If you’re like us, you could basically count your natural lashes on one hand. It seems like no matter what lengthening, thickening eyelash product you use, your natural lashes just keep falling out and never seem to grow into the luxe fringe of your dream.
In reality, your lashes are probably falling out at a completely normal rate, and they’re probably average length and thickness, too. The Lashify® pros know lashes, and we’ll give you the tea on everything you need to know about lash loss, lash growth, and how to keep your lashes growing healthy and strong (even if you use lash extensions).
The Phases of Lash Growth
Just like the hair on your head, your lashes grow on a four-phase cycle. Every lash is in a different phase, like the hair on your head, so that you don’t lose all your hairs at once (cringe). Here’s an overview of what’s happening on your lash line.
Anagen Phase
The first phase of eyelash growth is anagen. During this phase, the new eyelash begins to form at the base (or bulb) of the hair follicle. The hair follicle widens to allow the lash to push through the follicle and extend outward from your lash line.
Catagen Phase
Once the lash has reached its full length (which is usually in the neighborhood of 10 millimeters), the hair follicle begins to shrink to hold the eyelash in place. This transitional phase between growth and rest is called the catagen phase.
Telogen Phase
Once the hair follicle has transitioned from growth to rest, it enters the telogen phase. The telogen phase is the resting phase, which is the longest phase. Most of your eyelashes are currently in this phase.
During the telogen phase, a new eyelash will begin to develop in the bulb of the hair follicle, which will eventually begin to push the old eyelash upward and outward.
Exogen Phase
Once the new eyelash has grown long enough, it will push the old eyelash out of the follicle, evicting it from your lash line. Lashes that are lost normally (without any of the lash-loss habits described below) are lost through this phase of lash development.
The entire eyelash growth and expulsion cycle can last anywhere from 4-11 weeks, but your individual lash cycle may be longer or shorter.
Is This Lash Loss Normal?
We know what you’re thinking: I lose so many lashes; this can’t be normal! In reality, your lash loss is probably very normal, but you could be self-sabotaging with some unhealthy habits.
Experts agree that losing three to five lashes per day is the norm, but that still doesn’t mean you should panic if you notice more than five lashes per day or even if you lose an entire clump at a time.
Here are some of the most common reasons why your lashes could be MIA.
What Causes Lash Loss?
If you regularly gasp when you remove your eye makeup and find precious lash hairs on your cleansing cloth, we feel you. Still, it’s probably because you scrubbed too hard and not because you’re spontaneously shedding all your hair. Figuring out what’s causing your lash loss is the first step in preventing it.
Underlying Medical Conditions
This is the most unlikely reason you are losing your lashes, but it’s still important to rule it out if you’ve checked the box for every other reason.
Some medical conditions can cause you to lose your lashes. Alopecia, a sudden loss of hair, can cause hair all over your body (including your lashes) to fall out. Some infections, like blepharitis, can also result in lash loss.
If you can’t blame other habits (like the ones below) for your loss of lashes, consider speaking to your doctor to make sure there isn’t a health issue that needs to be addressed.
Your Makeup
We love eye makeup, but some of the ingredients in our favorite products could be sucking the life out of our lashes. One of the worst offenders is waterproof mascara. It’s an absolute essential for your This is Us viewing party and your bestie’s wedding, but there’s no reason to wear it daily.
Waterproof mascara contains waxes and silicones that make it water-repellent, but it also causes your lashes to become stiff, brittle, and more likely to break off. Not to mention, it can be virtually impossible to remove … Which brings us to another reason why your lashes may be leaving too soon.
Scrubbing and Pulling
Removing your eye makeup is tedious, especially if you have waterproof mascara or liner. At the end of a long day, there’s a definite urge to scrub, rub, or even pull mascara from your lashes to get the job done quickly. This is also a great way to pull out your lashes before they reach the exogen phase.
It’s best to use gentle cleansing agents and a cotton round to remove your eye makeup. Hold a cotton round saturated with makeup remover on your lashes for about thirty seconds to help loosen the mascara gently slide it off your lashes.
You’re a Manual Eyelash Curler Junkie
Straight lashes can be hard to style and might even interfere with your line of vision. Eyelash curlers seem like a great solution, but if you are using a manual eyelash curler incorrectly, it can bend your lashes, causing them to break.
Instead, try using a heated eyelash curler, like Lashicurl®. Our heated lash curler helps curl your lashes naturally at the base without bending or clamping.
You're Not Removing Your Lash Extensions Properly
Whether you’re wearing strip lashes or you’ve had lash extensions professionally applied, removing them correctly is essential to keeping your natural lashes safe.
You should never pull, peel, or rub off lash extensions. Instead, have them professionally removed or use a dual-phase, oil-based remover to loosen the adhesive and gently slide the artificial lash fibers from your natural lashes.
If you’re wearing Gossamer® lashes, it’s easy to remove them gently without losing a single natural lash. Using our dual-phase, oil-based cleanser, Melt Away, saturate a cotton round and hold it against your lashes for 30-60 seconds. This gives the remover time to loosen the bond between your natural lash and your Gossamer lashes, allowing them to slide right off your natural lashes.
You can also use a clean spoolie dipped in Melt Away to remove your Gossamer lashes. To do this, run the saturated spoolie through your lashes until the Gossamers naturally begin to separate from your lash line.
Ways To Keep Your Natural Lashes Healthy
Keeping your natural lashes healthy is easy once you learn a few healthy lash habits.
Be Makeup Savvy
Paying attention to the ingredients in your makeup can help you avoid using unnecessary, lash-damaging products. Use regular mascara, and avoid products that contain drying ingredients, like formaldehyde and alcohol, which can cause lashes to break.
Be Gentle
You probably don’t realize how often you touch or rub your eyes. Rubbing your eyes, scrubbing your makeup off, or pulling off strip lashes can all damage your natural lashes. Be gentle with your eyes, and you’ll save your lashes (and probably develop fewer wrinkles on the delicate skin in your eye area).
Use Lashify
If you want the look of longer, fuller lashes while healthfully growing your own, Lashify® is the solution. Our DIY lash extension system saves you time and money by letting you apply your own salon-grade lashes at home with easy tools in just minutes.
The benefits of Lashify help give you the long lashes you love while promoting your natural lash growth.
- Once you’re wearing your Gossamer® lashes, you won’t need to wear mascara, which helps protect your natural lashes from the ingredients that can cause them to become brittle.
- Unlike salon lashes, our bonds don’t fully cure, allowing them flexibility so your Gossamer lashes move and bend with your natural lashes instead of becoming brittle and stiff.
- Every bond we make contains biotin and lavandula, ingredients that help support your natural lash growth and keep your natural lashes strong.
With Lashify, it’s completely possible to have the long, luxe lashes you love while supporting and maintaining the healthy growth of your natural lashes. Bottom line: you really can have it all.
Lose the Mascara, Keep Your Lashes
Lash loss is normal, but losing more than 3-5 lashes per day may mean you aren’t taking good care of your natural lashes. Keep your lashes healthy while still getting the glamorous looks you love by using the Lashify DIY lash extension system.
You’ll have amazing, natural-looking lashes while boosting your own lashes’ ability to grow and stay strong.
Sources:
The eyelash follicle features and anomalies: A review | PMC
Why Are My Eyelashes Falling Out? | American Academy of Ophthalmology
Formaldehyde And Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives | Safe Cosmetics
