As a lash artist, you want to be known for your excellent lashing skills, but you also aspire to build a business renowned for providing excellent customer service. Of course, everyone talks about customer service but as a lash entrepreneur, how can you offer a complete user experience to your clients? According to experts, effective consulting can help businesses gather essential information, guide and resolve problems and encourage innovation and creativity.
Why are client consultations important?
When a new client walks into your salon, it is imperative to integrate a consultation session with them before you get on to applying lashes. Performing a consultation is not just about what lashes a client wants. It is also about understanding their long-term goals, enquiring about known medical conditions, and educating them to provide a customized lash solution that suits their lifestyle, health, and needs. Here are some topics you need to cover in your client consultation.
Topics to cover during your lash consultations?
- What are their expectations for the lash appointment?
Some clients are pretty sure of what they want, and others may be sitting on the fence about getting lash extensions. They may not understand all implications of getting lashes done, especially if they have a medical condition or taking specific medications, so a consultation is the perfect opportunity for you to. bring your professionalism and expertise to help them express what they want. Sometimes they may have a celebrity photo they would like to replicate, or some may feel inspired by a friend who had lash extensions. Consultations allow your clientsto be clear on their expectations and allows you to better align your lash services to what the client has requested, as any miscommunication may cost your business its reputation.
- What is their medical history?
Asking your client about any contraindications helps you and your client take effective measures moving forward in setting expectations, lash treatment, and aftercare. For example, sometimes eyelash extensions may not be suitable for clients with severe medical conditions. Asking for information on their medications and medical history creates awareness and reduces the risks of any mishap for you and your client. In addition, some conditions may be a hurdle in lash retention. Here are some of them:
- Trichotillomania: A mental health condition that leads to body-focused repetitive behavior, which may cause the person to have an uncontrolled urge to pull their eyelashes. If your patient has this condition, it can be a difficult situation to retain their lashes.
- Eyelid dermatitis/ Eczema/Psoriasis: Patients with these conditions have dry, itchy, and irritable skin around the eyelid. The affected areas are usually treated using ointments or tablets to reduce inflammation and dryness. Many treatments used to keep an affected area moisturized may interfere with the retention of lashes. Before heading to the lash bed, you may have to do a patch test on the client to see if they are allergic to the products. This condition may also require them to book their infill sessions much sooner than usually recommended.
- Blepharitis: This condition causes eyelid inflammation and can affect the lashes too. Red eyes, itchiness, and crust around the lid sometimes lead to eyelash loss.
- Medical treatments: Asking your clients if they are undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or laser treatment will help you set expectations for your clients, as these treatments can affect hair growth by attacking fast-growing cells causing lashes and eyebrows to shed.
- Medications: Some medications can cause lash loss, so it is essential to ask your clients if they take botox injections, retinoids, androgens, anticonvulsants, blood thinners, or any hormonal medicines. If your clients take vitamins A and C, their skin will produce more oil; therefore, their aftercare should be on point.
- Alopecia Areata: An autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing excessive hair loss and may sometimes include lash loss.
- High blood glucose levels: High blood sugar damages the small blood vessels resulting in inadequate oxygen and nutrients reaching the hair follicles causing hair to become brittle and easily breakable.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding: Due to hormonal fluctuations, lash loss is common among pregnant and breastfeeding women; at the time of consultation, knowing that your client is pregnant or breastfeeding can help decide how to plan ahead for lash appointments.
What do CLIENTS need to know about eyelash extensions?
Educating your clients about lash extensions is crucial. Unlike other beauty treatments, lash extensions require more commitment and aftercare attention from your clients. Specific to the conditions mentioned above, as a lash artist, you must inform them which lash extensions would suit their lashes.
For example, if your clients have short and brittle lashes, you must tell them why you can’t apply longer extensions. If your client’s medical condition interferes with their lash extensions, you should inform them how they may have to get their infills more often. Ensure you tell them what transpires during the lash session, what products you will use, the importance of aftercare, and the duration of their infill appointments.
What do YOU need to know?
As a lash entrepreneur, you are an expert in your field. Unless you are a medical professional, you are not qualified to give medical advice. Still, you can step in and set reasonable and realistic expectations for your client to provide them with a service they won’t forget in a hurry. Of course, using high-quality and fit-for-purpose products always puts you one step ahead.
Prolong Lash aftercare products are specially manufactured for eyelash extensions, meaning they are oil-free and formulated from natural ingredients that work gently on any skin type. Advising clients to wash their lashes with the Prolong Lash Cleanser Concentrate is a great way to keep them clean and free from any build-up or dirt on their lashes, reducing the risks of allergies and adverse reactions.
It is also imperative for you to have your insurance in place to provide you with cover if a client files a complaint against you. Ensure you enforce signing consent forms before any lash treatment.
Every client will come with a learning opportunity. Having a consultation with them provides you with the opportunity to build a trusted client relationship as well as help you to assess and offer lash solutions that may be unique to each of them. No matter their medical condition, your client comes to you to feel confident and great about themselves. As a lash artist, provide them with the best solution you can.
Discover the range of client aftercare packs for your lash salon from Prolong Lash US to help your clients care for their lash extensions to keep them full and healthy for longer!
