How to Apply Premade Fans Step by Step

Course: Premade fans course · Module 3 of 4

Knowing how to apply premade fans properly is the difference between a set that lasts and one that sheds within a week or leaves natural lashes stuck together. The fan arrives ready-made, but the technique is still volume lashing. In this module you’ll work through the process step by step, from lifting the fan off the strip to the final check, and learn how to plan your mapping with mixed-length trays.

Module objectives

Set up your station and adhesive before you start placing fans.
Lift a fan off its strip or tray without distorting it.
Dip only the base into the adhesive, in the right amount.
Place the fan with the correct distance, contact and direction.
Prevent and spot stickies.
Plan your mapping and spread lengths and volume across the eye.

Before you start: station, adhesive and client

This module assumes you already know how to prep the client and isolate lashes (covered in our eyelash extensions A to Z course). With ready-made fans, also review:

Tweezers: you’ll need an isolation tweezer and a volume tweezer. London Lash suggests volume tweezers are probably the most comfortable for picking up premades. You’ll find several models in our tweezers category.
Adhesive: London Lash says you can use your usual lash glue, although because premades go on a little faster you may end up needing a quicker-drying one; it recommends judging how your current adhesive performs before switching. Check room temperature and humidity with a hygrometer and keep them within the range your adhesive manufacturer specifies. As an example, Lash Jungle gives 50–60% humidity and 21–25°C as the ideal range for its own adhesives.
Fresh adhesive: Lash Jungle recommends shaking the bottle well, using glue opened within the last 4 weeks, storing it somewhere cool and dry away from sunlight, and putting out a fresh drop every 15–20 minutes. If the glue turns stringy, it has gone off and won’t bond well.

How to apply premade fans step by step

Step 1: set up your tray

Ready-made fans come in different formats. Lash Jungle describes three: loose fans (not pre-lined, to be separated and arranged on a silicone pad), trays with fans already laid out in strips, and stacked clear strips that aren’t self-adhesive and also need a pad. Whatever the format:

Decide your map before you start (see below).
Lay out the lengths you’ll use within easy reach, shortest to longest.
Keep the tray covered when you’re not using it to protect it from dust.

Step 2: lift the fan off the strip

London Lash explains that on its strips the fans are attached by the body, with the slim base angled upwards. Its method is to grasp the fan by the base with your tweezers first, reposition it flatter on the strip, then pick it up again comfortably by the body. Lash Affair advises peeling premades gently off the strip so you don’t compress the spread.

Before dipping, check that the fan is open, symmetrical and free of crossed fibres.

Step 3: isolate a single natural lash

Use your isolation tweezer to separate one natural lash. Every source agrees: a fan must never go on several lashes at once. Lash Jungle warns that attaching a fan to multiple lashes can lead to permanent lash damage.

Step 4: dip only the base

Lash Jungle and Sugarlash PRO recommend dipping only the bottom of the fan, about 2–3 mm (Lash Jungle’s retention guide says 2 mm). Some practical points:

Dip into the centre of the glue drop, not the edge (Lash Jungle).
Slide the base in and out; don’t “scoop” glue by dragging the fan (London Lash).
Check there’s no ball of glue on the base. Too much adhesive causes stickies; too little causes poor retention (Lash Jungle).

Some manufacturers give specific instructions for their own fans. Curacoro, for example, explains that its very slim-based promades carry very little bonding glue from the factory and recommends holding them in the drop for at least one second. That’s one manufacturer’s advice: always follow your own manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 5: place the fan

Distance from the skin: Lashbase says the extension should sit about 0.5 mm away from the skin. Touching the skin can irritate the skin or follicle; placing it too far away leaves a visible gap.
Base contact: at least 2 mm of base attached to the natural lash with no gaps (Lash Jungle, Lashbase). Sugarlash PRO adds that a proper wrap around the natural lash helps longevity.
On top, underneath or to the side: according to Lashbase, attaching from the top is the most common method for lashes that grow straight or downwards, while attaching from underneath works well for curly or upward-pointing lashes. Side attachment can help fill small gaps, but very curly lashes may not offer enough bonding surface.
Direction: Lashbase uses 90 degrees to the eyelid as its reference and warns that a wider angle on the inner corners looks unflattering and can irritate.
Hold: keep the fan in place for a moment so the glue grabs. Curacoro suggests 0.5–1 second for its fans; the real time depends on your adhesive.

