Do Eyelashes Grow Back?
Having thin lashes is a nightmare for all of us, so do eyelashes grow back? Well, yeah fortunately they do! There are various methods to make them grow back again, but I will first mention the purpose of our lashes and the reasons why they are falling out. If you are not interested in that kind of information, follow this link to read my post about best growth serums for the best result.
What do eyelashes do and why do we have them?
Short and curvy hairs that are on the edge of the eyelid are called eyelashes. The reason we have eyelashes is not only to look pretty – though I can’t deny it makes us look pretty – but to protect our eyes from excessive sunlight and dust getting into the eyes. Which makes having healthy eyelashes highly beneficial for our eyes. Eyelashes or simply lashes are just one of the hair groups we have from birth, just like eyebrows. Our eyelashes are highly responsive to any kind of external danger, reacting reflexively, to any approaching danger.
How many eyelashes do we have?
A healthy human has anywhere from 100 to 170 eyelashes for each top eyelid, whereas lower eyelids have significantly fewer eyelashes, averaging at around 75. It is safe to say we have approximately 350 to 500 eyelashes in total, however, it is very difficult to find out exactly how many lashes you have. If you believe you have fewer eyelashes than an average person, you could ask a friend to count them for you, and then you can return the favor and compare the results.
*Click on image to enlarge it.
Why do eyelashes fall out?
Every day, anywhere from 1 to 4 eyelashes fall out naturally, each lash has a lifespan of 3 to 6 months. Therefore, on average a person loses about 700 lashes per year, which is almost twice the lashes we have in total, but worry not! It is totally normal to lose that many eyelashes since they regrow quickly. However, you should start worrying if your eyelashes fall out in clumps and faster than usual, in this case, some additional help may be a good idea.
What causes your eyelashes to fall out in clumps;
- High-stress levels and depression.
- Lack of Vitamin B and Vitamin E.
- Allergic reactions to make-up products.
- Genetic Factors.
- Aging and menopause.
- Rubbing your eyes.
- Wearing too much mascara.
- Chemotherapy and side effects of specific drugs.
- Ringworm disease.
If you are not sure why your eyelashes are falling out, it is advised to consult an expert to find the root of the problem.
The good news is that in most cases you can grow those beautiful eyelashes back again. The first step is discovering if possible the cause of your eyelash loss. If you are wearing too much mascara then stop or at least limit the amount you wear, give up curling your lashes and use a product designed to gently remove eye make up.
You can also check with your medical provider to see if you need to increase your vitamin intake as well. Chances are if you have a vitamin deficiency that is making your eyelashes fall out your overall health can benefit from correcting this deficiency.
How long does it take for eyelashes to grow back?
Your lashes are frequently exposed to make-up products which makes their lifespan shorter than the usual. However, even if you are not using any kind of cosmetics around your eyes, they will still fall out naturally as mentioned above. So, once you lose them how long does it take for an eyelash to grow back again? It is hard to say the exact time-frame for one lash to regenerate, as it is different for every person depending on age and if you have any diseases or lack of Vitamins.
For a healthy person, it takes about 6 weeks for one lash to grow back again to its maximum length. Once it reaches its maximum length it will fall out in a month or two again. More importantly, if you are losing lashes faster than they are regrowing, you will end up with thin eyelashes, and nobody wants that. If you are like most women, you probably pay a lot of attention to your look and you already know eyelashes are one of the most important assets of a person when it comes to physical appearance. Our eyes are the first things we notice on a person. So let’s find out how to get your eyelashes to grow back again faster and healthier.
Growth Serums vs. Falshe Lashes vs. Lash Extensions
I wanted to share the most effective methods that I have tried to make my eyelashes grow back again. There are 2 roads you can go down, the quick fix way or the longer, course-based options. The latter requires a bit more patience but will provide significantly better results long term. I have tried all of them and I am pleased to share my findings with you here. I am going to compare growth serums, lash extensions and natural oils. However, I am leaving mascara out since this blog is focused on those who have thin lashes and mascara wouldn’t be suitable in this case. I added a whole new section below for those who wanted to learn more about using mascara for eyelash growth.
