14.5 Ancillary Services: Eyebrow Shaping, Lash & Brow Tinting, Bleaching

14.5 Ancillary Services: Eyebrow Shaping, Lash & Brow Tinting, Bleaching

CIDESCO Exam Tip: "Ancillary Services - Eyebrow shaping; Eyelash and brow tinting; Bleaching of face and body hair" is a named compulsory subject in the CIDESCO syllabus, and eyelash and eyebrow tinting plus eyebrow shaping appear explicitly in the CIDESCO facial practical examination. Expect questions on measuring landmarks, removal direction, developer strength, processing times and the patch test interval.

Ancillary services are short, high-frequency treatments performed around the eye, the most delicate and most litigated area of the face. They demand precise measurement, strict hygiene, and an understanding of the chemistry involved.

Eyebrow Shaping

The Three Measuring Points

The brow is measured with an orange stick or brow pencil held against the face. Each measurement is taken with the client looking straight ahead.

                     ARCH                 TAIL
                      |                     \
        INNER EDGE    |                      \
            |     ____|_____                  \
            |    /          \____              \
         ---+---/                \--------------+
            |  (          eye          )        |
            |        outer edge                 |
         vertical    of iris          diagonal from nostril
         from nostril                 through outer canthus
         / inner canthus

1. Inner edge: a vertical line from the outer edge of the nostril up through the inner canthus. Hair inside this line is removed to avoid a joined brow.
2. Highest point of the arch: directly above the outer edge of the iris when the client looks straight ahead.
3. Tail: where a diagonal from the outer edge of the nostril through the outer canthus meets the brow. Hair beyond this line is removed, and the tail should finish level with, or very slightly above, the inner edge.

Technique and Rules

• Cleanse the area, then warm the tissue with a warm damp compress for 30-60 seconds to soften the follicle and reduce discomfort.
• Remove hairs from beneath the natural brow line only, in the direction of hair growth, gripping close to the root with the skin held taut.
• Work alternately between the two brows, checking symmetry frequently by stepping back and viewing the whole face.
• Never tweeze from above the brow. The upper margin defines the natural arch; once removed it cannot be restored until regrowth, which for eyebrow hair commonly takes 6-8 weeks.
• Finish with a soothing, non-oily antiseptic lotion. Erythema and small perifollicular papules are normal for 15-30 minutes.
• Contraindications: eye infection, bruising, recent injectables in the brow region, active skin disease, recent chemical peel or laser, and systemic isotretinoin.

Eyelash & Eyebrow Tinting

Chemistry

Professional lash and brow tints are oxidative dyes. A cream tint containing small, colourless dye precursors is mixed with a hydrogen peroxide developer at 3% (10 volume). The peroxide releases nascent oxygen, which oxidises the precursors into large coloured molecules that become physically trapped inside the hair cortex. This is a chemical change, and it is irreversible - the colour grows out with the hair rather than washing off.

Note the developer strength. Salon hair colouring commonly uses 6%, 9% or 12% peroxide; lash and brow work uses 3% only. A higher volume near the eye is both unnecessary and unsafe.

Patch Test - Mandatory

A patch (skin sensitivity) test is performed 24-48 hours before the first treatment and before each new course. A small quantity of mixed tint is applied behind the ear or in the inner elbow crease and left undisturbed. Any itching, erythema, swelling or blistering is a positive result and the service is refused. Oxidative dye precursors are potent contact sensitisers; a sensitised client can develop severe periorbital dermatitis, and systemic reactions have been reported.

Procedure

1. Confirm the patch test result, complete the record card, and remove contact lenses.
2. Cleanse the lashes and brows thoroughly to remove mascara, oil and residue - oil blocks dye uptake.
3. Protect the skin: apply a barrier of petroleum jelly to the upper and lower lids around the lash line, then place shaped damp eye shields under the lower lashes.
4. Mix the tint with 3% peroxide in a non-metallic dish immediately before use.
5. Apply from base to tip with a disposable applicator, coating upper and lower lashes with the client's eyes closed and still.
6. Processing: lashes approximately 10 minutes; brows only 2-5 minutes, because brow hair is finer, more porous and takes colour much faster. Over-processed brows look harsh and unnatural.
7. Remove with damp cotton pads working from the outer to the inner corner, then check for residue.
8. If any tint enters the eye, flush immediately with running water or sterile saline for 15-20 minutes and seek medical advice.

Contraindications

Conjunctivitis, blepharitis, styes, hordeolum, watery or streaming eyes including active hay fever, recent eye surgery within 6 months, positive or absent patch test, known dye allergy, and eye injury.

Regulatory Position - Know Your Jurisdiction

CIDESCO is an international qualification and the legal position on lash tinting is not uniform.

• United States: the FDA has approved no colour additive for permanently dyeing or tinting eyelashes or eyebrows. The single exception is silver nitrate up to 4% by weight in a viscous gel, professional use only, not for those under 16, and applied for no longer than one minute. Whether the service may be offered at all is then decided state by state.
• European Union: p-phenylenediamine (PPD) is permitted in oxidative hair dye products under Annex III of the Cosmetics Regulation but is not permitted for dyeing eyelashes and eyebrows. Specific eyelash-dye substances that are permitted are restricted to professional use only.

A therapist must check and follow the rules of the country in which they practise, and must not assume that a product legal in one market may be used in another.

Bleaching Superfluous Face & Body Hair

Bleaching lightens hair rather than removing it, and suits fine, dark, downy hair on the upper lip, chin, forearms or back where waxing would be unnecessarily traumatic or where regrowth stubble is unwelcome.

• Chemistry: a bleaching powder or cream containing an alkaline activator (typically ammonia or a persulphate salt) is mixed with hydrogen peroxide. The alkali swells the cuticle and the peroxide oxidises melanin within the cortex into colourless products.
• Testing: perform a skin sensitivity test 24 hours beforehand, and take a strand test on a small area to judge the processing time.
• Application: apply a thick, even layer over dry, clean, product-free skin. Check every 5 minutes and process for a maximum of about 10 minutes. Remove immediately if stinging, burning or marked erythema occurs.
• Removal and aftercare: remove with cool damp cotton, rinse thoroughly, and apply a soothing non-perfumed lotion. Advise no sun exposure, heat, perfumed products or exfoliation for 24 hours.
• Contraindications: broken or inflamed skin, sunburn, eczema or dermatitis in the area, very sensitive skin, recent waxing or peeling in the last 24-48 hours, and any area immediately around the eye. Bleach is never used on eyelashes or eyebrows.
• Limitation to explain at consultation: bleached hair regrows dark at the root within 2-4 weeks and the bleached length can look golden or brassy on darker skin, so expectations must be set honestly.