Choosing the right diameter

The diameter of lash extensions is one of the first things you should note when it comes to choosing them. 

What is eyelash extension diameter?

The diameter eyelash extensions have are crucial to a lot of other factors, namely the length and the weight. The diameter refers to the thickness of an extension, which can range from 0.03 mm to 0.20 mm and more. These measurements are important because slight differences between the diameters can be really critical.

That is because each situation and context require a different diameter value. Choosing the wrong diameters or diameters that don’t match that of the client’s natural lashes will result in damage to those lashes. As the diameter is directly related to the weight, this means that the thicker the lash extension, the heavier it gets.

How diameter affects weight

As has been mentioned, the diameter is relevant to the weight of the extensions, since it’s all about thickness. As the extension gets denser, it increases its weight.

Too much weight on a natural lash might cause breakage and the damage to the natural lashes is potentially permanent! This is why you must take good care to choose the right diameter, since our own client’s health as well as our reputation as lash artists are at stake here.

Sometimes an eyelash extension’s diameter is also known as their width. Generally speaking, you can decide on a correct diameter just by looking at the extension alone, but for newcomers this might not be feasible just yet. 

How to choose the right diameter

There are several steps to take first before choosing the right diameter. First, you must measure the diameter of the client’s own natural lashes. This is a crucial step since diameters with slight differences in value tend to cause a big chain effect that will result in a final product that’s not up to par for both clients and artists alike. 

Additionally, taking correct measurements of the natural lashes ensures that we can proceed with the next step, which is matching the diameter of the extensions to that of the natural lashes. You can sometimes go thicker than the natural but this is only for cases when the clients want something that can give them a dramatic outlook. 

Choosing the right diameter for the extensions should absolutely not be taken lightly. Since the diameter affects the weight as well, it’s of utmost importance that you know what to do and what to choose for each type of situation.

Try to make profiles of types of natural lashes and start from there. Preparation is key, since you don’t want to waste too much time deciding and risk not satisfying our clients. 

The rule of thumb is to use diameters between 0.10 to 0.15 mm for clients with thinner, more sparse natural lashes, and 0.15 to 0.20 mm diameters for clients with fuller, stronger natural lashes. As you can see, stronger natural lashes can support thicker extensions.

Diameter for volume: 0.03 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.07 mm

0.03 eyelash extensions, 0.05 lash extensions and 0.07 eyelash extensions refer to extensions with common diameter measurements that fit well in a volume lash set. A volume lash set refers to multiple lashes being joined at the base and forming a fan. That’s why thicker extensions won’t work in a volume set since you won’t be able to fit more lashes.

0.03 lashes, 0.05 lashes and 0.07 lashes can make up the bulk of volume lashes. 0.03 mm lashes specifically can be used for mega volume lashes, for example 10D to 20D lash sets where there are 10 to 20 lashes in a fan, which tends to be made up of thinner individual extensions. 

Consequently, classic eyelash extension sets can allow for usage of thicker lashes.

Diameter for classic and hybrid: 0.10 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.2 mm

Since classic extensions are applied individually to one single natural lash, we can opt for thicker extensions. 0.10 eyelash extensions, 0.15 classic lashes, 0.20 classic lashes and others refer to eyelash extensions with thicker diameters but commonly used in a classic set, since the aforementioned diameters tend to match that of the clients’ as well.

For example a 0.10 lash extension is used a lot, and actually is the most recommended diameter for lash artists, since the 0.10 mm diameter correlates well with most clients’ natural lashes.

Sometimes you can go higher for a dramatic but “safe” look, though at times we will see our customers asking for 0.20 mm lashes or even thicker, and this is when we have to make compromises by suggesting our clients to opt for a hybrid set. 

And we do usually see the thicker lash extensions featured in a hybrid set, to add more oomph to a standard look while not going overboard. Trust your expertise and use it to communicate with your clients in order to reach an informed final decision!