Eye Strain: Glamcor vs Ring Light vs Magnifying Glasses

Hey Lash Baes!! 

If you're anything like me, you are craving lash content - all day, every day!!! I started a YouTube channel a few months ago but it has been mainly to explain how to use products and for adding videos to product descriptions on the online shop. I though I'd write a bit for those Lash Baes who need more. I know I enjoy reading, watching and listening to all things lash related so why not include some extra content for those who need more like me?!

So a great topic that people ask me about often is lighting and eye strain. What can we do to lash faster, ensure clean isolation and guarantee our own longevity as lash artists? Invest in great lighting!

The best lighting is natural light. However, we can't all lash in front of floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. And what do you do for lashing after dark!? My first lash studio was in a random nook with no windows. Yes, the space had a view of the Bow River in Calgary but guess what - the little area I had for lashing was dark and windowless. I was still reeling from the set up cost of starting my little lash business so when it came to lighting I was not about to splurge. I went on Amazon and found a LED desk lamp that looked like it could do the trick. Never mind the fact that it was not big enough to lean right over the client... never mind that it clearly wasn't producing enough light. The price was right and I could balance it on a nearby desk so it was the lamp for me. 

Guess what was also for me? Headaches! I was new at lashing so I was hardly blinking, straining my eyes to see every lash and I didn't have enough light. Lashes were not sticking the first time I tried so you better believe I wasn't about to blink until that lash stuck! So on top of the physical stress my body was under, there was the emotional stress of the unrealistic time constraints and wanting to please clients plus my eyes began to ache every time and my head would be pounding after just one client.

My Experience with Magnifiers

My posture was terrible of course but the vision thing really worried me. There began the search for magnifying glasses. Before too long, I had 3 pairs. One had a built in light and interchangeable lenses. I found it really heavy on my face so I took the batteries out. The other one looked like regular glasses and magnified 2x and the last one sort of sat farther from the face. All of them were alright for classic lashing but when I got to volume lashing, the looking back and forth began to hurt my head. Later, I did hear from other lash artists that these glasses ruined their vision so I am glad that I gave up on the glasses. I think every lash tech has a different experience with them but for me, risking undoing the Lasik corrective eye surgery was not worth it.

Months later, I finally decided to splurge on a Glamcor light. I chose the one with two lamps. It was amazing how much easier lashing became! I could finally see those baby lashes. My headaches stopped and my eyes stopped hurting. Soon after, I found a ring light on Amazon and I was in heaven! The combination of the two lights changed everything. I could finally relax while lashing. Not to mention my picture quality improved greatly. 

Conclusion on Glamcor vs Ring Light

Both lights are great but the ease of use and the brightness of the ring light makes it my favorite. It's cost effective and classic. In my opinion, the smaller version is better for lashing since the light is more concentrated in the small area. I will say that the Glamcor is better for swivelling to the side so that your client can lay down or get up. The ring light must be moved from the base - picked up and put down to get it out of the way. Another thing to note is that the Glamcor has a tap system for switching it on. It requires 5 taps to turn it on to its max brightness but if you don't count the taps you'll end up tapping one time too many and it will turn off... so there are many times I am tapping endlessly, not sure if I'm at the max brightness only to turn it off and having to keep tapping to get it on again. For this reason alone I do prefer the small ring light. I believe it's the 14 inch one. I should mention that you can increase client comfort by turning on the lights only after their eye pads have been placed and their eyes are closed. I like to also turn the lights off when removing their eye pads so that when they open their eyes the harsh, bright lights won't shine right in there causing them discomfort. 

Additional Tricks to Reduce Eye Strain

Still having problems with eye strain? In Calgary we have super dry air. Our eyes dry out so easily - even with the humid environment we create for our lash rooms. Be sure to lubricate your eyes with artificial tears if needed. Try using drops before bed, when you wake up and as needed during the day. I find my vision gets blurry during lashing if my eyes have dried out. Another thing to try is give your eyes a break and focus on an object in the distance while you shake your glue to dispense a new drop. That 10-20 seconds you use shake your glue bottle is a great mini break to rest your eyes and straighten up your back.

What's your experience with lighting? I've seen lash techs use that white reflector umbrella thing that photographers use to help reflect the light. Have any tips or tricks on lighting?  Let me know in the comments.