The Pros and Cons of Online Eyelash Extension Training

Due to the current pandemic of the COVID-19 virus, many students are looking at online education to take advantage of the “stay-at-home” orders most states have implemented. Online education has been around for many years and is a great option for continued education in many industries around the world.

While online education may sound enticing, beauty industry institutions and educators would like to offer some helpful advice. Before investing in online education, please do your research to know the facts.

Beware of some “quick” and “cheap” online lash education options popping up everywhere you look. Many scammers are out there, trying to take advantage of our vulnerability during the current situation. If you do choose to proceed with an online class, please read the provider’s reviews, make sure they are accredited with the BBB, look at their work on social media or contact someone who obtained education through this source. There are good options out there, however, please do your homework.

Before delving into the details, here is a list of Pros associated with online education for eyelash extensions and eyelash lift:

The class cost is generally less expensive.
No travel required, training could be completed in the comfort of your home.
During a virus outbreak like the current COVID-19 epidemic, you will avoid crowded classrooms.
The theory portion of lash training can be covered in an online environment.
The combination of Online and In-Class Training pioneered by Pearl Lash would greatly increase the quality of education and reduce the learning curve.

Unfortunately, there are some Cons when it comes to online eyelash education, here are some of them:

Lack of hands-on experience. Most online eyelash classes consist of an instructor working on a model or mannequin while the students are expected to follow her instructions at home. Unless the class comes with an option of coming into class at a later date, it might be challenging for new students.
No live models allowed. (if an online class is allowing live models, beware of a scam!) Due to the safety precautions, an online instructor is not in the position to allow any students to work on live models. Keep in mind, you are most likely performing this service for the first time in your life, using dangerous chemicals, sharp instruments, and various client conditions. In an event of something going wrong, an online instructor would be powerless.
Limited professional evaluation of your work. Based on the above, at the end of your online training, you will most likely have a ton of questions like; how did I do? Which areas should I work on to improve? What should I do differently to achieve a certain result? Was my placement, isolation, lash selection done properly? While Pearl Lash Online Training provides many avenues to interact and follow up with the Master Trainer, generally, most online training options will have a limited ability to provide this type of information due to technology. A camera and screen will never substitute the human eye.
Unlimited amount of students. Based on our experience, many online classes can fill up with upwards of 20-30 students which makes it extremely hard to ask any questions or receive much attention from the instructor. You are more often left with one-way communication from the instructor without the ability to ask many questions or receive any feedback. Pearl Lash Online classes are always limited to 6 students as we try to keep an intimate atmosphere and some personal touch.
No classroom interaction. Most of us do not realize how important social peer interaction is to a new lash artist. In an online class, you will be sitting by yourself in front of your computer. Based on the experience of our Pearl Lash trainers, students love interacting, sharing their experiences, bouncing ideas off each other, reviewing each other’s work, encouraging their peers’ work and so much more.

Based on the experience of our Master Trainers, online-only lash education makes it a bit more challenging to begin a successful career. Many Pearl Lash Certified Lash Artists who initially elected to start with online training elsewhere, came back to retake our classes.

From the words of our Master Trainers, we can tell that students from online classes are not ready for the challenges that lay ahead of them in this profession. Most online classes neglect to cover tons of critically valuable theory, skipping right to the application. This results in students needing to go back to square one and fill in many gaps in their knowledge during the classroom environment. That was the main reason why our team at Pearl Lash decided to elevate the training experience by pioneering Online + Classroom training.