You’ll learn why retention is the backbone of a thriving lash business — not just a skill, but a strategy. This intro breaks down how retention influences client loyalty, your reputation, your income potential, and even the types of clients you attract. Before diving into the technical training, you’ll understand exactly why mastering retention is the smartest move you can make for 2026 and beyond.

This chapter shows you how retention is connected to every other part of your artistry. You’ll learn why retention issues aren’t random — they’re predictable once you understand the science behind lash adhesion. We cover the mindset and fundamentals you need before touching glue, including how proper retention allows you to confidently raise prices, improve your client experience, and stand out in saturated markets.

Mastering retention starts with understanding the natural lash cycle. In this chapter, you’ll learn how lash growth phases affect fills, shedding, lash longevity, and why certain clients see faster lash loss than others. You’ll understand how to tell the difference between normal shedding vs. poor retention — and how to adjust your work based on growth patterns, seasonal shifts, and client-specific factors.

Every long-lasting set starts with technique. This chapter covers the core application principles that directly influence retention, such as wrapping, surface area optimization, proper base bonding, avoiding lifted bases, and placement angles. You’ll learn how different techniques (volume, wispy, premade, promade) require different handling for best results — and how minor adjustments can make your sets last 2–3 weeks longer. Video demonstrations included!

This is where everything clicks. You’ll deep dive into adhesive behavior, learning how glue cures, how micro-dots actually work, how humidity and temperature shift performance, and how to prep your adhesive so it behaves consistently every time. You’ll understand pH levels, viscosity, pickup technique, and the environmental factors that cause your glue to slide, shock cure, dry too fast, or dry too slow. This chapter alone will solve 80% of retention issues.

This chapter uncovers the reasons retention fails before you even start applying lashes. You’ll learn how allergies, lash porosity, skin type, pre-existing conditions, client habits, aftercare, and even your prep routine influence retention. You’ll also learn how to adjust your prep steps (lash baths, primer, solution choices) based on each client’s lash health — and how to prevent the most common mistakes that ruin retention without you realizing it.

Your go-to reference tools to implement everything you’ve learned. These checklists help you streamline your prep, evaluate glue performance during appointments, troubleshoot problems in real time, and double-check your technique so you can confidently apply every principle from the course.