What are the best eyelash extension training schools?
The artificial eyelash industry is booming. Thanks to coverage by huge beauty brands such as Vogue and Elle, and thousands of influencers picking up on the beauty treatment, there's more people than ever before trying out eyelash extensions. This is great news for us at Noble Lashes and the stylists that we support— if you’re looking to become your own stylist then pay attention! We’re exploring the journey to qualified technician and the best places to train.
The Benefits of Training
If you’re planning on doing any work as a lash technician in the UK, you will need the relevant qualification. Whilst this is not yet a legal requirement, you will more than likely need to show your qualifications to your public liability insurer. Again, it is not a legal requirement to carry public liability insurance as a lash technician, but you should never practice without it. It will protect you in case a compensation claim is made against you for any accidents or mishaps.
What Do I Need?
As entry into the industry is not legally regulated, employers are free to set their own entry requirements, which can vary wildly. As a result the paths to full technician can be numerous and a little confusing. If you are looking to work from home an accredited training course will be helpful - one accredited by the Beauty Guild, the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) or the Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) is usually the best. These operate nationwide, they are not too expensive and very short, most taking one day to complete, with a practical and a theory exam. Most of these courses will give you an accredited qualification of a Diploma or an NVQ Level 3 in Eyelash Extensions. They are cheaper than the courses below but potentially could be less preferred by salon owners than the yearlong courses.
To become a certified eyelash technician, however, it takes a lot longer than one day! Many people opt to take multiple training courses or more difficult courses to hone their skills, this can take many months of practice and perseverance before you are ready to move to real people, and a few of them before you’re ready to move to paying clients!
If you are looking to work in a salon you will usually be required to reach NVQ/VRQ level 2 and probably 3 in Beauty Therapy, You will also need these if you are planning on providing training to others. These are qualifications that take a year each to reach in an educational college, providing a wide background to all thing’s beauty, on top of client care and functional skills - which will give you a much wider range of skills and a better foundation to launch a career in beauty, allowing you to broaden your career options.
At the end of the day the reason for your training is to give you the best skills available to ensure the safety of your clients, as you will be using sharp tools such as tweezers and dangerous chemicals around their sensitive eye areas. We at Noble Lashes think that the more training the better will help you the most!
Where Can I Study?
So for you to train, you must pick a school. The short-term diplomas are usually offered by beauty schools privately, it is imperative that you ensure that the course will give you qualifications that are identified by CIBTAC and CIDESCO, as some private courses will not do so. For those looking at studying for an apprenticeship, you’ll be able to join a salon and be trained on the job. These are run by the Government and are perfect for beginner therapists to get on the job training.
The longer NVQ courses are usually studied at college on a part time or full-time basis, sometimes salons will take you on if you have not yet finished your qualification but are studying towards it, meaning part time courses are great for some on the job experience alongside your studies.
Every beauty course at college is different so it is important for you to find the specific course that is right for you, so definitely do some research with your college of choice before you sign up as these can be expensive - although local and government funding should be available for some applicants.
Make Sure You Research!
Whatever path you decide to take, ensure that at the end of it you will be coming out with a nationally accredited qualification. Unfortunately, there are some courses that will give you useless diplomas, so it is important to do your research with the various beauty institutions mentioned in this article, and more. There are a few governments backed places to go for information, and it may even be worth popping along to your local salon and seeing what qualifications or experience they would be looking for so that you can tailor your own path to suit.
A quick look on job sites such as Indeed will also give you some basis on what salons are looking for, which is a broad spectrum of things. This can be confusing to wade through but is also a good thing as it means there are a lot of opportunities. Hopefully, this has cleared up some of the questions that you may have had, and good luck with your future studies!