This sky-high demand offers a great opportunity for lash technicians. Semi permanent lash services are certainly a hot trend for beauticians to jump on – BUT, how do you go about it?
Becoming a lash technician isn’t something you can do overnight. It requires training, qualifications and hard work. However, this is a service that can really pay off, whether you run a salon or work from home.
Do you have to have a license to do eyelash extensions?
Legally speaking, there is no specific license you need to do eyelash extensions in the UK.
HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean you don’t require any training or qualifications whatsoever to start your own lash extension business.
First and foremostly, training and qualifications help ensure you don’t cause any harm to your clients. To apply lash extensions, you will be using chemicals and sharp tweezers on a very sensitive area. If you were to cause damage to anybody’s eyes, you would likely be facing serious legal trouble, as well as having a very upset person on your hands.
Secondly, proof of qualifications will likely be needed by your public liability insurer. Again, while not legally necessary, it is highly advised that you do have public liability insurance as a beautician. It protects you in the case a compensation claim is made against you.
For many public liability insurers, proof of qualifications or training is required in order to be able to cover you for the treatments you offer – including eyelash extensions.
Related: What Qualifications Do I Need to Be A Beauty Therapist?
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What qualifications do you need to do eyelash extensions?
You will now probably be wondering exactly what qualifications you need in order to be able to safely carry out eyelash extensions in your salon.
A quick Google search for ‘eyelash extension qualification’ brings back hundreds of options for courses to choose from across the UK. So, how do you know which one is best?
First of all, check with your insurer to find out if there are any requirements they need from you to be able to offer you cover.
Courses accredited by the Beauty Guild are advised for those looking to do treatments at home. An NVQ/VRQ qualification requires additional assessment, but is good for those working from a salon.
A lot of courses will require you to do case studies. These are to be carried out within a set period of time after your course has ended. You will need to demonstrate your eyelash extension application on friends, family or other volunteers. This will then be assessed by an experienced professional before you are given your qualification.
Before you sign up to an eyelash extension course, ask for information on exactly what will be included. It is essential that your course covers all health and safety requirements. If you are a complete beginner, check if any previous experience is required for you to join the training course, too.
How long does it take to be a lash technician?
Many eyelash extension certification courses in the UK cover just one day of professional training.
However, to become a certified eyelash technician, it takes much longer than 24 hours!
Applying lash extensions can be tricky, and can take months before you are ready to start charging clients for your service. Perseverance is required if you don’t get the hang of it straightaway – it may even take more than one training course.
Once you are qualified, you might still want to take additional intermediate training courses to refine and learn new techniques.
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Are eyelash extensions safe?
As a professional, you want to be assured that the treatments you are offering are entirely safe. We have all seen horror stories online of clients left with painful allergic reactions or even infections from their professional lash extensions!
However, so long as you adhere to all health and safety precautions, your clients should be perfectly safe to have you apply their eyelash extensions. This means:
- Carrying out a patch test beforehand
- Keeping all your beauty equipment clean and sterile
- Checking for signs of damage before and after every application on your clients
- Fully advising your clients of the right aftercare every time they have their lashes done
Related: The Importance of Hygiene in a Salon
How much to charge for eyelash extensions
In the UK, an eyelash extension treatment can cost between £85 – £100, depending on your experience and where in the country your salon is based.
The treatment will usually take you about 90 minutes. If your client wants to maintain them long term, they will probably need to come back every 2 – 3 weeks for a refill – the charge for this is usually between £30 – £50.
However, when you are just starting out, you will need to be charging less for your lash extensions. While you are building up your client base and skills, you could run a half-price offer to get yourself going.
How to advertise eyelash extensions
So, you have finally become a certified lash technician! You may now be wondering, what comes next? How do you start your business? How will you advertise yourself?
If you are already working out of a salon, you will already have a client base to work with, which is a great start! Try offering a discount referral programme to your loyal clients to introduce them and their friends to your service – or even hold a client event to create some buzz.
