Online vs In-Person Lash Certification: What's Legal

Here's the short version. You can learn lash theory online, but you can't earn your initial certification online-only in Canada, because the hands-on practicum has to be done in person. Once you're certified, almost all further lash training and workshops can be done online. So online training isn't a scam, and it isn't second-rate. It just can't replace the in-person practicum for that first certification.

Hi, I'm Dawn Walsh. I've been teaching lash certification since 2011, and I'm a co-author of the Beauty Council's BeautySafe Level 2 Lash Extensions course. “Can I just do this online?” might be the question I get asked most, and there's so much confusion around it that I want to clear it up properly.

The one rule that actually matters

Lash certification has two parts: the theory and the practicum.

The theory is everything you can learn with your brain: eye anatomy, adhesive safety, sanitation, styling, aftercare. That part can absolutely be learned online.

The practicum is the hands-on part, where you actually apply lash adhesive on a live model. That part has to be done in person, because there's no safe way to learn to work millimetres from someone's eye through a screen, and no way for an educator to confirm your technique without watching your hands.

So here's how it works at my academy. The certification covers the theory and then an in-person practicum, where you show me you can do it safely on a real person. That in-person practicum is the one piece that can't move online, and it only applies to your first certification. Everything after that, all your advanced training and workshops, can be done online.

Now let me clear up the three things people get wrong.

Myth 1: “I got certified online, but I still need help.”

I hear this one all the time, and it's a shame every time. Someone gets trained, and then their educator is nowhere to be found when they need mentorship. They technically have a certificate, but they're on their own the moment something goes wrong.

That's not how I work. At Blink & Brow, we take real pride in our students' success, because your success is our success. I offer follow-up after your class, so when you hit a snag, you've got someone to turn to. Getting certified is where the learning starts, and I don't disappear once you've paid.

Myth 2: “Online training isn't legal, or isn't the real way to train.”

This one's only half right, and the half that's wrong costs people a lot of confidence.

Online training is perfect for almost everything in lashing, as long as it's after your initial certification. The only part that has to happen in person is the practicum in your certification class. After that, all your advanced training and workshops are easily done online, and there's nothing second-rate about it.

So don't let anyone tell you online has no place. It has a huge place. It just can't be the only thing for your first certification.

Myth 3: “Online is cheaper, so it can't be as good.”

Online training usually costs less, and people assume that means lower quality. It doesn't.

The reason online costs less is simple: it takes fewer resources and less manpower to deliver. That's it. A good online workshop can carry all the same information as an in-person one. The one thing price has nothing to do with is the practicum, which has to be in person no matter what, because that's about safety, not cost.

So which should you do?

If you're not certified yet, start with in-person certification. That's the one part of your journey that legally and safely has to be done in person, so it's worth doing properly with someone who'll actually support you afterward.

Once you've got that first certification, online becomes your best friend for growing your skills.

If that's where you are, take a look at my in-person certification classes in Langley, BC, or read my full guide on how to become a certified lash artist in Canada to see exactly what's involved.

Dawn Walsh, Founder and Lead Educator, Blink & Brow Co. Academy. Teaching lash certification since 2011.