How To Choose An Esthetician For Eyelash Extensions

If you have finally decided to join the thousands of women who have done away with the mascara and the painful battle for extended lashes  via gooop, and decided to go for extensions, "the Rolls Royce" of eyelashes", then the next major step is finding a good esthetician who is educated, experienced, and well practiced in the art of eyelash extensions.
This may not be easy, but the search is well worth it.

Extensions are an art but because they involve glue and sharp objects being held so close to the eye, you will do yourself a great favor by seeking out an esthetician who is either certified in eyelash extensions, has worked in the medical field, or is a highly educated esthetician, such as a CIDESCO diplomat.

The trouble with eyelash extensions is that it is a relatively new service and many people who are not seriously in the profession of esthetics are jumping on the band wagon to make a quick buck. These technicians are leaving behind a trail of unhappy customers who have permanently lost their own lashes and others who have had to seek medical help for their botched eyelashes. With this knowledge it is wise to ask a few questions before letting the technician touch your eyes. You have every right to question this procedure and the technicians training. If your questions are not welcomed then its a pretty good sign that you are in the wrong place.

First, make sure that you are seeing a professional. Ask if your technician of choice is a licensed professional. The law says that in order to perform eyelash extensions one must be an esthetician, cosmetologist, or a nurse, however, many savvy people have discovered that they can perform eyelash extensions without a license due to legal loopholes. Basically, they do not sell the service, but the product. They will not tell you this up front but if you ask then they will disclose it. 
 This is a perfectly legal way for an un-licensed person to perform eyelash extensions. In their own paperwork they will state that the eyelash extension application was free of charge and that they simply charged you a high price for the eyelashes themselves. This is how nail technicians, and many lay people are jumping on board and hurting the reputation of the beauty business. You see, if they damage someone they will not lose their license because they did not have one to begin with. It all boils down to let the buyer beware.

Second, even though your technician of choice is licensed, it is best that he or she be certified. The reason for this is that it shows you that the person has spent  time, money and effort to become a specialist. The chances of getting great results increase greatly when your technician has gone through rigorous training rather than just a few youtube videos.   

Finally, ask your technician what would happen if glue were to get into your eye, or if you were to experience an allergic reaction to the glue. You just never know when an emergency situation might arise and if your technician says something like, "that won't happen" then you should know ahead of time that this is not the safest technician to have working on your eyes.  I personally created an emergency kit for every situation I could imagine when I started doing extensions. I still haven't had a guest get glue in her eyes but I am prepared for that guest who opens her eyes against my instructions. I have a portable eye wash at my table every time I perform extensions, and topical medication for allergies combined with hypoallergenic materials. I have never yet had to use any of these, but I feel prepared. Imagine being on a table and accidentally opening your eyes and experiencing the stinging of glue only to have your technician panic and run to a far away sink for water. Not good!