What to Look For When Looking For a Lash Course
Are you ready to be a lash artist? Well, now that your mind is set on this profession, it’s time to get certified! But before you go ahead and enroll in that random lash training you saw online, there are a few important things you need to consider first. You wouldn’t want to spend a huge chunk of money and end up regretting it after the training. We’re here to help you avoid that, so keep reading before it’s too late!
Accredited training course
Narrow your choices down by just focusing on lash courses in your area. Make sure that the place where you’ll get your lash training is accredited. Every state has different regulations so it’s important to consider your location. For instance, lash courses are different for the US and Canada so the accreditation process would greatly differ.
Make sure they have a great portfolio
Their portfolio will say so much about the kind of training they offer. This is very necessary for you to take a good look at! It’s because there are times when some lash artists think that they can already jump into training aspiring lash techs just to make money. However, some of them may not even have enough experience to give thorough training yet! You’d want to avoid this so make sure that you go through their portfolio well.
Reviews on the training course
It’s been a norm to search for online reviews before doing or purchasing something. Reviews are also something you should look for when planning to take a lash course. Most of the time, reviews can easily be found publicly on their social media pages. But if you feel like you want to see more than just what’s posted on the site, then you may also ask the trainer if she can send some over to you.
Know the scope and duration of the course
The course outline should match reasonably with the duration of the course. If a 1-day course claims to cover classics and volumes for beginners, then this is an obvious red flag! Be careful not to fall for money-grabbing schemes like this because you’ll end up spending so much on inefficient training. A heavy course load can’t be covered in just a few hours because theory and practical training would require more time.
What lash supplies come with your training
Your lash training should include what you need to get started. The eyelash extension supplies vary a lot depending on the trainer or training school but generally, they should provide the necessary lash supplies for you to be able to at least practice. These usually include lashes, tape, pads, glue, remover, tweezers as well as primers or cleanser. Bigger things like beds, ring lights and chairs are left up to you to buy. These 5 factors should help you make the right decision in terms of getting a lash course to have you certified. All of these include thorough research and proper planning. Your research should also include comparing details from different trainings. Doing so will prevent you from wasting money! Too often you hear about how upset people are because they were left without proper training after paying tons of bucks. It’s also ideal to make sure how transparent your trainer is. Are they open about all the details of their offers? Do you get an overall good vibe and do you actually like their work? The answers to these questions should help you determine whether you should go for that trainer or not. Liking their work plays a big part because lashing is so personal and you will pick up your style based on how you get trained, so go with what you like!
By giving them great lashes (although that's a must), but by also showing them you take the time to sanitize your area and refresh it just for them. You need to make sure they are coming into a clean environment every time. That, in my opinion, is a HUGE responsibility of a lash tech.
Customer Service
I've had at least 20 clients tell me something was wrong with their lashes, they were falling off, they were irritating them, they couldn't take them anymore, etc. To me, the customer is always right. This is something a lot of lash techs don't live by. I understand that it is your time and your money, but how do you think places like Sephora survive? They have AMAZING customer service. Is this what you meant to write? Foundation back and they hand you your money no questions asked. I'm not telling you to give away your services for free, but if a client comes back and tells me her lashes are gone within a week, I blame myself! Maybe I didn't use enough best eyelash extension glue, maybe I didn't prime, maybe I should have washed her lashes first, and maybe I didn't give her enough detail about retention. At the end of the day, she paid me a pretty penny to do this for her and there's no way she would go out of her way to have them fall off in just a week.
Are there people out there that may do something like that? Damn right there are, but you never really know, and at the end of the day, it's my name written all over her eyes and I will do anything to hold it up high, even if that means I have to give her a new set free of charge. I know that may sound crazy to a lot of you, but I have had to do it a couple of times and I have had those same clients coming back to me every month for the past 3 years! Sometimes you have to sacrifice the right now for a long term benefit. This is something I strongly believe because I have seen it work!
Customer Care
I think this is an easy one, and it should honestly go without saying. You need to educate your clients! You need to be the one to tell them what to do at the end of their session. If a client comes back in a week and says they all fell out, well that's probably on you as a lash tech.
When I say it's your responsibility I don't just mean you giving them a speech at the end and sending them off, I mean you need to take it upon yourself and have something written with all the info on it, it could be a card you had printed (I recommend this) or even a text you send them. This will go a long way for both of you. I also recommend you send them a quick check-in text maybe 2-3 days after their session just to see how they are doing, especially after that period of them not getting them wet. That way if you know you've done all you can, you can better indicate what may have gone wrong if they come back to you and tell you they aren't lasting.
Also, doing this takes the blame off of you in a big way. We as lash techs need to follow through from pre-appointment message to post-appointment message. This is what creates client loyalty and really shows how much you care! Clients appreciate that more than you know!
Keep on lashing lash loves and make sure you are setting your own rules and responsibilities as a lash tech for you to follow. Keep yourself and your business as genuine and ethical as possible and you will see yourself striving in the best way possible!