How to price your lash services can be a little confusing as a new lash artist. Do you charge just enough to cover the cost of your products, do you charge enough to cover the cost of your products as well as the investment into your training? But then if you charge too cheap will you attract the wrong type of clientele. No wonder it can be confusing!

When deciding the prices of your services, it is a good idea to look at your costs, from here you can start to understand what you need to charge to earn back what you have invested so far as well as make your new business venture sustainable.

• The investments you have made so far such as the cost of the course, any additional kit/stock you had to purchase, your time and energy it took to work through the course, submit case studies etc.
• The daily costs of running your lash business: Products, insurance, electricity, room rent, childcare, tax, advertising etc. Sit down and make a note of everything you need to spend out on to be able to run your lash business.
• Hourly rate: how long will it take you to do a set of lash extensions, clean down and set up for another client. How many clients “could” you see in one day. This is where you need to understand what you require for your hourly rate and then use that to price your lash sets.
• The value of the service you offer. Lash extensions is an intricate treatment. Sharp tweezers and strong glues are used on the eyes. In untrained hands there is a lot that can go wrong. The nature of the service demands a higher price.

Set your prices based on all the above, if clients do not want to accept your prices then they are not the right client for you. 

If you are still practicing before you want to commit to offering your services to the “real public” then the following guidelines can assist

• The first 4-5 treatments cover the cost of your products
• The following five sets charge a beginner price (50% of what your future full set rate will be)
• The following five sets 75% of the full price
• From here on full price

A great guide can be to look at the average price in your area and go for the upper half of the average market pricing. If you throw in aftercare goodies/aftercare kits you can also increase your prices as very few lash artists include this.

Friends and family are always great to practice on, and if you make mistakes, they are usually very forgiving. You will naturally feel more confident working on those you know which really helps to build your skills as you are more likely to try out new techniques on them compared to a real client.

From here, however, you have to start looking outside of your closest network. Try to invite people on Instagram and Facebook to become models by paying a small amount for your services (to cover the cost of the materials).

Don’t be alarmed if your models never return once you increase your prices. There is a saying, charge peanuts, attract monkeys. From experience very few people will offer to be a model to assist you in your development, they are simply bargain hunters who want cheap lashes, as such will jump from cheap lash artist to cheap lash artist. But that is ok, because they still make fantastic practice models.

Just because you are a new eyelash technician doesn’t mean you have to charge a super low price. However, at your level you can't ask for the highest price either. Experience matters and that only comes with time, practise and experience.

The customers you need are: 

• Loyal and appreciate your work
• Eyelashes are important to them
• They want quality lashes, not cheap lashes
• When you increase your prices, they understand and feel happy to support your business

The customers to avoid:

• Fail to appreciate your work
• Only want lashes during special offers
• Who keep asking for discounts
• Who are not understanding of your price increases

Many therapists choose pre-holiday times to raise prices. During this time, customers are more generous and spend more money than during the rest of the year. 
I hope that this blog assists with providing guidance to new and upcoming lash artists.

By Frankie Widdows, (Eyelash Excellence Founder/Owner)