When preparing to apply artificial strip lashes, clean the surface of the palette onto which you will stick the lashes once you have removed them from their packet. Use surgical spirit, applied with clean cotton wool. The palette may be stored in the ultra-violet light cabinet until ready for use. Individual lashes come in a special contoured package: you can hold this securely whilst removing individual lashes, so the lashes can be kept hygienically until required.
Always have a spare pair of tweezers available during application of the individual or strip false lashes. Should you accidentally drop the tweezers with which you are working, you will need a clean, sterile pair available.
Scissors, used to trim strip lashes, should be sterilised before use.
Preparing the treatment area
Before the client is shown through to the treatment area, check it to ensure that the required equipment and materials are available and the area is clean and tidy. The plastic-covered couch should be clean, having been thoroughly washed with hot, soapy water, or wiped thoroughly with surgical spirit or a professional alcohol-based cleaner. The couch or chair should be protected with a long strip of disposable tissue-paper bedroll, or a freshly laundered sheet and a bath towel. A small towel should be placed nearly at the head of the couch, ready to be draped across the client’s chest for protection during treatment.(the paper tissue will need changing and the towels will need to be laundered for each client).
The couch or beauty chair should be in a slightly elevated position, to give the optimum position for the therapist when applying the false lashes. In this position, too, the client will not be staring into the overhead light(which might cause the eyes to water).
Planning the treatment
A variety of false lashes is available, including lashes intended for corrective work as well as those simply intended to enhance the natural lashes. Lash length may be short, medium or long; their texture may be fine, medium or thick , with some having a feathered effect. Strips designed for use on the lower are called partial lashes: here small groups of hairs are placed intermittently along the length of the false lashes base.
In a commercial salon, the most popular colors are usually black and brown. For special effects, however, strip lashes are available in fantasy colors, complete with glitter and jewels!
