They might be a small part of your body, but eyelashes make a huge impact on the health and well-being of your eyes. And also on your expressions and communications with others. And let’s not deny, your looks too. So, if you’ve noticed lately you’ve been making far too many wishes on fallen eyelashes, it might be a red flag indicating that something’s wrong.

Identifying the reason behind your accelerated lash loss is the first step to understanding any underlying problems you may be facing and establishing the best way to treat eyelashes falling out.

Luckily, there are ways to help your eyelashes grow back fast. Keep reading for my tips for caring for your lashes, product recommendations for boosting eyelash regrowth, and general lash care.

And if you are really uncertain, go and see your doctor!

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Why Are My Eyelashes Falling Out?

Let’s first take a look at the lifecycle of an eyelash.

No, we’re not going back to biology class, but it makes sense to learn all about the lash and its cycles before we look at the why’s.

Eyelashes have a lifespan of anywhere from four months to 11 months. There are three phases of lash growth.

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The Growth Phase

Otherwise known as the anagen phase, this lash growth phase can last between 4 and 10 weeks. Eyelashes generally grow between 0.12 and 0.14 millimeters each day.

The Degradation Phase

Also known as the catagen phase, this occurs when your eyelash stops growing and your hair follicles start to shrink.

The Resting Phase

You might also know this as the telogen phase – the final phase in which your eyelash falls out.

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What Causes Eyelashes to Fall Out?

According to experts, eyelash loss can be caused by a number of common reasons. For starters, it could be your health. Losing more eyelashes than normal may point to underlying issues such as thyroid conditions, autoimmune, inflammatory, or oncological conditions.

Or on the other hand, it could be down to something as simple as daily stress. If you’re experiencing a surge in stress, you may experience something known as telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss related to stress.

That’s because stress causes more hairs to enter the resting phase of the eyelash growth cycle, which can leave your lashes looking much thinner.

Another way stress causes eyelash fall is because we tend to rub our eyes or face when we’re stressed – another contributor to hair loss.

If you’re noticing missing lashes, look for other symptoms like itching, swelling, or tenderness, which might indicate you have an eye infection. If this is the case, reach out to your healthcare provider as soon as possible to receive the appropriate treatment.

You could also be seeing eyelash shedding due to your daily habits like forgetting to take your eye makeup off at night or using the wrong skincare products.

Are you a devoted false eyelash enthusiast? There’s another reason. It’s not the false lashes themselves but the adhesive, which may cause infection or trauma to the eyelash, resulting in hair loss.

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We All Love Our Eyelashes – Image by Kalea Jerielle

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What Can I Do to Encourage New Growth?

Miracle Cures, Anyone?

Fortunately, there are a few natural remedies and growth-boosting serums you can try.

Load Up On Biotin

Biotin is in the family of B vitamins and helps promote hair growth. Otherwise known as vitamin H, biotin converts minerals and nutrients into energy to help nails, skin, and hair growth faster and healthier. While there’s limited evidence surrounding biotin’s ability to speed up hair growth, many people take biotin supplements for that very reason.

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Apply Castor Oil

Sky Organics Castor Oil

Studies show castor oil can promote eyelash growth. In fact, it’s become so popular, many brands are making lash and brow growth products using it.

According to a 2015 study, a chemical found in castor oil was shown to inhibit the production of a protein that prevents hair from growing back. So applying natural, organic castor oil to your eyelashes may be an effective natural remedy for growing and thickening your lashes.

Find Sky Organics Castor Oil here.

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Try an Eyelash Growth Serum

You’ve probably seen or at least heard about them before. Basically, eyelash growth serums work by applying them directly to the lash line for a period of several weeks and deliver thicker, longer lashes.

Sound too good to be too true? There’s evidence that proves certain serums such as the FDA-approved prescription drug Latisse may stimulate eyelash growth.

The only potential downside to this product is that it comes with side effects such as irritation. Of course, you have many lash growth serums to choose from that you can get over the counter, but Latisse is proven to be one of the most effective. Just make sure you use it with caution.

I’m currently embarking on a journey with Revitalash. It’s early days but here’s hoping!

Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner

Dab on Vitamin E Oil

Bloggers, influencers, us mere mortal makeup artists love it – and we all have our reasons. Vitamin E oil is an effective ingredient for promoting stronger, hydrated, longer lashes.

You can also mix it with castor oil as an eyelash growth remedy. Some people say the two work even better together.