Step 6: check and correct as you go

Sugarlash PRO recommends examining your work continuously and using your tweezers to adjust any fan that looks twisted or misplaced.

How to avoid stickies

Stickies (natural lashes glued together) are “super damaging” and painful according to London Lash: pulling them apart can damage the lash right from the root. The most commonly cited causes are:

Poor isolation, especially of baby lashes (Lashbase).
Too much adhesive, or scooping glue with the fan (Lashbase, London Lash).
Moving on to the next lash before the glue has cured (Lashbase, London Lash).
Bases that don’t sit flush against the natural lash or that criss-cross (London Lash).
An adhesive that’s too slow for your working speed (Lashbase).

To prevent them:

Work in layers and alternate eyes or sections; London Lash suggests leaving a gap of about 7 lashes between the sections you’re working on so the glue can cure.
Brush through the lashes with a microfibre brush during application (Lashbase).
Check every lash from root to tip with your tweezers, from different angles; Lashbase suggests using a dental mirror.
If two lashes are stuck, separate them with two tweezers: one holds a lash while the other gently peels the second away (what London Lash calls the “banana peel” method).
Work under good, bright lighting so you can see detail without straining your eyes (London Lash).

Mapping with premade fans

Mapping is your plan of lengths, curls and volume for each zone of the eye. Lash Affair suggests this process:

Assess the eyes from the front: shape, asymmetry, and the density and length of the natural lashes.
Talk to the client about the look she wants, using reference photos if needed.
Divide the eye into five to seven sections and mark the transitions on the pad with a pen or a mapping sticker.
Map each eye separately so both look symmetrical when open.

As an example for almond eyes, Lash Affair gives 7–8 mm at the inner corner, 10 mm at the inner edge of the iris, 11–14 mm at the centre (depending on lash strength), 10–11 mm at the outer edge of the iris and 9–10 mm at the outer corner. It’s an example, not a rule: the same source warns that a 14 mm extension on a weak natural lash will droop and pop off.

Why MIX trays help

Mixed-length trays, such as the MIX 8–15 mm version of our Premade Fan or the MIX trays in the 520–600 range, put several lengths in one tray, which makes mapping easier without opening several boxes. Before you start, find the lengths for each section of your map on the tray.

Adapt the volume to each zone

Mapping isn’t only about length. Lash Affair recommends keeping handmade fans for areas that need precision, such as the inner corner, and Lash Jungle advises skipping baby lashes or using thinner, shorter extensions on them. In practice, the fullest fans only make sense where the natural lash is strongest, while weaker areas need fewer fibres or a finer diameter (module 2).

Final check

Brush through the set, check lash by lash once more for stickies, make sure both eyes look symmetrical and remove pads or tape gently.

Common mistakes

Squashing the fan as you lift it, so it closes and loses its effect.
Dipping the whole fan or beyond the base: it clumps and sticks to neighbouring lashes.
Placing a fan on two lashes because of rushed isolation.
Gluing the base to the skin or leaving it too far away.
Too little base contact, so the fan falls out within days.
Working on neighbouring lashes before the glue has cured.

Module summary

Set up tweezers, fresh adhesive and the right room conditions (per the manufacturer) before you begin.
Lift the fan gently and check it’s open and symmetrical.
Always isolate a single natural lash.
Dip only the base (about 2–3 mm according to sources), in the centre of the drop and without scooping.
Place it about 0.5 mm from the skin with at least 2 mm of contact and the right direction.
Prevent stickies by working in sections, brushing and checking root to tip.
Map in sections and match length and volume to the strength of each lash.

Self-assessment

How much of the fan should go into the glue according to the sources?

Only the base: about 2–3 mm according to Lash Jungle and Sugarlash PRO (Lash Jungle’s retention guide says 2 mm).

What is the minimum base contact with the natural lash?

At least 2 mm, with no gaps between the extension and the natural lash.

Why shouldn’t you move straight to the next lash after placing a fan?

Because the glue hasn’t cured yet, and if the neighbouring lash touches the base they’ll stick together.

How do you separate two lashes that have stuck together?

With two tweezers: one holds one lash while the other gently peels the second away (the “banana peel” method).

Which natural lashes suit attaching from underneath?

Curly lashes or lashes that point upwards, according to Lashbase.

Note: this online course is for educational and information purposes only and does not replace hands-on, in-person training with a qualified educator. Always follow each product manufacturer’s instructions.

Sources

Buy the course supplies

All the supplies for this course are available at Lash Canarias:

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