As summer says goodbye and the days get shorter, the temperature starts to drop and our bodies shed our lashes faster than normal.

This seasonal shedding is known as the Autumn Lash Shed.

One eye has between 90 and 150 eyelashes, and we lose about 2 to 5 lashes a day during our lash life cycle, which is when our eyelashes grow and fall out. As our lashes grow back, they fall out. Most of the time, especially during the summer months, we don’t even notice that they’re falling out.

However, a lot more lashes fall out during the fall season due to the change of weather, and this can have a big impact on people with eyelash extensions.

So how should a lash artist handle the Autumn Lash Shed?

Make sure you understand the lash growth cycle

Even during the autumn lash shed, most people who don’t have lash extensions won’t notice the loss of their natural lashes because it’s still so small.

When you have individual lash extensions or fans attached to your natural lashes, this loss of lashes can be more noticeable. It’s important that both lash artists and their clients are aware of their own natural lash cycles.

In some cases, a lash artist may think that their adhesives aren’t working as well as they used to, or that they need to change their lashing environment. The real reason is often out of their hands and it’s something they can’t do anything about.

We know biology can be a little boring, but it’s incredibly important to understand this natural process that your eyelashes go through.

There are 3 main phases in your lash growth cycle; Anagen Phase, Catagen Phase and Telogen Phase.

As a lash artist, if you’re not familiar with this already, it might be a good idea to read up on it so you can offer a better rounded service to your clients.

Can you prevent the lash shed?

This cycle of shedding is very natural and healthy for our eyelashes. It keeps our lashes fresh and healthy, and there’s very little we can do to stop nature from doing it’s thing.

Lash growth serums can help strengthen our natural lashes, but this varies in effectiveness from person to person, and it won’t prevent the extra loss in eyelashes.

It can be a good idea to keep track of each client’s retention and how they’re feeling at each appointment. The lash shedding season can have a different effect on each person. From this, you can figure out when it’s best to book their infill time.

Talk to your clients about the autumn lash shed

Talking to your clients about this is the best way to handle the situation. You should tell them what to expect, and make sure that they know that it’s a completely normal thing and they shouldn’t worry about it.

You might also want to suggest that they come in for an infill sooner than they usually do during this time.

Aftercare is always important, but it’s especially important to remind your clients to do their proper aftercare during this season. Properly cleaning their lash extensions with the right lash shampoo and brushes can help improve their retention time, and help minimise the impact of this extra lash loss.

By having an open and honest conversation with your clients, you can help prepare them for this, and you can avoid them coming to you in a panic later because their lashes are falling out at a faster rate than usual.

We hope this guide helps you prepare for the autumn lash shed season. Explore our range of products here, and happy lashing!