My cautionary tale is about both a business and a service. Ladies, if you were ever thinking about lash extensions, don't do it. Anywhere. It's largely an unregulated industry and even if you have lashes a long time, you can still end up with problems (Google it). I went to The Afterlash June 21st. I had constant eye irritation, ending in a potentially disfiguring reaction from low grade adhesive allergens all within 3 weeks. I also had the worst customer service experience of my life with the owner, Shireen, once I requested refund. All of a sudden, there was no empathy or compassion in her. Only mean.
You can tell a lot about a business by the quality of service it provides when things go wrong in a customer situation. Unfortunately, I feel traumatized by Shireen's unprofessional and outright despicable handling of my situation to the point where I have lost sleep and am up in the wee early morning hours writing this review.
Lash adhesive often has formaldehyde. This causes a lot of problems. I was not given a list of ingredients nor warned about this. I also didn't see any licensure for technicians on the wall either time I was there. I should have heeded my first thought when I saw this lack of regulation and walked right out. I didn't, and paid with my health. The lash adhesive caused my eyes to burn despite being carefully cleaned. I ended up with a kind of sty which, if I don't respond to antibiotics, will need surgery to remove. I am on both antibiotic eyedrops 4 x day and oral doxycycline 2x day for 7 days. I also have to constantly massage and put hot compresses on the area.
Shireen's emailed response (we never met in person) to me was absolutely awful. She cared more for her tech getting paid than about my health & safety. When I learned that I was facing disfigurement because of the adhesive, Shireen said it "wasn't fair" to issue me a full refund when her tech had done all that work. She blamed me for not keeping my lashes clean (?) Yes, I had. When I pointed out that in my first email to her, I had advised the adhesive had caused the problem *before* the sty, I said that it 'wasn't fair" for me to miss out on work, take antibiotics, and face potential surgery. *Noteably-I don't wear makeup regularly, I'm more of a skin care person.
Shireen begrudgingly said she'd give a full refund and said she'd pay for my antibiotic copay of $20...but she didn't leave it at that. Instead, Shireen felt it necessary to be passive aggressive and outright mean in her emails rather than just issue me the refund she'd agreed to - and just stop there.
I have a less than delightful email exchange where she became nasty and petty. Shireen's first response, and I quote, " I'm very sorry that you feel the need to take it this far for $160. Let me know if you paid by credit and the last four numbers for a refund." My first question to myself was, What kind of ethical esthetician says something like that? Shireen then short paid the $20 by $0.88 cents (by including the paypal fee). This was the medicine copay she'd agreed to pay. There was no need for her to say "forced payment for "prescription copay" on it.
I am still waiting on the $161 refund. When I asked when that was showing up, Shireen said, "Brenda, I have no idea. You can ask Square." Um. They're her service-she doesn't know? FYI If you aren't a member of Square, you don't get to talk to a live person. I tried. Shireen sent me screenshots of a refund confirmation that I now figure she canceled.
What an awful situation to have to deal with. When I wrote a review on our community Facebook page, Shireen called me upset because customers called asking why she handled me so badly. She never once asked if I was ok and remained unhelpful. She just wanted to argue with me. I hung up on her because arguing without solving for a different solution accomplishes nothing. It's a revolving door to a closed argument.
If you're an existing AfterLash customer, God help you. Should something go wrong, Shireen won't take care of anything except her bottom profit line. I filed a complaint with the CA Board of Barbers & Cosmetology.
If you're a new customer, here's my tips:
* Make sure the aesthetician who is doing your eyelash extensions has valid certification.
* Ask to see the ingredient list on the adhesive being used and check for potential allergens like formaldehyde.
* Make sure your aesthetician is practicing good hygiene, including washing his or her hands thoroughly and wearing gloves.
*If you do notice signs of infection, see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
My ophthalmologist does not recommend lash extensions and had seen eye injuries like mine before. So if you have a sty, go in to the doctor. Don't wait. And file a complaint with the state.
**Edited 7/15: Shireen disputed the $20 paypal; says she didn't receive the receipt sent to her. She can't stop being mean. I also won this dispute. read more