How to Become a Successful Lash Artist: All You Need to Know

In todays society, styling one’s lashes is as important as getting a brand-new haircut. 

There’s so much potential for a unique style to stand out—it’s a whole separate aspect of the beauty industry in and of itself. 

So, if you were ever curious about how to learn lash extension and whether this is a career that’s right for you or not, read on. We’ll take a look at the skills you need to have, the qualifications that you must equip yourself with, as well as all the details you need to know to succeed.

The Big Question: Do Lash Artists Make Good Money?

With the popularity of lashes booming and becoming more an everyday accessory than ever before, sources have projected that the industry is expected to hit US$ 1.5 billion in the coming years. 

And getting a set of lashes has is quickly becoming as popular and commonplace as going into the salon for hairstyling.

That means that you can expect a lot of earning potential as a lash artist—whether you pursue it full-time or part-time.

While many factors go into computing your actual earning potential, online job posting service ZipRecruiter has found that salaries for even self-employed lash technicians average AU$ 59,500 annually, however many of my students are earning 100k+ or close to. So, if you’re wondering: is it worth it to become a lash artist?

Yes, it certainly is - and the best part is that you are in control of how much you earn by how much you charge.

Provided that you bring the right, carefully honed skills to the table and provide the kind of services discerning clientele are looking for.

The Skills That Pay the Bills

Naturally, the core skills required to be successful as a lash artist include properly isolation, styling as well as how to properly apply and remove different types of eyelash extensions.

Given the current emphasis on health nowadays, “properly” also implies a good level of hygiene and care.

And while you can certainly get by with those core basics, the most successful lash artists are also those who are great communicators and can interact with their clients.

After all, beauty treatments like lash extensions are also opportunities for many customers to kick back, relax, and maybe get a little impromptu “therapy” to escape from their day-to-day lives. These tend to bulk in their interactions with you as part of their overall experience.

Finally, it also helps to have a little bit of marketing knowledge as your earning potential gets boosted when you're able to get your services in front of the right audience or upsell other products.

 

The Keys to Successful Lash Extension Qualification

One of the great things about considering lashes as a career is that it doesn’t require a lengthy, years-long, expensive course to get into. 

Firstly, you don't need to go through a TAFE to obtain a certification to practice lashes - lash educators are also not required to be specifically certified to take on students.

Provided that you find yourself lash extension courses that equip you with both the theoretical basics and practical training, you should be off to a good start.

Now, if you find a course that provides a basic kit to get your career started, then all the better!

Finally, make sure that you get on-going support from your educator - there's nothing worse than finishing your course, feeling like you're in the deep end with absolutely no one there to send you a life raft. This is why you receive 24/7 support when you train with Melbourne Lash and Co.

There might be some differences in the actual content of training courses, but there are a few core responsibilities that the best courses should teach you (all of which is included in our course!)

As mentioned, hygiene and infection prevention should be covered in your course as it's a basic skill in the industry. 

There should heavy focus on isolation - this is such an important (yet basic) skill that fewer and fewer lash artists are highly skilled in.

You should learn how to make your clients lashes last consistently - retention is the single most important reason you will have clients coming (and staying) with you for years to come.

There should be a portion on business, allowing you to hit the ground running after your course where your educator spills all the secrets that helped them succeed.

How Exactly Do I Choose the Right Course Provider?

Companies offering lash extension courses are a dime a dozen—and not all of them are wholly reputable. Some even come across as a money grab, a 'get rich quick' scheme for the lash artist teaching the course.

The key to finding the “right” course provider is to look at the company itself.

What kind of reputation does it have?

What is it known for?

Does the trainer still provide lashes as a service?

Look, while there are training providers just starting out that are pretty good...

Wouldn’t it be better to go for one that has a proven track record when it comes to lash extensions—from the products that they offer to the experiences of their clients and customers? An educator who's work and business you can aspire to?

This recognition goes a long way to giving your lash extension certificate weight and giving you a standard to aim for. 

You’ll also find you have greater confidence in the skills you have learned if the company you learned from exudes the same confidence in themselves.

Finally, it helps to keep on using the same quality products and tools that you learned with through your course work - added bonus if your educator is a supplier!

What Does the Job Market Look Like?

Given the aforementioned popularity of lash extensions with the public nowadays, you would be hard-pressed to find a business in your locality that doesn’t offer these kinds of services.

So, if you’re wondering what kind of employment outlook you’re faced with, you have options!

If you are looking at joining a salon, they will be looking for you to be certified and to complete a trial shift to assess your skill. Most will pay you an hourly wage however some do pay on a commission structure. 

 Of course, you can also set out on your own which is not uncommon.

The advantage to this is having control over your schedule and the potential to build up an exclusive client list of your own.

You can complement set up services with your own home that customers can come to. The downside is that you have to market your services—though your course and educator should be helping you with this where you need it.

 

What Are the Risks to Becoming a Lash Artist?

No job or career is without its risks.

When it comes to being a successful lash artist, you need to be conscious about the reality of working around eyes.

That is, there is a high chance of infection, irritation or allergic reaction if you are not educated properly.

These reactions can range from tenderness to severe swelling.

It can happen to people who already have been getting lashes for a long time or upon their first application.

Now, the risk here is getting sued for any damage to the eyes - depending on how severe the reaction is (and yes, sometimes when things go wrong, it can result in blindness).

And the remedy to that is being knowledgeable enough to prevent these situation, prepared if they occur and being well insured.

You see, the best lash extension courses will teach you all about this liability in our industry and how you can prevent them by being conscious of contraindications.

Again, it’s about ensuring you’re getting the right kind of education from the right company.

What Kind of Investment are You Looking at?

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

While it might be tempting to go for “cheaper” classes...

You will eventually realise that you didn't learn essential information needed to fast track your success in the industry - and that is a huge price to pay.

In fact, the courses that cost a little more are the ones that not only provide you with a beginner’s kit to get you started, but also come with a professionally crafted course outline, in depth information, a well paced curriculum and lessons from practical experience you can’t find elsewhere. 

More than money, you have to invest a lot of time—particularly with honing and perfecting your craft. This means models, practicing on your mannequin and going over your course manual. 

After all, until this is something you do regularly, you will not get it right from the get-go.

 Ask any lash artist who has had years of experience under their belt how they got to be as good as they are. They’re going to tell you it’s those years and the practice they put in.

Given that, make sure that the course you're getting includes ample practical coursework so you can get yourself on the road to honing the craft.

In Conclusion

If you already have a passion for beauty and eyelashes, you can undoubtedly make a fruitful career out of it, given just how much the industry has grown and will continue to grow in the years to come. The key is to go for lash extension qualification courses from companies with a proven reputation in the field. Not only will this ensure that you’re set up with the basics, but you’re also benefiting from the rich experience and proven training regimens.

Now, are you ready to take the first step towards becoming a successful lash artist? Click here to learn more about the course offered at ML&CO