Rejuve Naturals Vitamin E Oil

Find Rejuve Naturals Vitamin E Oil here.

How to Take Care of Your Eyelashes

You can move the process of eyelash growth along by taking good care of your lashes. Here are a few ways to do that.

Always Remove Your Eye Makeup

Eyelid hygiene is essential for keeping your eyes and lashes healthy and functioning at their best. That’s why you must remove your eye makeup every night with a gentle cleanser or makeup remover to ensure everything’s off.

Try a Hot Compress

Place warm compress pads over your eyes to keep your lids clean and calm any inflammation.

Comb Your Lashes

Brushing your lashes doesn’t just make them look better, it also boosts growth. Makeup artists and hair experts alike swear by eyelash combs and brushes.

Moisturize with Coconut Oil

Yep, the stuff you coat your hair with to make it softer and shinier. Coconut oil is packed with vitamins and essential fatty acids that prevent protein loss in the hair, warding off eyelash shedding.

Simply rub a small amount into the lashes to increase softness and strength and prevent future hair loss.

Clean Your Eyelash Curler

Many people forget about it, but it’s crucial for keeping your eyelashes clean, healthy, and free from infection. By re-using the same old dirty eyelash curler, you’re exposing your eyes to bacteria, which may lead to a nasty infection that could cause lash loss. So if you’re continually asking “how long does it take for my eyelashes to grow back?” and you’re using a grotty, clogged-up curler each day, then give it a clean!

After every use, clean your curler with a cleansing wipe or rinse it with water and a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, oil, and bacteria.

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What to Do that WILL Cause Your Eyelashes to Fall Out

Eyelash Tugging

Rubbing, tugging, basically anything that’s causing trauma to the lashes can lead to eyelashes falling out. This also includes removing your makeup if you’re too rough.

Heavy Mascara

If you have thin, delicate lashes, weighing them down with a heavy mascara (or too much mascara!) could be the reason why you’re losing eyelashes. It’s possible your lashes just can’t tolerate the heavy load.

Missing Out on Nutrients

When your diet is lacking key nutrients, your hair growth cycle becomes compromised. Add in more vitamins, protein, and essential fatty acids to feed your body – and your lashes!

Falling Asleep in Your Makeup

Because makeup contains heavy pigments and waxes, they prevent air from penetrating the follicle. As a result, lack of airflow leads to clogged pores and inflammation, which may trigger eyelash fall.

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Can I Do Anything to Help My Eyelashes Grow Back Faster?

Yes, you can speed up eyelash growth by following a few practices:

Adjust Your Diet

Load up on eggs, fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds.

These foods contain tons of nutrients to help your body function its best and accelerate the hair growth cycle. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water too – hydration helps a lot!

Take a Hair Growth Supplement

There are lots available on the market. Besides boosting hair growth, most of these supplements come with other health benefits. Ideally, you’ll want to look for a supplement that contains biotin, a well-known hair growth protein.

Condition Your Lashes

Invest in an eyelash conditioner loaded with biotin, amino acids, argan oil, and coconut oil that can nourish the hair shaft of your lashes, stimulating hair growth and stronger lashes. Apply twice daily for best results.

How Long Exactly Does it Take for Eyelashes to Grow Back?

Eyelashes usually grow back in around six weeks if the lash is cut or burned without damage to the hair follicle.

However, if you actually pull an eyelash out, it can take much longer to grow back.

When you pull out a lash, you slow down the replacement process, disrupting the normal cycle of the eyelash.

If you’ve experienced eyelash damage after extensions, they will also grow back within six weeks.

By taking good care of your lashes and supplementing them with growth-boosting serums, they may even return much quicker – and far stronger than before.

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The Takeaway

If you’re wondering how long does it take for eyelashes to grow back, the general timeframe is six weeks.

In the meantime, be as gentle as possible with your eyelashes so you don’t accidentally cause trauma or loss. In the case that you’re losing a significant amount of hair, visit your doctor as there may be an underlying health condition that needs addressing.

The sooner it’s addressed, the sooner you will start seeing eyelash regrowth.

Resources

Science Direct
Healthline
American Academy of Opthalmology

Featured image by Gary Meulemans

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2 Comments

    1. Hey Siêu, thanks for sharing! Yeah, I wonder how effective castor oil is for lash lengthening more than just lash growth.
      6 months is an impressive commitment. I’ve tried a few lash serums in a desperate attempt to thicken and lengthen both my lashes and brows… No luck so far, but I suspect that’s down to lack of consistency!!!!

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