Are you a lash artist struggling with poor retention issues, leading to dissatisfied clients, low return rate or limited income potential? Perhaps you're a seasoned professional seeking to speed up your workflow but find yourself perplexed by the abundance of pretreatment products available. In this blog, we'll explore the distinction between two essential products—Primer and Accelerator—that hold the key to overcoming these challenges and elevating your lash game.

What is Lash Primer?

(Picture: BorboletaPro)

Lash Primer serves as a crucial pretreatment step in the lash extension process. It effectively dissolves excess oils and makeup residues from natural lashes, providing a clean canvas for optimal bonding. Here's why you should include primer into your pretreatment process:

Improved Adhesion: By opening the cuticles, primer facilitates stronger bond formation between natural lashes and extensions, ensuring longer retention and heightened client satisfaction.

Faster Bonding Process: Balancing pH levels creates an alkaline environment, expediting the reaction with adhesive for quicker drying times.
Streamlined Application: Primer imparts the lash stroke a non-slippery texture ensuring smooth application, reducing the time spent on each client therefore optimizing your earning potential.

How to Use:

• Pre-Application Cleansing: Before beginning the lash extension application process, ensure that the natural lashes are thoroughly dry and free from any makeup, oils, or debris. This crucial step lays the foundation for optimal primer performance.
• Application: Apply a small amount (approximately 1-2 drops) of Lash Extension Primer onto a clean, disposable micro brush. Take care not to dispense an excessive amount to avoid any risk of the liquid running into the client's eyes during application. Gently brush the primer along the natural lashes, ensuring complete and even coverage.
• Drying Time: Once the primer has been applied to the bonding area of the eyelash extension, allow it to fully dry. Typically, evaporation occurs within about 30 seconds. This step ensures that the lash surface is clean and ready for optimal adhesion of the extensions.

Note: It's important to understand that primer cannot substitute for lash shampoo. Prior to applying the primer, it's crucial to thoroughly cleanse and dry the lashes.

Tips:

• Apply the primer after using a Protein Remover to maximize its effectiveness.
• Use a moderate amount of primer and wipe off any excess to prevent any potential contact with the client's eyes.
• Store the primer separately from lash adhesive to maintain a safe and comfortable extension application process. This careful approach guarantees both comfort and effectiveness throughout the procedure.

What is Lash Accelerator?

(Picture: Interlife Spa)

Lash Accelerator functions to expedite the curing time of eyelash adhesive, without risking shock polymerization. This phenomenon occurs when the adhesive dries too fast, potentially compromising bond integrity and resulting in undesirable white lashes. Here's why accelerator is indispensable in lash extension:

• Quicker Drying: Accelerator significantly reduces the time required for adhesive curing, allowing for faster application and increased efficiency.
• Enhanced Retention: By preventing premature fan closure, it ensures secure attachment and longer-lasting extensions, leading to happier clients.
• Versatile Compatibility: It can be seamlessly integrated with various adhesives, ensuring compatibility with your preferred products.

How to Use: Apply after Primer application to the lash extensions for optimized results.

• Prior to commencing the application process, verify that your workspace is tidy and well-organized.
• Apply to lash extensions: Delicately sweep the micro brush across the bases of the eyelash extensions on the strip, ensuring even distribution of the accelerator along each extension's base.
• Wait for a minute or two: Allow the accelerator to dry for a brief period, typically one to two minutes, before continuing with the lash application procedure.
• Clean up: Upon completing the application of the accelerator and the lash extension process, appropriately dispose of any utilized materials and proceed to clean your workstation thoroughly in preparation for the next client.

Primer vs. Accelerator: Choosing the Right Product

Both Primer and Accelerator serve as essential pretreatment steps, sharing similarities in their function to enhance the bonding process and bolster lash retention and strength. They work by preparing the natural lashes for extension application, ensuring better adhesion and longevity of the extensions. Additionally, both products contribute to improving the overall efficiency of the lash application process by providing a solid foundation for seamless extension attachment. Whether used individually or in combination, Primer and Accelerator play crucial roles in optimizing the durability and effectiveness of lash extensions, ultimately leading to greater client satisfaction and confidence in the results.

But should you use the accelerator, primer, or both? The table we provide below has your answer

Caution

It's important to handle these products with care to ensure client safety:

• For professional use only.
• Avoid direct contact with eyes and skin. In case of contact, rinse thoroughly with water.
• Do not swallow; seek immediate attention if ingested.
• Do not use on open wounds, inflamed, swollen, sunburnt, blemished, or overly dry skin.
• Avoid contact with eyes. If contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with water for 15 minutes. If redness, itching, or burning persists, seek medical attention.
• Keep away from children's reach.
• Do not swallow.

In conclusion, Primer and Accelerator are essential complementary products for any lash artist seeking to optimize retention and efficiency. For best outcomes, every lash artist should use accelerator and primer with lash extensions, especially in tricky conditions like low humidity or with clients who have oily skin. By understanding how to use lash primer and accelerator properly, you can level up your lashwork and cultivate lasting client satisfaction.