October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a time for us to increase our knowledge and awareness of a disease that affects millions of women, and men, worldwide. It’s an important month for women’s health and should encourage us all to be active in our personal health by doing things like scheduling preventive screenings and maintaining a healthy diet. During a month when women’s health is in the spotlight, we felt it appropriate to educate lash artists on the importance of wearing a lash mask to protect our health.
Similar to a surgical mask, the lash mask is intended for safety and sanitation. Fortunately, Lash Affair by J. Paris makes a beautiful, black lace mask that serves as a fashionable accessory in addition to providing safety and sanitation. Lash masks can help us prevent germs that could potentially spread in close quarters. Anytime someone coughs, sneezes, or even talks, germs have the potential to spread and, with our full schedules, most of us cannot afford to take a day off because of the sniffles. Make it a habit to protect your clients, and yourself, from germ exposure by wearing a lash mask during all appointments regardless of whether you are sick or not.
Better than a surgical mask, some specialized lash masks (like Lash Affair’s Lace Face Mask) include a carbon filter that provides full protection against fumes such as carbon. Depending on your schedule, some lash artists may be exposed to lash adhesive for 8 hours or more day! As we’ve learned from our previous blog post about lash adhesives, we know that Cyanoacrylate is a key component of lash glue. Cyanoacrylate is also a chemical that releases an odor that can cause everything from irritated eyes to dizziness and headaches. Small exposure to chemicals like Cyanoacrylate is not harmful but, when we think about our lives as lash artists, we should be preventive because our exposure can be measured in months and years over a lifetime.
A lash mask is just another preventative measure we can take as women in the beauty industry. The same type of masks could be used for nail techs or colorists who are also exposed to chemicals as part of their careers. Regardless of your career, October is a great month for all women to reflect upon their personal health. We encourage you take the steps necessary to stay healthy year round.
