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Hygiene protocols and sanitization steps are often not discussed but are extremely important in ensuring the health and safety of all clients and myself! Without proper disinfection and hygiene among the working space and tools, there is a very small chance that new clients will be attracted. Hygiene steps are important to be followed by the lash technician and the clients as well, especially in times like this where the spread of germs and illnesses is highly dangerous. I always say that the space should be disinfected to the standards and extremity that you would want to walk into a salon and expect for yourself.

DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS DURING APPLICATION

- EYELASH BRUSHES

- UNDEREYE GEL PADS

- GLUE RINGS

- GLUE

- MICRO SWAB CLEANERS

- SHEETS ON THE LASH BED

SANITIZATION TOOLS FOR THE SALON

Even throughout a busy day with back to back clients, the maximum amount of sanitization is always ensured in between clients prior to working on one of the most sensitive areas of the body—their eyes. The disinfectant used for all tools in between clients and at the end of the day is PREempt CS20. This is a 20-minute chemical sterilant and a high-level disinfectant. The exceptional safety profile of this 7% Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) solution means that there is no special ventilation required. PREempt CS20’s active hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen, leaving no active ingredient residue. Additionally, 70% and 90% rubbing alcohol is present and used before the tools go into the PREempt solution to ensure maximum sanitization. The rubbing alcohol is also used to disinfect all surfaces in between clients. The disinfectant can be found HERE.

PERSONAL HYGIENE TIPS TO KEEP LASHES CLEAN

Along with sanitizing the space and tools, it is crucial that clients are aware of how to care for their face and eye area while having lash extensions for their own personal hygiene.

Pictured on the back of my FAIRYLASH business card which is given to every client outlines the aftercare instructions for caring for the lashes and ensuring that the eye area remains clean.

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

With all the events occurring, it is extremely important that further sanitization steps are put into place to protect the client and the technician. I have implemented the following for all clients:

- All clients must wear a face mask upon arrival and throughout the appointment

- All clients must wash their hands upon arrival before the appointment starts

- Clients are advised against bringing visitors/friends with them to their appointment to limit the possibility of spreading any illnesses and correspond with social distancing guidelines

- Clients are recommended to pay with card to limit the spread of germs through paper bills

- If a client has any sickness symptoms, they are asked to reschedule for a later date (no reschedule or cancellation fee necessary)

Additionally, I will be changing the disposable sheet on the lash table in between every client, sanitize the space deeply, provide masks in case any client forgets to bring one, provide hand soap and hand sanitizer, and ensure a super clean and healthy workspace. Thank you for abiding by these rules and any further questions about products used or hygiene protocols can be emailed to me using the CONTACT US feature!

TIPS FOR ATTRACTING NEW CLIENTS

As a lash artist, the majority of business is done through Instagram in terms of creating your portfolio and booking in clients as well as answering any client questions. With eyelash extensions becoming increasingly popular, of course there will be more technicians performing the services. With several years of experience, I have formulated a few tips that I found extremely useful to stand out as the eyelash technician that clients want to come to and having a stunning looking Instagram.

1. Take pictures and videos of every set. This is extremely important for clients to look through your Instagram and find the set that stands out to them in your portfolio and this also shows that you are able to do many styles that suit several different eye shapes. By setting aside 5 minutes at the end of every set to do a mini-photoshoot and post photos on a consistent basis, it will definitely draw in new clients that are impressed with your portfolio. By having pictures and videos available with each set, some can be allocated to Instagram Stories and some can be allocated to Instagram Posts.

2. Use a referral program for existing clients. By offering a slight discount to an existing clients next set (for example), it will provide the incentive for them to send their friends and family members to you. This can also provide a discount to the client who was referred as well, and this continuous chain of word-of-mouth will bring in more clients (thus, more revenue) just through a slight discount!

3. Take advantage of Instagram promotions! Throughout the years I have promoted my most popular sets which Instagram actually recommends the posts to promote based on insights and feedback. Spending less than $5 on a promotion has gained me several clients within that area. Setting this up is effortless as you pick a (small) km range near your workspace and set your target audience by age and gender. By picking exactly how many days you want the post promoted and money spent each day, you will notice a greater reach resulting in more followers and appointments booked. I have had hundreds of clients tell me they found me because of a promotion that popped up on their timeline, so I have used this feedback to continue reaching new audiences this way!

4. Partnering with other beauty providers. By doing giveaways promoting a free service with existing beauty providers, it provides incentive for clients to book and enter these giveaways to receive not only eyelash extensions, but the other beauty services which you partnered up with. By having the giveaway rules include “must be following all accounts,” this draws more traffic to your page. With all the clients who enter yet only one wins, the other potential clients still had to follow your page to enter and it is extremely likely that several giveaway contestants will end up booking an appointment with you because they like your work! Giveaways reach out to new clients for all providers, as well as the existing clients of the partnered providers who must follow you as well in order to be entered in the giveaway.

Above are a few tips that can be performed through Instagram to attract new clients to your business! Message me and let me know which you found to be the most effective @fairylashmom !

HOW TO: Maintaining Eyelash Extensions During Summer

Summer is a personal favourite to have my lashes done and feel done up! No one wants to wear tons of makeup every day during hot, sweaty, and humid days so eyelash extensions are the perfect fix. Here are a few DO’s and DONT’s for keeping your eyelashes fresh at all times during these summer months.

DO: apply sunscreen on your face to protect your skin from aging and sunburn but…

DON’T get the sunscreen too close to your eyelashes. Most sunscreen contains oil products which will cause the glue to deteriorate and break down quicker than usual. This means that you will have to come in for a refill earlier than expected which can be a hassle time and money wise. After applying your favourite oil free sunscreen, take a wet Q-tip around the eyelid to wipe off any residue that may seep into your lashes.

DO go on vacation and show off your fresh lashes! If going in the ocean or a pool, it is important to clean your lashes as soon as you can and not let the salt water or chlorine sit overnight. Chlorine pools can affect your retention significantly if it is constantly in contact with your eyes. To clean your lashes, simply take a pea-sized amount of baby shampoo and gently rub it onto your eyelash extensions and then rinse with water. This will make your lashes go back to normal and completely fluffy again!

DO enjoy fun BBQ’s with your family or friends but…

DON’T let your lashes get too close to the fire and the smoke. Eyelash extensions are made of plastic and faux mink and both are used to imitate the feeling of the natural lash, but unfortunately these will melt if they come in close proximity to extreme heats. This will cause the eyelash extensions to singe at the ends and can even burn off some natural eyelashes and eyebrow hairs too. It is extremely important to keep your head away when opening the lid to avoid brittle looking lashes and again, a mistake that can be timely and costly!

DO bring around a baseball cap, visor, or a mini fan when going to the beach or being out in the humidity all day. The baseball cap will protect your whole face, of course, including your eyelashes and it is nice to have a mini fan to cool yourself off, dry the sweat away from the eye area, and fix your lashes. And lastly...

DON’T rub your eyes aggressively with a towel when drying your lashes off after being in a pool, the ocean, or just a shower. It’s really important that your lashes are gently pat-dried and brushed out with a lash wand to avoid the fibers from the towel getting caught onto the base of the eyelash extension and ripping it our prematurely.

These are just a few tips that can increase the retention of your lashes and protect your extensions as well as your natural lashes! CLICK HERE to book your perfect set of Summer lashes.