How To Create An Environment That Makes Lashing EASY!

Did you know that the environment you are working in has a major effect on how easily you can work with your adhesive?  Did you know that your environment not only affects the application process, it also plays a huge role in retention? This post is going to teach you a few simple tricks to make lashing easier, increase speed, AND improve retention!

ROOM TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY:
The main ingredient lash adhesives is cyanoacrylate, so if we’re getting technical, we are actually working with acrylic resins, which CURE in the presence of hydrogen.  Basically this means that the lash glue will begin to harden when it is exposed to the moisture in the air.  
The room temperature will also affect dry time.  If you are working in a very hot environment, the adhesive will cure faster, a cold environment will make the glue dry slower. 

HOW DOES THIS INFO APPLY TO LASHING?
Once you put a little drop of adhesive on your jade stone it begins to polymerize (cure/dry) because it is exposed to the water in the air. This is why you need to get a new dot of glue every 20-30min. When you dip your eyelash extension into the glue, the tiny amount of adhesive on your lash extension begins to cure very rapidly. It polymerizes much faster than the dot on your jade stone, because the amount is so much smaller. What does this mean for you? The more you maneuver the lash extension after dipping it into the glue, it could potentially polymerize before it is placed, causing a very weak attachment. This is why it is important to isolate first, then dip your extension in the adhesive and make your attachment as quickly as possible.

WHAT IF THE HUMIDITY OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS HIGHER THAN 45-60%?
A high humidity environment is a bit more difficult to control than a low humidity environment, so out of all of the options below, we recommend selecting an adhesive that will work best for your environment and adjusting your techniques accordingly.

Select the adhesive that will work best with your environment
-Remember how a higher humidity will make your adhesive cure faster?  One option is to select an adhesive with a slower dry time.  The high humidity level will make the glue dry more quickly, giving you just the right amount of time to make your attachment.

Control your environment
-Purchase a dehumidifier to help lower the humidity level in your work area.
-Adjust the room temperature to be lower.  As a general rule, if your humidity is high, you want your temperature to be low.  This creates a bit more balance and helps create an environment that is easier to work with.  


Adjust your technique to account for the high humidity
-If you are working in a high humidity environment, there isn’t a lot of time to waste before making your attachment (unless you have used one of the other two options listed above).  To adjust to high humidity,  it is important to isolate first, then dip your extension in the adhesive and make your attachment as quickly as possible.  If you are new to lashing and having a difficult time making your attachments quickly, use some of the options listed above to help control your environment. 

-One last thing;  the more adhesive you pick up on your lash extension, the longer it is going to take for it to cure.  You can use this to your advantage in a high humidity environment. (Although, we recommend using other techniques because using a lot of adhesive isn’t ideal).  If you want to pick up a little bit more adhesive (high humidity)  Dip the bottom 2-4mm of your extension into the glue a little bit quicker.  The faster you pull the extension out of the glue, the more you will pick up.

WHAT IF THE HUMIDITY OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS LOWER THAN 45-60%A low humidity environment is fairly easy to control, so you have a lot of different options.

Control your environment
-Purchase a humidifier.  This will increase the humidity in your room and make your adhesives dry quicker.

-If you don’t have access to a humidifier, you can slightly increase room temperature (definitely don’t want to increase temp. too much you don’t want to be working in a sauna).  My point is that as a general rule, you don’t want to be working in the cold with low humidity. 

Select the adhesive that will work best with your environment
-In a low humidity environment your glue will dry much slower, so you will want to select an adhesive with a fast dry time.

Adjust your technique to account for the high humidity
-In a low humidity environment, you only want to pick up a small amount of adhesive on your lash extension.  The less you pick up, the faster it will dry.  To do this, slowly dip the bottom 2-4 mm of your extension into the glue, and slowly pull it out.  This prevents a ball of adhesive from accumulating at the bottom of your eyelash extension.

We hope this information helps!  Comment below with any questions!
xoxo,
Blink Lash Store