Eyelash Growth Facts

The eyes are one of the most prominent features on a person’s face, which is why a lot of people, men and women alike, take great care in handling them as manifested by the growing number of products in the market that tends to enhance its appearance. In particular, it is the eyelashes that make the eyes more outstanding and attractive to look.

How Our Lashes Grow

Our lashes, a thin streak of hair growing from the edge of the eyelids, serve to protect the eyes from dirt and debris. But apart from that it also emphasizes the eyes and is a symbol of beauty and femininity for various cultures. Women in particular love to accentuate their lashes using eyelash curlers, mascaras, and false eyelashes. Nowadays, there are already some clinically-proven products that stimulate the eyelash growth of thicker, fuller, and longer eyelashes.

Like any other body hair, the eyelash grows from hair follicles—pits in the dermis where hair cells rapidly divide causing the shaft to increase in length. It involves three phases namely the anagen, catagen, and telogen stage.

The anagen is also known as the growing stage, where the cells at the hair root are rapidly dividing causing the shaft to be pushed upwards. Our eyelashes stay at this phase of active hair growth for about 1 to 2 months. Following this, during the catagen phase, the hair will start to shrink that signals the end of the hair growth. Finally, the hair will stop growing and a club hair that is detached from blood supply is formed. This is the telogen or the resting phase. Eyebrows, eyelashes, and most body hair or vellus stay at this stage for longer durations compared to scalp hair, which is why they typically do not fall off as much as the scalp hair does.

But unlike scalp hair, the eyelash grows very slowly, taking up to several months before achieving its full length. The slow growth of the eyelashes can be further aggravated by an unhealthy lifestyle like alcohol drinking and smoking. Other factors like genetics, hormones, nutrition, and even hygiene can also affect the growth of the eyelashes. As a result, our eyelashes grow at varying rates for each person. In some cases, the lashes may even fall off as a result of infection such as leprosy; autoimmune disorders; drugs; congenital deformities; and the presence of a certain face mite called the Demodex folliculorum. Other causes of the loss of eyelashes are burns, accidental cutting, or simply a natural hair fall.

Aesthetics

Full and long eyelashes are important to uphold fashion and femininity for women nowadays. And because the eyelashes highlights the overall look of a person, several beauty products are available is almost any beauty stores around the globe.

Mascaras are the most commonly employed means of enhancing the eyes, as well as the cheapest and most widely available method. Eye mascaras create an illusion to the viewer of a thicker, darker, longer, and livelier eyelash. Some make-up artists would even blend other colors to create a more vibrant shade. In addition, eyeliners may also be utilized to define the contours of the eyes. In the modern times, a woman’s make-up wouldn’t be complete without it.

The application of false eyelashes is also very common that it gave birth to another technique called eyelash extensions. Eyelash extensions works just like hair extensions—they simply add length to a person’s hair. But unlike fake lashes, extensions are made from synthetic materials that are applied individually per strand of hair to produce a more natural yet a fuller look. The downside of this is that the adhesive used to attach the extensions will eventually be removed and the extensions will fall off.

Currently, the latest, most popular method of stimulating the growth of one’s lashes tht is recommended by top beauty experts in the United States is the Idol Lash, a liquid application similar to an eyeliner. To apply, the product is simply put on to the base of the upper and lower lash line once a day for around 2 to 4 weeks. And in as short as a couple of weeks, the effects will become visible: darker, thicker, and fuller eyelashes for a dramatic look. The plus side of the Idol Lash is that it uses clinically-proven safe and effective ingredients such as chamomile extract, hydrolyzed keratin, linoleic acid, and butylene glycol without any side effect.

Other modern techniques involve surgical means like eyelash transplantation and the administration of medications such as Latisse, a FDA-approved drug intended for glaucoma which can also cause the growth of thicker and longer eyelashes. This is quite expensive and may cause side effects such as itching and redness, and worsening of conjunctivitis and other eye diseases. Hence, it will be necessary to check with your ophthalmologist first before using such product.