Whether you call it glue or adhesive, let’s be honest…there are about 8,464,899,376,438 types on the market. Today, we want to specifically talk about sensitive glues: do they work well, what makes them better for “sensitive” eyes, etc. Before starting Lash Tripp, co-owner Jacqui Tripp (hey y’all, that’s me) had tried about 35 different sensitive glues in the hopes that she could help so many clients out there who were dying for lash extensions but had developed an allergy. Here’s the findings: they all sucked. Sorry, not sorry. To be fair, it’s not that they didn’t perform at all, but they didn’t perform as well as non-sensitive adhesives. So, to understand the science behind sensitive glues, let’s dive right in to a few noteworthy points.
- Are clients really allergic to the bonding agent (aka cyanoacrylate ) or are they allergic to the carbon black? Well, it’s both. If a clear adhesive doesn’t bother a previously reactive client, it may be the carbon black that they are having a reaction to. If the clear doesn’t help, it’s likely the cyanoacrylate. Once a client has developed an allergy to this, they’re never going to be not allergic any time soon. Most of the time, the way a sensitive glue ducks and weaves around this, is by using a different acrylate other than cyanoacrylate or they simply have a lower percentage of cyanoacrylate in the formula. They are also thicker in viscosity (aka slower drying, which if you’re new isn’t a big deal but if you move fast can make you want to pull your hair out) which means you have to hold your isolation much longer or you will be living in the land of stickies.
- If your client had a mild reaction, something you may want to consider doing before throwing in the towel is having them try taking Benadryl before and after their appointment. For some clients this works, sometimes it doesn’t. We have also seen great results from doing a lash bath immediately after the service and advising to avoid eye masks while they sleep for the first 48 hours. See, even once a glue is dried, there can be fumes lingering on their lashes or lash line (we are watching you, stop getting so close to the lash line!) that can continue to cause irritation to their actual eye as well as their surrounding skin until they wash for the first time. We have had clients who previously were reactive do fine if they are given a lash bath immediately after. Obviously you don’t want to keep subjecting your client to looking like she got stung by an entire hive of bees over and over, but if she really wants to find a solution and has a mild reaction, it’s up to you if you want to troubleshoot within reason. The stronger your adhesive the more reactive potential it has for sensitive clients.
- Lash Tripp sensitive glue is off the charts amazing. We have seen no shift in retention from this adhesive to our strongest, rapid dry adhesives. That being said, it IS thicker, which has the potential for you to glob too much onto the lash extension, and obviously, too much glue=greater opportunity for a reaction amongst a handful of other potential problems. So, when using our sensitive glue, be sure to hold your isolation longer (our sensitive glue has a 2-3 second dry time), and don’t pick up too much product!
We always want the health of our clients eyes to be first and foremost, but, I get it, ladies love their lash extensions, and if someone develops an allergy, telling them they can no longer have lashes is harder than telling a woman she has to find a new hairstylist. Prepare for tantrums and back talk. So, we encourage you to try to adjust your approach using one method mentioned above at a time, otherwise you will never know what really solved the problem. Don’t try to fix the problem too many times, as we don’t want our clients to have red, swollen eyes for six weeks straight. That is so uncomfortable and dangerous for them, and doesn’t make us, as artists, look good. Happy lashing!
