Proper isolation of natural lashes is one of the most important parts of the lash extension procedure. Each lash should be separated in order to ensure the durability and comfortability of eyelash extensions. If you’re just thinking of entering the lashing industry the first thing you should do is to learn proper isolation. And it can’t be done without having trusty isolation tweezers.
What are they? Well, you may have noticed that lash artists use 2 tweezers during the procedure - one is for applying the eyelash extensions to natural lashes and another is an isolation tweezer that is used to separate client’s lashes.
We are here to tell you all about isolation tweezers and hopefully, guide you in choosing the ultimate one to guide you through your lashing journey.
The Importance of Isolation Tweezers
As we already mentioned, lash isolation is the cornerstone of a perfectly done lash extension set. The whole philosophy behind this is that if lashes aren’t separated properly, the natural shedding process is interrupted. Each natural lash hair has its individual lifespan. If the lash extension is glued to not one, but two (or more) natural lashes, the one that sheds first will take the other one down as well. Apart from this visible flaw, when several natural lashes are glued together, the client’s eyes feel uncomfortable, as if someone is pulling on their lashes all the time.
Long story short, poor separation will damage your client’s natural lashes and the lash extensions won’t look or feel good. To avoid this inconvenience for both you and your client, you better bring your A-game when it comes to separation, and to do that, you’ll need an isolation tweezer that’s tailor-made for this job.
Types of Isolation Tweezers
Now that you know how important the lash separation is, we’re sure you won’t be surprised when we tell you that there are numerous isolating tweezers available on the market. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the selection so let us walk you through the basics.
Straight Isolation Tweezers
Straight isolation tweezers are true classics of the lash extension business. They have a thin tip that allows lash artists to go deep into the lash line and approach each lash easily. However, straight tweezers are considered to be less beginner-friendly. The thing is, if you don’t master holding this type of tweezers, you may find it hard to keep the lash isolated while applying extensions with the other one. So if you decide to get yourself straight isolators, make sure you practice a lot to achieve the flawless separation.
Curvy Isolation Tweezers
Lash extension isolating tweezers that have a curvy tip is our favorite tool for isolation. Curvy isolators leave much more room for movement, therefore, your hand gets less tense during the procedure. In our experience, a curvy tip allows you to have better visibility of the area that you’re working on. With curvy isolation tweezers, you can forget about those annoying baby lashes that always find the way to ruin perfect separation - curves won’t let them poke through!
Precise-tip Tweezers
Some lashes are harder to isolate than others. Your client may have curly lashes or the ones that are pointed in a weird way. In such cases, both straight and curvy isolating tweezers fail to do the proper job. In our experience, stubborn lashes can be dealt by with using precise-tip tweezers. These tweezers aren’t necessarily made for isolation. Many lash artists, including us, use them for creating volume and mega volume fans. However, they can separate naturally curly lashes like no other. So if your client’s lashes are giving you a hard time isolating, precise-tip tweezers will save the day.
Choosing Ultimate Isolation Tweezers
Isolation tweezers differ not only in the shape of tips but also in weight, width, length, material, and form of the neck. Sounds overwhelming, huh? When it comes to choosing the best tweezer for you, only you can make the right decision. For example at LivBay Lash, some artists can’t stop using curved tweezers, when some swear by straight ones. There are countless great options out there, you’re just gotta the one that works best for you. You need to hold and practice with various types of tweezers, make sure they don’t put too much stress on your fingers... If your hand gets tense super fast there’s the big chance that the tweezer you’re isolating with is either too big or too small for your hand.
The main takeaway is that tweezers are mainly an individual preference and the only way to find the ones that work best for you is by trial and error.
Maintaining Isolation Tweezers
Once you purchase your favorite isolators, you gotta make sure that you take great care of them. You don’t want to let all the money you spent go down in a drain! There are a few easy steps you need to take to ensure that your favorite lashing tool stays with you for a long time:
- Store them properly - keep your tweezers’ tips covered with the protector they come with. Tip of the tweezer is the most important part of it so you need to make sure that it’s secure when not in use. This is especially important for precise-tip tweezers that have a super thin tip that can bend easily.
- Keep them adhesive-free - as you may know, lash glues contain many harsh chemicals that can damage your tweezers if you don’t clean after each use. You can use an adhesive remover to make sure that it comes off completely.
- Get them a case for traveling - if you offer at-home lashing or take your supplies with you when leaving work you’ll need a tweezer case to make sure that your tweezers don’t get scratched or bent when traveling around.
Sanitizing Isolation Tweezers
Some lash artists may skip cleaning isolation tweezers because lash adhesive doesn’t get on it during the procedure. And to be honest, it’s a crime. Tweezers may get dirty or transmit eye infection from client to client. So you need to clean them as often as possible. Here are some tips regarding this matter:
- Using Filecide for sanitization - Don’t just spray and wipe the tweezers with the substance. Leave it to dry on its own to maximize the effect. Don’t forget to wash the tweezers with soap and water afterward.
- Discontinue using tweezers that dropped - If you drop your isolators in the middle of lashing get a spare one to continue the job. It’s not a good idea to start sanitizing the ones that were on the ground for two reasons - 1. It will take your precious time and 2. The substance used for sanitization may not clear immediately and irritate your client’s eyes.
- Disinfect in between clients - You MUST disinfect your tweezers in between appointments. INFECTIONS - We don’t think this needs to be explained any further.
- Be gentle - You don’t want to bend tips of your tweezers while cleaning them so make sure you treat them delicately.
All About Isolation Tweezers: Final Words
We hope our little article opened the world of isolating tweezers for you. If you are about to start lashing, we are sure our tips will help you in the process of choosing isolators for your lashing journey. Don’t forget to experiment with various types and sizes - that’s the only right way of doing it.
We wish you a successful lash time!