1- Quick and cheap solution: False lashes, it is not healthy in the long run;
In the past, we used to see false lashes used only in the movies by actresses, but in modern times, they have become a part of our daily makeup. Moreover, high quality and natural-looking ones are really hard to distinguish from real eyelashes. Although I love the appearance of individual eyelashes, it takes a lot of time to paste them between my eyelashes and if glued too much, you will damage your real lashes in time. Resulting in the appearance of thin lashes. I would only recommend wearing false lashes if you are attending an event for example and are short on time. This would be understandable for not splashing out for lash extensions or some of the other solutions.
2- Quick but expensive solution: Lash extensions, it is hard to maintain;
There are three types of lash extensions, synthetic, silk and mink lashes. I went for the silk lashes as I thought they looked like the best substitute for real lashes and they are lightweight. However as natural as they look, in the end, they are not real lashes, therefore you have to take good care of them. The application takes about 2 hours and you will have to visit your beauty salon every three weeks after the application, to maintain their look and feel.
3- Slow but the best solution: Growth serum, you will need a bit of patience;
As I said, you will need a bit of patience, months to be precise. But I guarantee you that you will be happy with the result, why? Simply because you will have real lashes that you don’t have to keep paying for maintenance, or worry about if they look natural or not. It gives you healthy lashes with permanent beauty on them.
Alternatively, if you want to make your serum using a variety of oils and vitamins, have a look at this blog post to see which oils are good for lashes.
Here are three of my recommendations that are proven and work really well;
4-) Temporarily Solution: Mascara, this won’t make your eyelashes grow
For generations women have been using mascara to help their eyelashes look longer and darker. While a few women believe that mascara can actually help eyelash growth most know that this is simply not true. The reason why eyelashes look longer when wearing mascara is because the mascara straightens out the eyelashes natural curl making it look slightly longer. Mascara also makes lashes look thicker and darker simply because they coat the lash, much like plastic covering over a wire makes the wire look thicker. The moment you wash the mascara off your lash is the same length as before.
In fact, if you are wearing mascara day and night in the hope of having longer lashes you may actually be harming your lashes rather than helping them to grow. Mascara that is not removed properly can end up building up around your eyelash follicles causing you to have to scrub the area to remove the built up mascara. This rough treatment can result in pulling out some of your eyelashes or breaking them off. In addition clumping off mascara can also result in eyelashes breaking and actually becoming shorter than they naturally were.
If you want to use mascara to darken your lashes then you should take care to use and remove it properly. This means only lightly coat lashes with mascara just enough to make them more noticeable and to remove the mascara each night properly. Never let mascara build up and give your eyelash follicles a chance to breath in between applications.
So remember, mascara may give you slightly longer looking lashes when used correctly but, the effect is only temporary. For true longer looking lashes you need to use a high quality eyelash enhancer.
Which one to buy?
As I mentioned above, I have tried all of these methods listed above. If you are looking for a quick solution just get fake lashes from a respectable brand. On the other hand, if you prefer your lashes to grow back thicker, longer, with far less maintenance involved, my advice is to use an eyelash growth serum. Simply because real lashes are better than artificial imitations. Initial costs can be higher than getting fake lashes, but it’s worth it since you won’t have to spend extra money after you have your lashes back, with no recurring purchases.
Do eyelashes grow back if cut, burnt or pulled out?
If you accidentally pull out, cut or burn your lashes, you don’t have to worry and neither do you have to use any products to make them grow again. They will grow back naturally in a matter of weeks or months. As mentioned above, we lose about 700 lashes per year and a pulled out lash is no different, this is calculated into the averages. To speed up the regeneration process you can utilize one of the growth serums I reviewed in this post.
How to stop pulling out your lashes?
If your eyelashes have started becoming sparse then chances are you are pulling out your eyelashes. While some women actually pulled out their lashes deliberately most women pulled out lashes without even meaning to or even knowing that they are doing it.
Whether or not you realize there are number of ways you may be pulling out your eyelashes causing those once beautiful lashes to become thin and sparse. Something as simple as rubbing your eyes when they feel itchy or when you are tired can pull a number of lashes from both your upper and lower lids.
In addition scrubbing your eyelids when you remove eye maker can also pull out lashes as many as half dozen at at time. While mascara used daily and the use of eyelash extenders can add to the loss.
