AHFrancis Blog, Lash News
Celebrating National Lash Day: A look back through the years!
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From Ancient Egyptian Kohl art to today’s state-of-the-art eyelash extensions & everything in between…Â
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Ancient Egyptian Influences
Dating as far back as 2500BCE Egyptians were the first generation to create foxy, cat-eye-extended fanned, flicked lash looks. They used kohl on both men & women to tint lashes & brows to highlight their features & also to protect them from the powerful glare of the sun!
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Experimentation
In the late 19th century, women explored the concept of attaching individual hairs to their eyelids, using non-regulated & unsafe glues, making this a risky procedure!
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First patents
Canadian inventor Anna Taylor was the first woman to patent false eyelashes in 1911, due to the appalling state of her over-curled lashes, damaged by the harsh chemical processes of the time.Taylor attached small clusters of hair to a fabric band creating a crescent-shaped strip of fabric with tiny pieces of hair.
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Hollywood IconsÂ
Throughout the 20th century, Hollywood stars heavily influenced false eyelash trends, with the 1960s seeing a surge in popularity due to icons like Marilyn Monroe & Rita Hayworth.Â
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The increased demand for semi-permanent extensions
In the 20th century, in South Korea & China, the development of semi-permanent individual lash extensions began to evolve, allowing for more lash styles, lash curls & lash lengths.
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Booming 2000’s
The idea of individual lash extensions grew rapidly in popularity in the West, with celebrities influencing this trending beauty treatment. This technique is where a single eyelash extension is applied to an isolated natural lash creating thicker, fuller, longer lashes!Â
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Introducing volume eyelash extensions
This is where multiple super-fine eyelash extensions are picked up using a special multi-pickup tweezer & then fanned gently & applied to an isolated natural lash, creating a fuller, softer & more glamorous look.
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Improvements in Lash materials
Eyelash extensions now use only the highest-quality synthetic fibers like PBT, offering a lightweight vegan & animal-friendly alternative compared to materials used back in the 1900s for example animal fur & human hair which were non-hygienic & controversial!
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Improvements in lash glues have advanced hugely here in the UK, ISO-tested & regulated unlike other countries our regulations are very strict! All of our UK-supplied lash glues, removers, primers & bonders have batch numbers & are easily traced if there are any allergic reactions or issues.Â
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Bespoke Lashes
Lash technicians today have an amazing choice of lashes & lash glues to choose from! There are so many different lash curls, lash thicknesses & lash styles to choose from enabling the lash tech to create bespoke styles to suit individual clients!
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The introduction of sensitive medium & fast drying lash glues has enabled many different varieties of lashes i.e. Russian, Volume, YY, W, & Pre-made Volume fans to innovate the lash industry!Â
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Improvements in lash longevity & aftercare
Many years ago when lashes were introduced there really wasn’t the knowledge of pre & post-care as there is today. Nowadays as lash techs, we insist on patch testing, medical consultation & aftercare to ensure the overall health & safety of the client, which should be covered by your training provider.Â
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Managing client’s expectations is a big ask sometimes, so being honest & professional is the best way to deal with this!
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Using only professional branded lash supplies is key to achieving lash longevity, the introduction of foaming lash cleansers, lash primers & lash bonders has been a huge help for lash retention. Pre & post-care is essential! Â
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