I see a lot of Lash Technicians recently discussing the difference between Russian Volume and Volume Lash Extensions.
Russian Volume is the technique of creating a lash fan, using their tweeezers or fingers (pinching method).
Volume Lash sets are created using pre-made fans, pro-made fans or W lashes. Lashes that are already in a flared or 'fan' shaped, and can be picked up and placed on the natural lash, like a Classic Lash.
Below is a picture of a hand-made Russian Volume fan.
For Russian Volume, the lashes come singly on a strip, the same as your Classic lashes would, but they are much finer. The most popular thicknesses for Russian Volume lashing is usually 0.05 or 0.07 thickness. The smaller the number, the finer the lashes are.
For Mega Volume, even finer lashes are used; usually 0.03.
The finer the lashes, the more lashes that can be picked up within the fan, however, there are limits as to how many lashes can be used within a fan, to still comply with safe lashing. We talk about this a bit further on.
When it comes to Volume Lashes, lash techs do not need to worry about their skill level as such, or training in Russian Volume, as they can simply pick up a pre-made, pro-made or W lash, which have been made in advance. The bases are either heat bonded, or glued, so that they do not fall apart when being picked up. The Lash Technician can then simply place this fan directly on to the natural lash.
Below is a picture of Freckle Pre-made 8D fans
It's fair to say that if you are using pre-made lashes/fans, that you should not advertise your sets as 'Russian Volume', as this is a skilled technique that is used to create this style. It often takes longer and many Lash Artists invest in a lot of training and fab tools to be able to create hand-made Russian Volume sets. However, advertising sets as 'Volume' sets, when using pre-made fans is fine, as you still want clients to know that you offer services creating a this style.
These days, clients don't seem to be bothered whether you are hand-making fans or using pre-mades. Pre-made/pro-made fans have evolved and developed immensely over the last few years, and its often very difficult to tell the difference between good pre-made/pro-made fans and hand made ones. The bases are usually ultra thin and spacing between the lashes is even, which all adds to a great fan and amazing looking sets!
A lot of Lash Artists have starting switching across to pre-made/pro-made fans to make their application time quicker. Those who have been hand-making fans for years, may argue that it doesn't take them any longer, but it can take months or even years of regular practice to create a perfect hand-made Russian Volume fan. So it is easy to see why so many people now opt for pre-made fans.
Although pre-made fans can be used by Classic Lash Technicians, something important to look out for when choosing these fans is that they are safe to use and will not overload the natural lashes. There are many companies out there these days selling lash fans that consist of lashes that are too thick and/or there are too many within the fan. These may cause long-lasting damage to your clients lashes, if they cannot support them.
For example: if the lash thickness is 0.05, with approximately 9 lashes in that fan (9D fan), this weighs roughly the same as 1 x 0.15 Classic Lash.
So if a fan has 14 lashes of 0.05 thickness (14D fan), this will weigh much heavier than 1 x 0.15 Classic Lash. So choosing a finer lash such as 0.03 in a bigger fan, would be a safer option. So you always need to consider whether you client can safely support it.
Below is a picture of Freckle W Lashes in 0.07 4D Fan
At Freckle we have always been mindful of only selling pre-made/pro-made fans that we know are safe to use on the marjority of clients (in my experience, the majority of my clients can safely support a 0.15 Classic Lash - so I base a lot of our fan weights around this)
We do not want to encourage selling products to Lash Techs who may not have the knowledge of understanding lash weights, and may unknowingly cause damage to their clients lashes. We do recommend taking a course or workshop to expand your knowledge on lash weights, if you want to ensure you are complying with safe lashing.
I offer a variety of Lash Workshops or Lash Mentoring training via my sister company The Beauty Training Group. Feel free to get in touch if you feel this might be something you are interested in.
I hope this blog helps answer some questions relating to the differences between Russian Volume and Volume Lashes xx