This article was co-authored by Karina Villalta. Karina Villalta is a certified Esthetician and Owner of Oh Sweet and Sugar and Shears, a skincare and hair removal service located in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington. With over eight years of experience, Karina specializes in eyebrow shaping, a hair removal technique called sugaring, and organic facials. Karina started her career and was trained at Benefit Cosmetics Brow Bar. Since opening her own business, Karina ensures her clients are educated about their skin and helps them implement personalized skincare routines.
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If you have a strong interest or background in makeup and hair, and enjoy working with people and making them feel pretty, becoming an eyelash technician may be the right choice for you! Eyelash technicians apply semi-permanent lash extensions on clients who would like to have longer, fuller eyelashes. You will need to get certified and build a client base to enjoy success in your new career as an eyelash technician.
Steps
Getting Certified
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1Learn your state’s lash technician licensing regulations. Most states require that you have a cosmetology, esthetician, or medical license to be an eyelash technician. States that may NOT require previous licensing for eyelash technicians include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
- Find out the specific regulations in your state by contacting your state’s board of cosmetology, or by contacting an eyelash technician training program. Training programs will advise out-of-state residents to know the regulations of the state in which they plan to work before enrolling.[1]
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2Become a cosmetologist or esthetician if your state requires it. A cosmetologist is licensed to work on hair, skin, and nails. An esthetician is licensed in skin care only. Some states will accept either license prior to getting eyelash technician certification, but some states require the cosmetology license.
- Contact your state’s board of cosmetology and research beauty schools in your area to find the right program for you.[2]
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3Complete an eyelash technician training program. Level I eyelash extension training programs will earn you the most basic certification to do eyelash extensions professionally. Available both in person or online, training programs are typically 1-3 days. Some programs may include your training materials with the cost, such as written guidebooks, lash extensions, adhesive, and application tools, which you can keep for after training.
- Areas of study in the training program may include allergic reactions, proper sanitation practices, client preparation, lash bonding, and extension application procedures.
Note: Costs of lash technician training programs vary widely, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $300-$2000. Be sure to research reviews about the company and program before sending in money.[3]
Gaining Work Experience
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1Work in a salon or boutique. Working out of a location that offers hair, makeup, nail, or other beauty services is the best place to gain experience on clients looking to bulk up their lashes. You will also meet others in the beauty industry who can give you advice about starting out.
- Some salons may already offer eyelash services- find out if they are looking to hire anyone new. For salons that don’t already offer this, ask if they are interested in adding lash extensions to their list of services and bringing you on.
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2Take as many new clients as you can. When starting out, you may make mistakes or work on clients who decide that eyelash extensions aren’t for them. Not every client will stay your regular client.
Tip: It is wise to meet as many new clients as possible in hopes that some will stick with you for the long haul, and some may even follow you to a different salon if you were to ever leave.
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3Make and distribute business cards for your services at the salon. Some salons offer to make business cards for you at a cost, as it helps their business as well as yours. Others encourage you to have your own cards made with the salon name and contact information on them.
- Place the cards on the appointment counter with other service cards, and distribute them to friends and acquaintances.
Starting Your Own Business
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1Set up your work space. Determine if you want to work from home or open your own salon. If you work out of home, be sure that your space has a clean, professional appearance. If renting a commercial space, consider sharing a space with another independent business owner in the beauty industry (a hair stylist or nail artist) to help with rent and sharing of clients[4] .
- At your own salon, you would offer any eyelash services (false eyelashes and extensions) while your partner(s) offers their specialty. Or, if you plan to go solo and are licensed in multiple services, you would add eyelash services to your list of offered services, such as hair or makeup.
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2Offer monthly deals or a first-time bargain. Getting new clients hooked on your services can come down to offering very low prices in the beginning. The idea is that people will try lash extensions once because of the affordable price and then decide it’s a necessity for them. Then bingo- you have a new regular client!
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3Hand out flyers and business cards. You can put up flyers and leave business cards in neighborhood coffee shops, telephone poles, and art spaces. Chat with the owners of local businesses and say you’re trying to build your own business, and ask if they will take some of your cards.[5]
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4Practice on friends. Nothing beats word of mouth. Offer to do your friends’ lashes for a low price, and give them a small stack of your business cards. Ask them to give your name anytime they talk to someone looking to get eyelash extensions.
References
About This Article
To become an eyelash technician, start by researching your state’s laws to see if you need a cosmetology, esthetician, or medical license before you can be an eyelash technician. If your state requires it, find a beauty school close to you and complete their cosmetology or esthetician program and get your degree. In addition to getting a degree, you’ll need to complete a Level 1 eyelash extension training program to get the most basic certification to do eyelash extensions professionally. Once you are cleared to do eyelash work, head out to salons in your area and ask if they are looking to hire anyone to do eyelash extensions. For more tips, like how to start your own eyelash extension business, read on!
