Nothing is more alluring than a set of long fluttery eyelashes, that’s why so many lash extension salons have popped up all around the world. The only problem with eyelashes is that we do little to care for it and to enhance its optimum potential.
But do you know that your eyelashes actually thin out with age? And with constant mascara use? Even procedures such as lash perming and eyelash extensions have also been shown to accelerate its demise, thinning them out over time. Needless to say, it is vital that we start caring for our lashes in the proper way so that they stay healthy and strong for even longer.
People generally have between 100 and 150 lashes emanating from each of their upper eyelids. Lower eyelashes are half as numerous as upper eyelashes. Upper eyelashes are arranged in two to three rows. Similar to scalp hair, eyelashes are considered terminal hairs, and as such are coarser, longer, and more pigmented than other hair types (i.e., vellus and intermediate). Eyelashes are wider than scalp hairs and, unlike other hair types, do not typically lose pigmentation and become gray with age.
As is true for all hair follicles on the body, all eyelash follicles are present at birth and their numbers do not increase during life. The hair follicles of many mammals exhibit synchronous hair cycles, but in humans the hair cycle is asynchronous such that some hair follicles are growing while others are dormant.
Though variable, the normal eyelash cycle is estimated to last from 5 to 11 months. The growth phase of eyelash follicles, anagen, lasts approximately 1–2 months. The duration of anagen crucially impacts hair length. Anagen is a period of rapid cell proliferation and differentiation. Following anagen, eyelash follicles enter catagen, a transition phase, which lasts approximately 15 days and is the time during which epithelial elements of the follicle undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. The longest phase of the normal eyelash cycle, telogen or the resting phase, lasts approximately 4–9 months.
#1 Prescription Eyelash Stimulator
One study looked at the use of bimatoprost in 41 people that had eyelash loss due to alopecia areata. The study participants applied 0.03 percent bimatoprost to the upper lash line daily for a year. About 70 percent of participants had some eyelash regrowth. Check out some lash growth stimulators available and use them daily for best effects. Be sure to speak to your doctor if you have any sensitivity to the product and to start off slow in the beginning.
The growth phases of our eyelashRead More: The Laser Makeover
#2 Healthy Diet
Certain nutritional deficiencies may contribute to hair loss. It is possible that these deficiencies could also affect the eyelashes. Nutrients that may play a role in hair health may include: vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin D, zinc, iron, protein. This explains why some women on crash diets deficient in such nutrients end up losing their hair and lashes as well.
Read More: Types of Pigmentation and How to Treat Them Effectively
#3 Revage 670
To be honest, this isn’t actually a treatment for eyelashes but for hair loss on the scalp. However, one of our editors who had undergone a series of sessions of Revage670 for her scalp noticed that her eyelashes also grew back stronger and thicker. Revage670 is a painless, non-invasive low level light therapy. Users sit under a machine with rotating lights that has been shown in studies to help stimulate hair growth on the scalp. For hair loss, typically a series of 10 sessions is recommended to be done 2-3 times a week.
Read More: 4 Beauty Procedures You Need in Your 40s
#4 Avoid Trauma
People that use an eyelash curler may accidentally tug at their lashes, which can damage hair follicles. Rubbing the eyes too roughly can contribute to eyelash loss. The hairs are delicate, so be gentle when rubbing the eyes.
Read More: How to Stop Your Eyes From Aging You
#5 Go makeup-free
Leaving eye makeup on overnight, especially mascara, can dry out the lashes. Dry lashes are more likely to break or fall out prematurely.
Read More: How Cutting Back on Your Sleep Is Wrecking Your Skin