Faster, Better, Stronger? Why Fast Lash Glue is Only as Strong as Your Application Speed
Suppose you’ve spent any time in the lash industry. In that case, you’ve probably come across technicians asking for the fastest-drying, strongest eyelash extension glue, believing it’s the key to faster lash sets that last longer. We’ve been asked this question countless times, especially as we approach London Lash’s 10th anniversary! No matter how many times it comes up, our response remains the same: the fastest glue isn’t always the strongest bond. Let’s break it down:
Faster = Stronger
It’s true that what makes a glue fast and what makes it strong are related. The key ingredient, cyanoacrylate, gives the glue its bonding power. The more cyanoacrylate present, the faster it dries and the stronger it bonds—in theory.
A Note About Humidity
Cyanoacrylate reacts with moisture in the air, which is why it cures more quickly when there’s more humidity. While temperature also influences curing, humidity is often the sneaky factor that goes unnoticed.
High levels of cyanoacrylate + high humidity = a super-fast curing glue. That’s why we always ask you for your room’s temperature and humidity levels when recommending a glue, and why we insist that every lash artist invest in a Digital Hygrometer.
Each glue has an ideal temperature and humidity range where it performs best. If your humidity is too high for the glue you’re using, it will dry even faster than advertised.
Faster ≠ Stronger
The truth is, the more cyanoacrylate a glue has, the quicker it will cure. But the faster a glue cures, the more brittle the bond can become. This is especially true if the glue comes into direct contact with moisture, causing it to shock polymerise (which is what happens when you see white residue on the glue).
Now let’s assume your humidity is perfect, and your glue is drying as expected. All good, right? Well, not necessarily.
If your placement speed doesn’t match the drying time of your glue, the glue may start to curebefore the extension is placed on the natural lash, leading to a weaker bond—even if your prep is flawless.
Instead of chasing the fastest glue, actually time yourself dipping and placing an extension to see what glue speed you really need.
The strongest, and therefore best, glue is the one that bonds properly with your natural lash, inyour room conditions, atyour speed. As much as the fastest, strongest glue may sound appealing, it’s not worth risking your client retention if the glue is too fast for your application speed.
