Once upon a time, a brand new lash technician couldn’t figure out why on earth her lashes weren’t sticking to her client’s natural lashes. She lashed in her big, beautiful previously-spray-tan-only beauty room and was doing everything by the book. Her humidity was perfect, her temperature was a crisp 21 degrees, all the right products were applied - but brushing through the lashes at the end of the set was like watching a dog malt at the end of winter (sorry for the insight into how my brain works sometimes… it’s a strange place to be). 

 

I’m sure you’ve guessed that this lash technician was me. The sad deflated version of me who was ready to throw her tweezers out for good. I had no idea that my beloved spray tanning had anything to do with my dismal retention.

 

I FOUND THE LIGHT AT THE END OF YOUR TUNNEL!

Thankfully, my misfortune has allowed me to educate those who are about to put themselves in the same position. 

 

 

If you are wanting to have Spray Tanning and Lash Extensions in the same room, it’s important to note that Spray Tan Solutions are full of oil - which Lash Extension adhesive hates. So whether you are spray tanning a client with fresh lashes or merely lashing someone when you’ve just tanned someone else in the same room, here are my top tips to make it work. 

 

MY TOP TIPS:  

Proper Extraction 

When sourcing the Extraction Unit to stock at Locks Lash, the vision of my extensions popping off after 2 hours of work was front of mind. It’s important to have proper ventilation in your space so that all of that excess overspray is eliminated from the air. 

 

 

 

Keep the extraction unit going while you spray to pick it up immediately, and open up any windows for further ventilation if you are spraying and then backing it up with a lash set. 

Basically, just get rid of any of the solution that’s hanging around in the air. 

 

Reduce your gun’s flow and solution to avoid overspray

 

To further prevent any excess solution lingering in the air, make sure to utilise the nozzle settings on your gun to avoid letting out more solution than needs to come out during the process.

 

Less solution = less overspray.

 

Tan 24 Hours BEFORE Lashes 

 

If you have a client that is wanting both a spray tan AND a set of lashes from you (very common for upcoming events), make sure you are booking their tan appointment first, waiting 24 hours, and then lashing them. 

 

This 24 hour time period will allow them to go through their post tan routine and rinse and get their tan to a point where external factors can’t ruin it. If you tan someone and then get them to jump straight on the lash bed, first of all you’ll have a dirty lash bed (ew), but then your client will have to navigate a post tan process AND a lash curing process. So let them navigate the tan one first. 

 

 

When they come back to get their lashes done, make sure to give their lashes a good cleanse before starting application so that there is no solution (and oil) that will come into contact and affect the lash adhesive and bond. 

 

HOWEVER… just to spice things up a bit..

Too much cleaning around the eye area and usage of products can lead to stripping tan off in those areas. So make sure you are using a very gentle cleanser and thin style gel pads (and not the ones in the gooey packets with product on them - just plain ol' gel pads). 

 

It is not the end of the world if the schedule doesn’t work out and you need to lash before tanning them. If this is the case then…

 

Spray 24 hours AFTER lashes & avoid the solution ‘sitting’ on the lashes for too long.

Ok, I couldn’t think of a quick summary heading for this but let me explain what I mean. 

  

If you’re spraying them AFTER, they have a fresh set of lash extensions, firstly make sure it is well out of the curing process of the adhesive (so 24 hours minimum). If you spray them while the glue is still curing, the bond will be affected and the lashes will likely fall right off. 

 

If your client doesn’t mind not having a tan on her face, then definitely avoid spraying the face altogether - but if they are someone who likes to have their face tanned too: 

• You can grab some makeup cotton rounds, fold them in half and have your client hold them over their eyes while you spray the face (just make sure to position the gun so you’re not overspraying on the hands while doing this).
  
  
• Get your client to give their lash extensions a really good cleanse during their first rinse, to avoid the solution sitting on the lashes and eating away at the adhesive.