Wednesday Wink – My Journey to Becoming a Lash Extensions Educator

Posted by Maryann Matykowski on August 22, 2018

I get asked quite a bit about how I became a lash extension educator. Mostly, the questions sound something like, “What makes you so qualified?” or “How did you get to be a certifier?”

Well, I am here to shine some daylight on all those questions and more. In this article, I will be explaining my journey to becoming a lash extensions educator. Let’s start at the beginning!

Where It All Began…

Back in 2004, I attended a beauty and hair conference and saw a few booths with lash extension demonstrations being performed. I was mesmerized and had to drag myself away from those booths. This was at a huge beauty conference in Chicago. There was so much ground to cover.

After covering everything, I couldn’t keep my mind off those darn lash extensions. I must have circled back around 4 or 5 times, I just couldn’t get enough. This didn’t make any sense to me because I was just a hair stylist at the time. Now, I am a full-blown cosmetologist. I have done everything over the years, including hair, nails, and skin care. I rounded it all out with my instructor's cosmetology license. I am all about the beauty industry.

I left the conference with lashes planted deep in my mind. A year passed and I went back to that same conference and purchased a kit and signed up for a class. I thought it would be easy. They made it look so simple to do and the results were beautiful.

A New Lash Obsession: My First Lash Training

I scheduled my class and flew out west and had a 3-day, hands-on training session with 15 other students. The instructor was great and so were the students. They were from all different backgrounds – there were nurses, estheticians, cosmetologists, and more. What made us similar was that we all had a passion to learn and share.

It was fun being a part of something new – lashes were very new in 2005. There were only 3-4 companies selling supplies and offering training. I didn’t plan on becoming a trainer or certifier, however, the opportunity was offered to me because the company wanted to grow their business and needed trainers to help them in the process.

The owner of the business had been doing lashes for a few years and started her own company. She was on the cutting-edge of the lash industry. She, like myself, had a passion for all things lashes.

She was strict and extremely concerned about safety and sanitation. She was a treasure trove of knowledge and she taught us with extreme precision and care. She was a tough but kind trainer and I learned so much from her about the lashes. Perfect placement, the correct diameters to use, and the best lengths to use for maximum effect and safety of the client’s natural lashes were all covered in great detail. She was a sanitation stickler! With a nursing background, she went deep into universal precautions and MSDS sheets. We covered it all.

Lash Extensions Training

By the time I finished my training with her, we became friends and would regularly bounce business ideas back and forth. We would chat about every two weeks or so. Whenever I would need to place an order for supplies, we talked on the phone for hours.

After about a year or so, she offered to train me to become an instructor for her company. I spent another 5 days of training. We would put in full days, from 8-5 working with new students while I shadowed her every move answering questions and dealing with students. I made sure that I was following every safety and sanitation protocol that I was taught.

Lash Training Challenges

My trainer brought in the most difficult students for me to work on. Every client had some sort of new lash challenge. Some had very short blonde lashes, some had very curly lashes – there were hooded lids, high cheekbones, and even a model who had high anxiety. You see, I needed to be able to address everything you may come across as a lash artist before I could teach others. I worked very hard and had a stiff neck, sore shoulders, and a pounding headache every day.

At the end of those five days, I was drained. I didn’t want to see another lash or get another whiff of lash glue. My head hurt, my shoulders and neck hurt, and my brain was on overload. But I was now certified to become a lash extension educator.

We studied the history of lashes, diseases and disorders of the skin and lashes, ingredients of the products, and how to keep our implements clean and stored. We also covered allergic reactions and safe lash removals. There was so much theory! I almost felt like I was back in beauty school.

One Door Opens Another…

When I completed my training and was officially certified, my whole career track changed. I honestly didn’t see it coming, but I couldn’t have been happier for it.

I have since parted ways with that company and partnered with Glad Lash Inc. three years ago. We collaborated and put together a comprehensive training program for lash extensions, both classic and volume and included lash lifts and brow extensions to round things out.

Growing the Lash Industry, One Lash Girl at a Time

At Glad Lash Inc., we also created Glad Lash Academy for those that want to become lash extensions trainers. We now have over 70 certified lash extension trainers globally, including in the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Greece, and Saudi Arabia. All students go through an in-depth training program that covers all the most important details of application processes and safety for the protection of the public and ourselves.

So, when someone wants to know where I got my credentials, I tell them I was one of the lucky ones that got to pioneer the growth of the lash industry. We worked hard to build a credible, safe, and respected training curriculum for new lashers. We have seen some pretty crazy things along the way but are steadfast in keeping this industry professional and cutting-edge in the technique and products we use. You can trust that we want your experience as a student to be rewarding and fulfilling as well as lucrative. We want you to deliver the best possible outcomes to your clients using top quality adhesive, lashes, after care products, and amazing customer service.

Are you itching to become a lash extensions trainer like me? If you are interested in joining our team at Glad Lash Academy, please let us know here! I'm looking forward to training more pupils and see you on the other side!