Written by Tanvi Patel

Nano misters add moisture to the air which will increase the humidity that the glue requires to bond to the lashes. This is a perfect tool to use when the humidity is too low. However, improper use can cause problems that you may not be aware of. Here are the pros and cons to help you decide whether you should or should not use a nano mister.

Pros

1. Speeds up the curing process

• Adding moisture will help the glue cure faster. If you’re using a nano mister, make sure you’re holding it at a reasonable height over the client’s lashes (I would personally go over 15 inches or more!)
• They automatically turn off after a specified time indicated by the supplier (usually after 30 seconds).

2. Minimizes eye irritation

• During the glue curing process, there will be small amounts of fumes emitted in the air. While most clients won’t be bothered by the fumes, there will be some who will be extra sensitive to the fumes. They can feel irritation of the eyes by making their eyes red, watery and cause a burning sensation. Others may even be allergic to the fumes, causing their eyes to swell up.
• Because it speeds up the curing process, the client will have less exposure time to the fumes therefore less irritation.

3. Reduces wait time to get lashes wet

• The amount of time required to wait before getting the lashes wet will be reduced by half.
• Your client will no longer have to wait 24-48 hours!

Cons

1. Results in shock polymerization

• If used inappropriately, you will end up adding water droplets to the lashes. This will be too much water for the glue and result in shock polymerization.
• What does this look like? It will turn the lash extensions white. Not a pretty sight so use with caution!

2. Causes retention problems

• Glue needs to cure at its own pace. Typically 24-48 hours is sufficient for the curing process to complete.
• If you try to speed up this process, the chances are only the outer layer of the glue will cure, while the inner layer is left uncured. In order for the glue to form a strong bond, it should cure inside and out. This will cause the extensions to fall out faster than the desired time causing retention problems for your clients.

3. Hardens lashes  

• Again, if the glue cures at its own pace then the bond created between the extension and natural lash will be more flexible. Speed curing will result in a harder bond causing the lashes to be more brittle.

Do I personally use a nano mister on my clients? No, but I have used it a couple of times when I first got the nano mister. I don’t think it really made any difference for my clients as far as retention goes. I have yet to try it on clients who are extra sensitive to the glue.

My personal preference is to focus on using as little of the glue as possible. If you’re actually spending time drying the extensions after your application, you’re using too much glue! Most glues on the market have a dry time of 1-4 seconds so why spend 5 minutes at the end holding a fan over your client’s face?

To prevent exposure to the fumes, I keep an air purifier next to my clients to ward off the fumes. I also started keeping an open bottle of our anti-allergy gel called Purify. This also absorbs the fumes that are emitted.

At the end of the day, a nano mister is certainly a good tool to have but follow the instructions properly and don’t overuse it during the application process!