Eyelash Extensions "Medical Grade" Supplies: Opinion

I've heard every sales pitch known to man when it comes to eyelash extensions.
Some of my favorites include,

"Learn how to do eyelash extensions from the best! The educator has her masters in teaching and psychology!"
What does teaching or psychology have to do with cosmetology, beauty, or eyelash extensions?

"We offer eyelash extensions by time or by the amount of lashes to best accommodate each client."
This is actually a tactic that eyelash extension boutique in states that are NOT regulated use. If a boutique has a mixture of licensed technicians and licensed technicians, they're are certain regulations up to state board standards that each can accept services. If the technician is licensed, they can sell the service. If the technician is not licensed, they can sell the amount of lashes (not the service.) And that's how they get away with it.

or my topic of debating today,

"We offer medical grade adhesives (supplies)."

What are medical grade eyelash extensions adhesives? And how would a client or eyelash extension technician know what makes each adhesive "Medical Grade?"

Most boutiques and eyelash extension academy's will advertise that they use high quality medical grade adhesives, but what makes them medical grade?

The term "Medical Grade", is unfortunately used as a sales pitch than what it actually means. Medical Grade truly means "Medical Standards."
If the adhesives follow or abide by "Medical Standards," than the adhesives or products are most likely approved by a medical suppliers, physicians, doctors, or medical staff. With this being said, unless a eyelash extension technician or boutique is able to provide proof of who approved there product, than the advertisement of "Medical Grade," is pretty much BOLOGNA.

The FDA has been dealing with a high volume of eyelash extensions products, since this service has begun to increase in popularity. With this being said, unfortunately because the FDA is slow (surprise!), there is no regulation on eyelash extension products, including adhesives, ingredients, or where lash extension products are sold or come from. (Even places such as China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, etc.) Which is terrifying, considering that most of the countries that supply these products never label what ingredients are in the adhesives, or not knowing where these products came from or what they contain.

From the FDA,

 http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048943.htm

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)regulates all cosmetics marketed in the United States, including mascara, eye shadows, eye liner, concealers, and eyebrow pencils.
Safety experts within the Office of Cosmetics and Colors in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) offer consumers the following advice:
Keep everything clean. Dangerous bacteria or fungi can grow in some cosmetic products, as well as their containers. Cleanliness can help prevent eye infections.
Always wash your hands before applying eye cosmetics, and be sure that any instrument you place near your eyes is clean. Be especially careful not to contaminate cosmetics by introducing microorganisms. For example, don't lay an eyelash wand on a countertop where it can pick up bacteria. Keep containers clean, since these may also be a source of contamination.
Don't moisten cosmetic products. Don't add saliva or water to moisten eye cosmetics. Doing so can introduce bacteria. Problems can arise if you overpower a product's preservative capability.
Don't share or swap. People can be harmed by others' germs when they share eye makeup. Keep this in mind when you come across "testers" at retail stores. If you do sample cosmetics at a store, be sure to use single-use applicators, such as clean cotton swabs.
Don't apply or remove eye makeup in a moving vehicle. Any bump or sudden stop can cause injury to your eye with a mascara wand or other applicator.
Check ingredients, including color additives. As with any cosmetic product sold to consumers, eye cosmetics are required to have an ingredient declaration on the label. If they don't, they are considered misbranded and illegal.
In the United States, the use of color additives is strictly regulated. Some color additives approved for cosmetic use in general are not approved for areas near the eyes.
If the product is properly labeled, you can check to see whether the color additives declared on the label are in FDA's List of Color Additives Approved for Use in Cosmetics. (Under "For More Information" below, see "Color Additives Approved for Use in Cosmetics.")
Use only cosmetics intended for the eyes on the eyes. Don't use a lip liner as an eye liner, for example. You may expose eyes either to contamination from your mouth or to color additives that are not approved for use near the eyes.
Say "no" to kohl! Also known as al-kahl, kajal, or surma, kohl is used in some parts of the world for enhancing the appearance of the eyes. But kohl is unapproved for cosmetic use in the United States.
Kohl contains salts of heavy metals such as antimony and lead. Reports have linked the use of kohl to lead poisoning in children.
Some eye cosmetics may be labeled with the word "kohl" only to indicate the shade, not because they contain true kohl.
A product's "ingredient statement" should not list kohl—this is not an FDA-approved color additive. Check the ingredient statement to make sure that kohl is not present.
Don't dye eyelashes and eyebrows. No color additives are approved by FDA for permanent dyeing or tinting of eyelashes and eyebrows. Permanent eyelash and eyebrow tints and dyes have been known to cause serious eye injuries.
Use care with false eyelashes or extensions. False eyelashes and extensions, as well as their adhesives, must meet the safety and labeling requirements for cosmetics. Since the eyelids are delicate, an allergic reaction, irritation, or injury in the eye area can occur. Check the ingredients to make sure you are not allergic to the adhesives.
Don't use eye cosmetics that cause irritation. Stop using a product immediately if irritation occurs. See a doctor if irritation persists.
Avoid using eye cosmetics if you have an eye infection. Discard any eye cosmetics you were using when you got the infection. Also, don't use eye cosmetics if the skin around the eye is inflamed.
Don't use old eye cosmetics. Manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase. Discard dried-up mascara.
Don't store cosmetics at temperatures above 85° F. Preservatives that keep bacteria or fungi from growing can lose their effectiveness, for example, in cosmetics kept for long periods in hot cars.

The FDA's definition of "Hypoallergenic is even more hilarious."  Because the true meaning, really is no standards at all. 

The FDA also allows the popular Whiskey, "Fireball" to be sold in the USA. Even though places in countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, and others have recalled the popular spirit, considering there is too much of the chemical propylene glycol, the same ingredient in Anti-Freeze. 

You can find the article here:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/28/frathouse-favorite-fireball-whiskey-recalled-in-europe.html

If American's are ok with these harsh ingredients, or the FDA's poor regulation of ingredients or products, than imagine the regulation on eyelash extension supplies.

                                      Scared yet? We are.

Look at all of the "horror stories" of irritation and/or allergic reaction from eyelash extensions. Now there are multiple things that could have triggered this, like mink lashes, latex tape, eyepads adhesive, fumes, not sanitizing tools, etc. But this also goes under regulation for each state to regulate this service, and the FDA to regulate products.

My suggestion?
Find a eyelash technician that can give your a list of the ingredients in the adhesives, and find a technician who only uses product MADE and MANUFACTURED in the USA or UK. Make sure that where the products are manufactured have no ingredients that could have small traces of harsh ingredients. The UK also has very strict laws in what is allowed to be in there products. If an eyelash technician only carries a product that is "manufactured specifically for them or the boutique" but cannot supply you with the ingredient information, DO NOT proceed. Private labeling is a lie half of the time. Private labeling can mean they get products from a vendor made for there company, however that should still include ingredients. If do not, that means they are most likely buying product from god knows where, and ripping off the label, and replacing it with there logo and label instead. Most of the time, the boutiques or techs that do this are usually not licensed. See my articles on, http://urbanlashspa.blogspot.com/2014/10/eyelash-extensions-products-made-in.html.
http://urbanlashspa.blogspot.com/2014/08/eyelash-extension-licensing.html.
http://urbanlashspa.blogspot.com/2014/06/great-work-aint-cheap-cheap-work-aint.html

Have any other questions? 

leave me a comment.