How to avoid a ‘Stickies’ Situation
'Stickies' is the term used for eyelashes that have become stuck together during a lash extension treatment. Stickies can be damaging to the natural lashes and cause irritation, but they can be avoided! We’ve put together some tips to avoid getting into a ‘stickies’ situation below:
Every lash artist has come across stickies in their lash career, and they are caused by a few things. Not isolating properly, not allowing the adhesive to dry, and using too much adhesive.
Stickies can occur when your client's natural lash has not been completely isolated, and/or you have not allowed the adhesive to dry properly before moving onto another lash. Make sure you're using the right tweezers to isolate safely and correctly. Isolating can sometimes be tricky as lashes grow in different directions and have different stages of growth. The baby lashes are sometimes the hardest as there short and sometimes get caught but remember to take your time to avoid a baby lash getting stuck to a fully grown lash.
Using too much adhesive can also cause stickies, so make sure you are using the right amount of adhesive for your sets. You don’t want a ball of adhesive on the extension. Using too much adhesive can not only cause stickies, but it can also cause irritation or make it difficult for you at in-fills. It can also slow adhesive drying time, make the bond look clumpy and can also seep onto the skin and into the eye.
To make sure you're using the correct amount, dip the extension into the middle of the adhesive dot, and slowly slide out. Holding your lash approximately 1/4 of the way from the top and dip into the adhesive. You want a small coating covering 1/4 of the bottom of the lash extension.
To avoid stickies, we recommend isolating the natural lash correctly using the right tweezers for you. Every lash artist has their preference when it comes to tweezers, so it may be a case of testing a few out before you find the ones that are perfect for you. Use the correct amount of adhesive and apply one lash extension, wait a couple of seconds for the adhesive to bond properly, and then leave a gap before applying the next lash extension. It’s always a good idea to work from eye to eye, to keep everything even, and to allow the adhesive time to cure.
Use a dental mirror throughout your work, to check at different intervals, a dental mirror will let you check work from various angles without leaving your seat. Use can also use a microfibre brush to brush through the lashes throughout the application, to help. This way you can check for stickies throughout the treatment instead of leaving it till the end.
You can also use your tweezers to check each individual lash from root to tip. If you do come across any stickies you can gently separate them with your tweezers.
It’s also worth leaving some time at the end of the treatment to do one last check, so take a few minutes and make sure you haven’t missed any.
We hope this post has been helpful and provided some more information on stickies! As always if you have any questions then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! You can find us on Instagram @LashBase_UK
