We all know that eyelashes serve a practical purpose, but people have been accentuating and showing off their long, luscious lashes for centuries. Your eyelashes can make a statement, and frame your eyes in a way more flattering than any effect you can achieve with eyeshadow.
But what you can do if you’ve been cursed with lashes you think are too short or thin? Is there any hope for those who long for longer lashes without turning to the hassle of applying fake eyelashes, which can cause even more damage to your existing natural lashes?
You’re in luck! Over the last 20 years, there have been many interesting and effective lash boosters hitting the market, from specialized mascaras to natural remedies to eyelash growth serums that can all encourage the growth of your natural eyelashes.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to keep your eyelashes healthy and encourage growth naturally, and then go over some of the best products available now if you want a little extra boost.
What Do Your Eyelashes Really Do?
Our eyelashes, like all of the other hair on the body, are made up of a very small percentage of water and more primarily out of several different proteins, including keratin, which also makes up our fingernails, and melanin, which is what gives our hair its color.
The primary function of our eyelashes is to help protect our eyes from any dust or other small particles of debris in the air. Most people have around 90 to 150 eyelashes on their top eyelid and around 70 to 80 on the lower lid.
Eyelashes grow from follicles that are underneath the skin. There are actually three phases of growth for an eyelash:
● Growth Phase: The first phase of eyelash growth, also known as the Anagen phase, is the phase during which your eyelashes are growing to the average length that they do for you individually.
The average length that most eyelashes grow to is about three-eighths of an inch. Each of your eyelashes has its own set, unique length. The Growth Phase takes place over the course of about 30 to 45 days.
● Transition Phase: The transition, or Catagen phase, is the phase that your eyelashes are in when they have reached the length of growth that will ultimately grow to. When the lash stops growing, the hair follicle begins to shrink. This phase normally lasts for two to three weeks.
● Resting Phase: The last phase is the Resting, or Telogen, phase. This phase lasts for around a hundred days and during this time, your eyelashes normally remain in place until they are ready to fall out naturally, when a new lash begins to grow in the follicle.
It’s completely normal for a lash or two to fall out off and on. Because of the length of the phases, each eyelash is on a different schedule from the others, so it’s not a cause for concern to notice it when you lose a lash here and there.
What Can Cause Lash Loss?
If you’ve noticed lashes falling out or feel like your lashes are noticeably thinner in number than they used to be, you’re probably not imagining things.
There are several factors that can cause or contribute to the thinning or loss of your eyelashes.
● An allergic reaction to an ingredient in a product or cosmetic that you use on your face – especially if you notice this shortly after you begin using a product that is new to you. This can happen with moisturizers or other lotions, face powders or liquid makeup, eyeshadows and eyeliner, and most often, mascara.
● Some skin infections like eczema or psoriasis can cause symptoms like itching or skin flaking that may contribute to lash loss.
● Menopause reduces estrogen levels which can slow hair growth and cause hair follicles to stop producing, meaning new lashes won’t regrow where the follicles have died, making your eyelashes thinner overall.
● The hormonal shifts of pregnancy may also cause eyelash loss, but this typically goes back to normal post pregnancy. Sometimes, pregnancy can cause increased last growth, so you may end up with fabulous eyelashes until post pregnancy when the normal growth cycles resume.
● Normal aging can cause general hair loss and slow the hair growing process.
● If you have a habit of going to sleep without removing your eye makeup, this can also result in some lashes falling or being pulled out. It’s also important to remove your eye makeup gently to avoid pulling lashes out during the process.
● It might be surprising, but stress and some of the resulting negative effects that it has on your body as a whole can also cause eyelash loss.
● A change in your diet or lack of balanced nutrition can also be responsible for changes in your hair growth or loss.
Nurture Your Lashes Naturally
If you have recently experienced lash loss or thinning, or you just want fuller, thicker lashes, there are some natural options that can make a difference.
● Vitamin H (Biotin) – This can promote faster growth and stronger hair and is found in several foods – bananas, pecans and almonds and whole grains, to name a few.
● Vitamin C and E – These antioxidants can prevent the dryness of hair that causes brittleness and split ends. Found in leafy greens, citrus fruits and avocados.
● Olive oil – Try applying a tiny bit of olive oil to the base of your lashes every night. This surprising little trick can improve the health of your lashes by keeping them super conditioned.
Growth Serums – Your Best Bet For Beautiful Lashes
Another relative newcomer to the cosmetic market are products referred to as eyelash growth serums. These little miracle workers are applied to your lash line, usually once a day, and over the course of a few weeks promise that you’ll see results in the form of thicker, longer and fuller lashes.
Where Can I Buy Eyelash Growth Serum?
You can buy eyelash growth serums at most health & beauty retailers, both online and at the store, but, given the warning that comes with some products, a little caution just makes sense.
Here are a criteria that we recommend to follow when purchasing Eyelash Growth Serum:
- Make sure it contains Vitamin E: Vitamin basically provides nutrition that helps to make eyelashes thicker and fuller/
- Contain Soy Amino Acids – Restores moisture to your eyelashes.
- Contain Wheat Amino Acids – Penetrate follicles to condition & improve the flexibility/management of eyelashes
- While the majority of eyelash growth serums contain chemicals. The chemicals are known to cause reactions for some people that could lead to you developing a rash or other allergic reaction. We recommend serums with fewer chemicals preferably All Natural Ingredients. Please note that going the all natural route will result in a longer process in the growth of your eyelashes.
- Most importantly, make sure the company have a toll free number and a money back guarantee policy in place.
Our favorite eyelash growth serum, hands down, is the Apex Voluminous serum – it contains Vitamin E, which is great for conditioning your lashes and also makes them seem fuller and thicker in appearance, as well as wheat and soy amino acids that can make moisturize your lashes and make them more flexible, meaning you’re less likely to pull them out while applying or removing makeup.
Our Growth Serum Top #1 Pick:
We are excited about our Top pick and we think you’ll agree.
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Apex Voluminous is also super easy to use, meaning it’s a lot easier to add this to your nightly routine than some other serums.
It’s meant to be applied daily to both your upper and lower lid lines, and as an added bonus can also be applied to your eyebrows if you have any sparse patches.
We hope this guide has given you not only a better understanding of what your eyelashes need to be healthy but also a few things you can try out to get the gorgeous lashes you’ve always wanted.