The technician will say “I did a lash lift and the results just weren’t there. It must be the batch, because I have not changed anything in the way that I’m applying”.

This topic is something that has always intrigued me, I have been doing research on this phenomenon and collecting screenshots, data and evidence for many years and I literally have hundreds upon hundreds of people saying that the lash lift did not work on their clients which is happening with multiple brands in the industry. I could literally name 10 brands off the top of my head that I see this happening with.

Why would this be the case?

This happens with a lot of various products in the beauty industry, nail industry, hair industry. I have seen people struggling to have consistent results on a variety of their clients with nail products, adhesives, skin care and hair products.

On the flip side, I have evidence of hundreds of people in forums saying that they have never had an issue with the same product that the technician is having an issue with. Could it really be the case that so many brands have inconsistent production in making such a simple formula?

Permanent wave lotions are not a complex formula to produce. In all honesty when you are making a big batch of product the measurements should be exactly the same every time when producing the batch. If the quantities are not the same when putting together the formula it will of course not perform, or emulsify correctly or be stable. These brands invest millions of dollars into their companies and brands, why would they jeopardise their product by not mixing the batch correctly each time? Brands also have to survive and customer satisfaction is always the top priority. When you buy a bottle of coke or lemonade from certain brands they are always the same right? When you buy shampoo from a certain brand it is usually the same correct? Why would permanent wave lotions be any different? Well, the reality is it’s highly unlikely that the formulas will change, but the variable is the individual. The human body changes throughout our life time and often more than you think. Our hair texture can change a few times a year due to lifestyle and hormonal changes and due to our diet and supplementary intake.

It is important to note that many companies have a very strict policy and production process when they are making products. Stability testing also takes place after a batch is produced to ensure that it works. Literally 50 to 100 applications need to be performed on clients with the microbial stability reports required to come back with an all-clear result, before that batch is released for sale to the market. The chances of a bad batch are extremely low.

You also have to look at the brand and the history of the brand, have they been in business for a long time? If so, then obviously their products work right? Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to maintain customers and have repeat business. No brand can survive if they do not have repeat business.

If YOUR lift is not working then you need to look at these factors:

1. Has the client’s hair texture changed at all? Have they changed their diet at all? Are they on any particular nutrients or supplements? Are they going through any hormonal changes? Are they using growth serums?

These factors can play a huge role in how the texture changes with eyelashes, it can mean the difference between having to leave a lotion on to process for another minute or two or even reducing the lotion time by a minute or two if their hair texture has become thinner.

2. Was the lotion placement consistent enough? Was it placed from the base of the lashes to high enough on the lashes? Was it left on long enough for that hair texture? Was the environment warm or cool?

If the lift has been a little underwhelming but there has been some lift, it usually means that they just need to leave the lotion to process for a little longer. Adjust the lotion placement and apply it from the base of the lash to higher up the lash and ensure that the lotion placement is thick and consistent all the way across the lashes. Most brands say it is safe to re-lift the lashes on the same appointment time if required, however you will need to check your brand guidelines if you ever need to make any adjustments for your clients.

Interestingly, COVID has seen an increase in clients using various home-care products and lash growth serums and mascaras. This is something to also consider as it may change the texture of your clients lashes, when they come back to have a treatment they may be more resistant than usual. Resistant lashes are not always thick lashes either, I have worked on plenty of clients over the years that look like they have thin hair texture but the lashes are resistant to permanent wave lotions. It really is a case of readjusting the application and nine times out of ten this is going to resolve the issue.