PRE-MADE VS HAND-MADE

For as long as I can remember, lash artists have been debating on the use of pre-made (also known as pro-made) volume fans vs hand-made volume fans and to this day, the topic continues to come up in my lash groups on a weekly basis. It got me thinking that I should write about the benefits and positives of using pre-made volume lashes because I think there are still some myths and mixed reviews about them.

What are Volume Fans?

Volume Lash extension fans are created by taking multiple single lash extensions with a thin diameter and formed into fans using a variety of techniques. The two most common ways of making volume fans is by hand during the appointment or by a machine that you can order pre-made ahead of time. They are bonded at the base using either glue or heat.

My Personal Experience

When it came time for me to learn about volume extensions, I discovered that I had a really hard time hand-making fans mainly due to my left, non-dominant hand feeling weak and uncoordinated. I tried the pinching method, every type of tweezer, easy fan lashes and all the other accessories to make high quality fans but it just didn’t work for me. I'm a perfectionist who cares deeply about lash health so I found the process of hand-making fans to be pretty stressful because I couldn't 100% guarantee how many lashes I was picking up and my bases/fans were not always uniformed or consistent. As a health and safety expert, I didn’t like having to touch the fans with the pinching technique for example because I worried about transferring germs, bacteria or natural oils onto the lashes. I was also taking way longer to complete a full set and wasting a lot of product throwing out "imperfect" fans and double dipping into my glue. I now know that making perfect fans takes time and a lot of practice but I didn't have a lot of time to practice because I was too busy with clients. So I took a moment, did some research and started wondering if pre-made volume fans would help to speed me up and guarantee consistent results.

Original Pre-Made Fans

The first box of pre-made fans I tried were terrible quality. This was around 2017/2018 so we didn't have as much of a variety in lash products as we do now, especially for pre-made fans. These mostly came in 2-5D, they weren't dense or fluffy and the bases were too thick. Because there wasn't a ton of variety, it was harder to customize your sets and they weren't ideal for everyone due to the added weight.

New & Improved Pre-Made Fans

In 2018/2019 brands like Paris Lash Academy and LLBA started offering a wider range of products including high quality pro-made volume fans. This was really exciting to me! I could see so many benefits with using pre-made volume lashes and was thrilled to finally get my hands on some dark, fluffy fans with ultra thin bases. I was also introduced to volume math conversion charts and got deeper into that during my volume extensions course with The Lash Shop. I then learned some tips and tricks on having better rentention with pre and pro-made lashes from a refresher volume course with Untamed Artistry. I became more and more serious about lash health so I wanted to ensure that even my mega volume sets felt light and weighed the same if not less than a classic set.

Benefits of Pre-Made Fans

In addition to the above, mixing in pre-made fans helped to lower my appointment times allowing me to add another client to my schedule and ultimately increasing my profits. Because I was able to lash faster, I changed my fills to be based on time which eliminated so many of the issues I was facing with perfectionism, taking too long, clients getting restless or requiring more time than allotted. Clients felt more calm and relaxed knowing that they will be out within a set time frame. When pre-made fans are heat bonded they are lighter in weight than a hand-made fan and I felt more confident applying consistently perfect fans that I could guarantee the weight of 100% of the time. A box of pre-made volume fans may end up costing more than hand-making your fans BUT all these things considered, my costs per client works out to be about the same and time is money like that old saying goes.

The Choice is Yours

When it comes to hand-made vs pro/pre-made the choice is ultimately yours. I very much appreciate and respect the hard work that goes into creating flattering, health conscious volume sets regardless of which products you prefer to use. The lash industry has come a long way and we have so much more variety and knowledge now than we did even just 7 years ago, when I first started. When it comes to the client, they don’t know the difference! Lash appointments are a big commitment so everyone wants to be in and out within a reasonable time. Clients also care more about the health of their natural lashes and longevity which can be achievable by being mindful of all of the factors that go into lashing and not just the type of lashes you are using. The difference between pro/pre and hand-made fans is minimal in my experience so I will always advocate for doing whatever works for you, your business goals and your clientele.

Contact

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