What You Need To Know About Eyelashes

EYELASH GROWTH CYCLE

The average person has between 90 to 150 eyelashes on the upper eyelid and about 70 to 80 on the lower eyelid. 

Eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair and leg hair have a relatively short active growth phase that lasts about 30 to 45 days. This short phase is the reason the hair is so short. Scalp hair on the other hand can have a much longer active phase of 2 to 6 years. 

There are 3 main phases to the Growth Cycle of hair – they are:

ANAGEN – 1ST PHASE

This is the active growth phase and usually only 40% of the lashes on the upper lid are in this phase and 15% of the lower lashes. A new hair forms in the follicle and pushes the old hair in the last stage out and replaces the old hair immediately. The hair usually grows about 1 cm every 28 days.

CATAGEN – 2ND PHASE

This is the transition phase when the hair stops growing and the follicle shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair creating what is called a club hair. Lasting 2 to 3 weeks, 3% of hair is in this phase at any given time.

TELOGEN – 3RD PHASE 

This is the resting phase that can last over 100 days. Eyelashes, eyebrows, arm and leg hair stay in this phase much longer than scalp hair. 10% to 15% of all hairs are in this phase in which hair is at rest and the club hair is completely formed. A solid, dry, white material is found at the root of a hair if it is pulled out at this time. If an eyelash is pulled out it will eventually grow back, however, it may take a few months especially if there has been an interruption in the growth cycle and the eyelash needs to get back the resting, telogen phase.

Natural Shedding

Shedding occurs when the lash has completed its life cycle.  Often times, several lashes will reach the final stage at the same time and they will all shed as a group. This is known as a shedding phase.

Shedding phases are detected by the appearance of several baby lashes.  

Medical Conditions

Conditions such as Trichotillomania Tangle, Thyroid Condition, Alopecia Areata: Chemical Blepharitis and Chemotherapy can all have a negative effect the growth, shedding and overall health of your lashes. These are 

Diet

A healthy balanced diet results in healthy lashes. The adverse is also ture as deficiencies show up as well.  Vitamins and supplements can also affect whether you have long strong lashes or weak, brittle lashes and hair follicles.

Mascara

The use of mascara, especially waterproof mascara can damage your natural lashes. Many mascaras contain ingredients that cause buildup on the lash and lash line, which can lead to damage and shedding. When mascara is applied to eyelash extensions, the ingredients can compromise the adhesive and weaken the bond, which results in the extensions lifting off the lash and shedding.

Contact with Oils

Oil is the one ingredient that is an enemy to eyelash extensions and need to be kept at bay. Whether they are natural oils produced by the body or ingredients in products used on the face, oils reduce retention of the extensions to the lash and cause them to fall prematurely.                     

Lash Growth Serums & Conditioners

Lash Serums condition your lashes and helps them to grow longer, stronger and thicker.  While the results can be amazing, you might experience more shedding if your lash cycle is quickened.  Also, some serums contain ingredients like various oils that are a big no no for extensions.            

Weather

The weather plays a role as well in how your lashes behave when extended.  Windy environments can cause your eyes to water and coupled with the wiping away of your tears, causes excess tampering with your lashes

Heat and humidity can also be a factor.  Stepping into a humid environment immediately after your lash appointment can upset the process of your extensions properly curing to your lashes.

Heat that causes you to sweat can work its way onto your extensions.  These natural oils are the same as topical oils, so should therefore be kept away from extensions to prevent breaking down the adhesives bond.

Not cleansing hair follicles

It is essential to keep your lashes and eye area clean.  When lashes are not clean, the lash hair follicle can get clogged with dirt and debris. Clogged follicles cause lashes to shed and if left untreated can lead to stunting new lash growth.                                

Sleeping

If you’re one to sleep with your face down in the pillow, expect some of your lashes to fall.  Sleeping on your back is ideal.

Touching

It’s a good idea to refrain from touching your lashes.  Any oils on your fingers can transfer to your lashes. Constant touching can also cause your lashes to entangle with each other which sometimes leads to accidentally tugging them out. It’s a good idea to keep your hands off your lashes    

Life span of adhesive

There are tons of eyelash adhesives on the market to address the different needs of clients and preferences of lash techs. The bonding life of adhesives range can from 1 week to 8 weeks.  For most applications on clients who do not have special requirements, an adhesive with the longest bonding life will be used. If your technician chose to use an adhesive with a shorter life span, your lash set will be short lived as well.

Getting lashes wet too soon after application

After your application, it is a general rule to not get your lashes wet for 24 hours.  The 24 hours is the time that is needed for the lash and adhesive to fully bond. If water gets onto the lashes before the 24 hour period is over, the drying process might be interrupted and the bond compromised. The result of this is the lifting of the extension off the lash.

EYELASH SHEDDING GUIDE

Let’s do some  math!

Each eye can shed between 2 – 3 lashes per day

Therefore….

1 WEEK = 21 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

2 WEEKS = 42 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

3 WEEKS = 63 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

That’s why we recommend lash fills every 2 to 3 weeks to keep your set looking its best

*Keep in mind that there will always be variations to this chart…some might shed a little bit less and some might lose a bit more.  Extensions are attached to lashes that are at the middle of last stage in their cycle and there is no way to know the exact time that the a lash will shed naturally, so it is not uncommon for a freshly extended lash to shed the day of the application.

NATURAL EYELASH SHEDDING

Eyelash Extensions Attached To Natural Lash

EXAMINE YOUR LASHES

So we know that lashes naturally shed every day, however we don’t usually notice it until it is attached to an extensions.  So you’re encouraged to get up close and personal with that lash on your pillow or in your sink.

If you can see the 1 single lash attached to an extension, you can exhale knowing it is a natural part of the cycle.

If a few extensions fall on their own without a natural lash attached, one of the areas we covered above could be the reason…and we would recommend that you take any necessary prevent more shedding.

Remember our handy chart, if a few fall out and your natural lash is attached

When to be concerned

• You’re losing more than the average amount of extensions daily
• A high volume of extensions are shedding that are not attached to your natural lashes
• Eyelash extensions are shedding and are clumped together
• Multiple lashes are attached on one extension

If you experience any of the above, it’s time to contact your lash tech.

Help…my lash extensions are falling out!

Lash Techs ALL dread this call, text or email, yet it happens.  Even seasoned professionals have this happen from time to time…industry blogs are full of posts from concerned technicians looking for answers and trying to figure out why their clients lashes fell out.

Although we all aim for perfection, we are human.  Lash techs who are serious and take pride in their work will want to fix errors and welcome the opportunity to redeem themselves.

At The Lashery, we guarantee our work and we are always happy to assist any way that we can. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re having any issues.