are both isolation tweezers with a short tip and ergonomic design. Using  tweezers with a sharp tip makes checking for eyelash extensions glued together a lot easier. They also make the process much more efficient! 

Step 2: Unstick the lashes

After locating the “stickies”, use the following method to unstick the lashes: Grab the two extensions at the tip using your tweezers, and with steady hands, gently peel them apart. Take caution when doing so, so that you do not cause pain or discomfort to your client. Unless you have a lot of adhesive on the extensions, it is usually easy to unstick them.

If you are unable to unstick the lashes because of too much adhesive, an alternative way to remove the eyelash extensions glued together is to fully remove the bond. Use “undo”, which is a quick and gentle lash remover, for a spot removal. Apply the remover using a microswab onto the bond. Be careful not to get the remover onto other unaffected lash extensions. Let the remover sit for 3-5 minutes. Then, gently remove both extensions off the natural lashes. Be sure to fully remove any leftover remover residue. 

How to prevent having eyelash extensions glued together...

The adhesive curing too slowly? ✅ Speed up adhesive curing
Switch to a  faster curing adhesive, like  Time’s Up. You may also adjust your environment so that the adhesive will cure faster. Using a humidifier can increase the humidity in your lashing space. This is a great prevention method as adhesive cures much faster in higher temperature and humidity.   

Using too much adhesive? ✅ Use less adhesive 
Are you picking up too much adhesive? Well, it is time to cut back! More adhesive does not equate to better retention. Having too much adhesive not only leads to having eyelash extensions glued together, but it can also close fans and add unnecessary weight onto the natural eyelash. 

Dip your extension 2-3mm into the adhesive dot, and avoid pulling out too quickly. Pulling out of the adhesive dot quickly leads to too much adhesive on the extension. When there is too much, you will likely see multiple beads of adhesive on the extension. 

Poor isolation?✅ Don’t lash until you have perfect isolation
Improper isolation usually occurs when lash artists are rushing through the appointment, using the wrong tweezers, or are new at lashing. It is highly important to take the time and patience to ensure that the isolation is clean before applying the extension. Isolation  tweezers that are ergonomically designed are great because it does not require lash artists to twist their wrists in odd angles to isolate. 

For harder-to-isolate lashes, use  tape to assist with isolation. There are many taping techniques that can effectively help with isolation and lashing. Check them out  here. 

✅Alternate lashing between both eyes
Some lash artists like to lash one eye at a time, and others prefer alternating lashing between both eyes. If having eyelash extensions glued together is common for you, then the best way to lash would be to alternate between both eyes. This technique allows sufficient time for proper curing. Lashing natural lashes immediately next to each other increases the likelihood of finding eyelash extensions glued together, and should be avoided. 

Consequences of eyelash extensions glued together ...

We cannot stress enough how important it is to fix or remove all lash “stickies”. When they are not dealt with properly or are left unmanaged, discomfort and potentially even damage to the client’s natural lashes can happen. 

The client can experience pain and discomfort due to having eyelash extensions glued together.
An uncomfortable tugging sensation occurs when the client brushes on the section where the extensions are glued together. Tugging and pulling also happens when one natural lash grows faster than the other lash that it is stuck to. At any point in time, we have lashes in all stages of the lash cycle. Some lashes on the lash line will be growing much faster than others. The extension that is attached to a natural lash growing at a much faster rate will pull and tug on the slower growing natural lash.

In the worst possible case, the lash can be prematurely yanked out from the lash follicle. When natural lashes are not shed naturally, but rather pulled out from the lash follicle, the follicle may be damaged. Therefore, it is very important for lash artists to catch any extensions that are glued together, and separate them. 

Conclusion
Lash nerds, finding eyelash extensions glued together is not something to feel shameful about! It happens even to the most experienced lash artists! However, knowing how to detect, undo, and prevent them from occurring often is what makes us great lash artists! We hope that this comprehensive blog covers all the points you were looking for, and will help you reduce the frequency of finding “stickies” in your lash sets! 

Before we go, have you heard the news that we have a NEW podcast? You don’t want to miss any episodes! Our hosts Cheryl and AnneMarie chat about challenges, best practices, and what the future holds for the lash industry! Make sure to follow us on Spotify or listen on our website! 

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