What Causes Allergies in Lash Extensions?

An allergy is a heightened sensitivity of the body to certain substances (allergens) that trigger various unpleasant reactions, like watering, swelling, skin redness, itching, and so on. Other names for it are hypersensitivity or heightened sensitivity, meaning the body’s tendency to react painfully to substances that are harmless to most people.

An allergy can be triggered by different kinds of contact with the allergen: through the respiratory tract or through direct contact with the body’s surfaces.

Allergy is a fairly new condition for humankind, appearing only in the 20th century. The term was first used in 1906 by the Viennese pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet. Because of that, allergy is still not very well understood, so there’s neither precise knowledge of its causes nor a way to fully cure it. All modern remedies are aimed at suppressing the symptoms and, like any medication, cause irritation of the digestive organs with regular use, which is why the number-one piece of advice for an allergy is still to remove its source, the allergen.

So what causes allergies for lash artists and their clients?

The human body is unpredictable, so a reaction can appear to absolutely any lash product, from primer to pads. But those cases are fairly rare (under 1%), and the most powerful irritant for the body is the lash adhesive.

The main component of any lash adhesive is a substance called cyanoacrylate (90 to 98% of the total formula). It’s very caustic, with a strong smell that comes from the fumes the adhesive releases. That smell is what we notice when working with adhesive, and those fumes are exactly what leads to allergic reactions. An allergy to cyanoacrylate resembles flu symptoms: a stuffy nose, red, watering eyes, which is why an adhesive allergy is often mistaken at first for a lingering cold.

Unfortunately, even people who aren’t prone to allergies can develop one with long, regular exposure to a strong allergen like cyanoacrylate. This is the so-called cumulative effect of allergy, which can show up at any moment, and that moment is impossible to predict. So it’s best for the artist to minimize contact with adhesive fumes right away, to avoid possible consequences. Even if you feel great and have no allergic reactions whatsoever, I still recommend using the tips below to protect yourself from the possible consequences of our work.

There are many air-filtration and purification options

Protective masks with various filters shield your airways from dust, smoke, gases, fumes, and aerosols.

Germicidal lamps are used to disinfect the air and surfaces in a room, purify drinking water, and sterilize objects and medical instruments. They neutralize most microorganisms, like viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, yeasts, spores, and more.

Humidifiers, besides raising the humidity in a room, also settle out microscopic dust particles.

Room air filters: an electrostatic filter (traps dust, pollen, and soot), a photocatalytic filter (purifies the air by killing bacteria, mold, and fungus, and also neutralizes harmful gas and fume particles), and HEPA filters (catch the tiniest particles and are especially recommended for allergy sufferers).

All of these devices are meant to shield us from every possible allergen, but they don’t affect cyanoacrylate fumes.

So what protects against cyanoacrylate fumes?

When working with lash adhesive, the only way to protect yourself from its fumes is good room ventilation. Ideally, a forced extractor installed directly above the lash artist’s workspace. There are now special portable extractors for lash artists that you can place as close to your workspace as possible. They’ve shown good results in reducing allergic reactions among artists.

But cyanoacrylate has one more property you can use to fight its fumes: it polymerizes (hardens) on contact with water. So as the simplest, most budget-friendly way to fight the fumes, you can use a regular medical mask dampened with water, or lined on the inside with wet gauze. The whole idea is to create a moisture barrier that traps the adhesive fumes and keeps them from reaching your airways.

To fight all the other kinds of allergens, you can use all the room-purification options listed above and, of course, keep your workspace clean.

Stay healthy!