Then there are the women who suffer from Trichotillomania a condition in which a woman obsessively pulls at her lashes. Worse yet are women who deliberately pull out their lashes believing that in doing so their lashes will grow back thicker than before.
Depending on why and how you are pulling out those lashes there are things that can be done to stop this rapid loss.
Ways To Prevent Accidental Eyelash Loss
There are several things that you can do to help stem the flow of those eyelashes that are lost accidentally. Here are a few things that have proven to be effective.
- For itchy and tired eyes use an over the counter eye wash that is designed specifically for tired or itchy eyes. After using the eye drops absorb any excess fluid using a cotton ball and gently blotting the area rather than rubbing. This will not only make your eyes feel better but, will resulted in less pull on both your upper and lower lashes.
- Avoid over using mascara and when you do use it put it on lightly and gently and use a eye make-up cleaner that doesn’t require rigorous scrubbing. Using something that will remove that make up gently will result in less eyelashes lost while cleaning off your make up.
- Don’t get eyelash extensions, the glue used for these extensions adheres the extensions to your real lashes which means when those extensions are removed the chances are better than average that some of your lashes are going to come off with the extensions. Instead if you want longer lashes try using a eyelash growth product that both helps speed the growth of lashes and conditions them making them stronger.
- Too much sun may also dry out your eyelashes and lids and weaken them resulting in more eyelash loss. So whenever you are outside wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from drying out.
Ways To Prevent Deliberate Eyelash Loss
For those women who are deliberating pulling out their lashes because they believe they will grow in thicker stop. All you are doing is lessening the lashes you have and making them even sparser than they were before. Instead get a good eyelash enhancement product that will both thicken and lengthen your lashes. This will result in your regaining some of the thickness you lost.
Trichotillomania
For those who suffer from obsessively pulling out your eyelashes, stopping the destruction may not be so easy. Once you are aware of what you are doing then some type of behavior modification or even counseling might be in order.
This problem often starts in childhood and is way for a child to deal with feeling nervous. However, when years without the problem being addressed a compulsive habit is formed and that means that it may take a great deal of effort to break this habit so that your lashes have a chance to grow back.
Regardless of the cause of your eyelash loss, you can stopped the behavior that has resulted in the pulling out of those lashes. It is just a matter of knowing and being aware of what is causing that loss and taking the right steps to correct it. Once you accomplish that you are going to want to once again have those beautiful long lashes you have been dreaming about. Purchasing an eyelash growth product can help you grow back those lashes you have lost and make you feel like an entirely new woman.
What if you don’t do anything, will they grow naturally?
While eyelash growth can naturally happen, it takes a while – and your lashes need a little more encouragement as they grow. Their growth rate pattern is like that of the hair on your head, and if they fall out or get damaged, this process is disrupted and it can take a while for them to regrow. Damage can be caused by applying mascara and other cosmetics, dyeing, and plucking. Here are a couple of methods involving your diet and smart supplementation to help you facilitate eyelash growth naturally.
Consume an eyelash friendly diet, which consists of protein and vitamins for hair growth. The ideal sources of food for this include fish, eggs, beans, and dairy products like yogurt. You can also consume soy protein.
Antioxidants! Two powerful ones are vitamins C and E, which assist in the normal growth and development of your hair. Dry and split hair, for instance, results from vitamin C deficiency. The same nutrient also helps block hair damage from free radicals. Vitamin E, on the other hand, assists in scalp wellness through increased circulation. Good dietary sources are avocado, citrus fruits, and dark leafy vegetables.
Try biotin or vitamin H, which can promote faster hair growth and improve strengthening. It’s a water-soluble B-complex vitamin that is found in both foods and cosmetics. Consume pecans, almonds, sardines, whole grains, and bananas. Egg yolks also contain this vitamin but raw egg whites contain a protein that prohibits its absorption.
Vaseline and natural oils; Every night before you go to sleep, apply a small amount of olive or castor oil on your eyelids, at the base of your lashes. This will help enhance lash length in about a month or so. Olive oil also has conditioning properties. Have you also tried emu oil? This is an exotic oil that you can also apply the same on your lashes. Another option is Vaseline, which works like these natural oils. You can apply it every night and wash it off after 15 or so minutes. In a few weeks, hair growth may be noticeable.
For more natural DIY recipes, read this post.