Let’s talk about Medication
Let’s talk about Medication
By Tara Fisher of Farnham Eyelashes
Medication and lash extensions might be two words you don't expect to hear in the same sentence. However, did you know that your client's medication and medical conditions may have an adverse effect on how their natural lashes grow and the retention of their eyelash extensions?
You may wonder how your client being on medication can affect their lashes, but Tara Fisher one of our LashBase Ambassadors has the answers, so in today's blog post she goes into some more detail and provides her advice on what to do if you experience this as a lash artist.
We wanted to add before sharing, that Medical Advice should NEVER be given to a client, they must ALWAYS seek medical advice from their GP or Doctor. So if you are ever unsure of a condition or particular medication you should refer your client to their GP.
First and foremost it's really important to conduct a thorough consultation when seeing a client for the first time. This gives you the opportunity to go through any contraindications that may prevent them from going ahead with the treatment.
You must always explain to your client why you are asking questions regarding their health and medical details. As professionals it is necessary for us to have accurate and relevant information to provide the very best service and aftercare, you must also ask them to inform you at future appointments if there are any changes.
Any type of medication/illness/stress/diet can affect natural lashes. Conducting regular client consultations will reassure the client and develop an understanding of expectations, it's important to remember every client is unique.
There are also a number of medical conditions that can actually affect retention. For example conditions such as Under Active Thyroid and an imbalance of hormones. Asking open questions and finding out this information in your client consultation can be really beneficial for not just you but the client too. When you know this information you can explain to the client the best steps going forward such as that they may need to return for more frequent infills.
Another condition to look out for is Uncontrolled Diabetes which means glucose doesn’t get to the natural lashes and can cause them to become weak, and therefore cause poor retention, the same can be said for clients who may be living with Celiac, Arthritis, Colitis, and Crohn's.
If you have a client who is struggling with retention, providing you are confident with your treatment (see my previous blog on retention) then you must ask the client some questions regarding their lifestyle and medication. During illness the body feeds nutrients to all the important places first – lashes are often the last to receive vital nutrition.
23 hours is how long it takes for any medicine/toxin/poison/vitamin to get into our bloodstream and even a short course of antibiotics can take 30 days to leave the body. So it's worth taking this into account when talking to your clients and planning lash appointments.
Although not a medicine – Stress is a massive issue for lash retention. Stress can literally take 6 months to leave your body. Often, I find if a client has poor retention it can sometimes be because they are experiencing a very stressful time in their lives.
Leading on from stress, pregnancy can also have an effect. Have you ever had a client on your couch whose extensions just don’t bond? They can be a regular client, without oily skin, and usually retains well. I have had this several times in my career where I have suspected that a client may be pregnant! Clients who are pregnant or on the pill are often said to have excellent retention, due to raised estrogen levels, however, once their babies are born their hormones may go wild for a while, especially during breastfeeding, so retention may be unpredictable. Hormones have a part to play, so awareness of your clients’ menstrual cycle and even menopause may be relevant.
Another thing to take into account is whether your client takes vitamins. We assume that taking vitamins is a good thing, it is, but not necessarily for lash retention – It is crazy to think that Vitamin A & C promote sebum which basically means your skin is producing more oil. However, Vitamin B is really good for natural lashes and helps to promote healthier lash growth.
Talking of oils: A high-fat diet, such as Keto, will also increase oils in your skin. So questioning your client's diet is relevant within a consultation.
We will all have come across those clients who suddenly have healthier lash growth, these clients may have started to eat better, be looking after themselves better, have cut out the partying (remember drugs and alcohol are toxins too).
Our bodies are so complicated, and along with so many other factors, it is no wonder us Lash Artists feel like crying sometimes. But remember, ask open questions, book in consultations and gather the information, all these steps will help and make your job a bit easier.
Thank you to Tara, for writing such an insightful blog, we have found the information very helpful, as I am sure you all will have done too.
