Eyelashes are an essential part of our facial features. Not only do they help protect our eyes from dirt and dust, but they also give us a more youthful appearance. But what happens when your eyelashes start to fall out? Is it normal for eyelashes to fall out, or is there something wrong?
The Main Reasons Why Your Lashes Fall Out
There are several reasons why your eyelashes may be falling out. The most common causes include makeup, aging, hormonal changes, medical conditions, and lash extensions. Let’s take a closer look at each one:
- Makeup: Eyelash loss can be caused by wearing too much eye makeup or not removing it properly before bedtime. This can clog up the pores around your eyes and lead to inflammation and irritation, which can cause the hair follicles that support your lashes to become weak and eventually fall out. To avoid this problem, make sure you use waterproof mascara and remove all makeup before going to bed every night using an oil-based cleanser or micellar water.
- Aging: As we age, our bodies produce less collagen which is essential for healthy skin and hair growth. This lack of collagen, combined with sun exposure, can weaken the hair follicles that hold our lashes in place, leading to thinning of the lashes over time, which then leads to them falling out more easily than usual. You can combat this by using a good quality eye cream with collagen boosting ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or vitamin C twice a day after cleansing your face in order to keep your skin hydrated and supple, which will help strengthen those lash follicles so they don’t break off easily when you brush through them with mascara or other eye makeup products.
- Hormonal Changes: Hormonal changes due to pregnancy, menopause or even certain medications can affect how quickly our hairs grow back after being shed naturally during their growth cycle (which happens every 3-4 months). This means that if hormone levels are low, then it could take longer for new lashes to grow back after shedding, leaving gaps where old ones were lost faster than usual, resulting in overall thinning of the lash line over time without proper replenishment taking place as quickly as it should normally do so.
- Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions such as alopecia areata (a type of autoimmune disorder) can cause rapid eyelash loss due to inflammation within the body attacking its cells, including those found within hair follicles, causing them not just to shed rapidly but also preventing new ones from growing back in their place, leading to further thinning over time if left untreated. (Extra tips: Burnt eyelashes have trouble growing back)
- Lash Extensions: Lash extensions have become increasingly popular recently, however, these artificial fibers attached directly onto natural lash hairs put extra strain on already weakened natural lash roots, making them more prone to breaking off prematurely, resulting in noticeable gaps appearing across upper lids once removed again post-treatment. So, if you’re planning on getting extensions done, make sure you find an experienced technician who will ensure everything is applied correctly without causing any damage. Otherwise, this could lead to significant loss down the track instead of giving the desired effect intended originally when opting for the procedure initially.

When Eyelash Loss Is Accompanied By Other Hair Loss
In some cases, eyelash loss can be accompanied by other types of hair loss such as thinning or balding on the scalp. This could be due to a number of medical conditions including alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes patchy hair loss on the scalp and body, or it could be caused by a vitamin deficiency which is preventing new hairs from growing properly. If you notice any changes in your hair growth then it’s important to speak to your doctor so they can diagnose the cause and recommend treatment options such as topical medications or even surgery if necessary.
How To Prevent Eyelash Loss
There are several ways to help prevent eyelash loss and ensure that your lashes remain healthy and full for longer. Firstly, it’s important to keep your skin clean by washing your face twice daily with a gentle cleanser followed up with a moisturizer suitable for sensitive skin around the eyes. Secondly, make sure you remove all eye makeup before going to bed every night using an oil-based cleanser or micellar water so that none of it is left behind, clogging up pores and causing irritation, which can lead to weakening of lash follicles over time. Thirdly, try not to use too much mascara when applying makeup, as this will put extra strain on already weakened natural lash roots, making them more prone to breaking off prematurely, resulting in noticeable gaps appearing across the upper lids once removed again post-application. Finally, consider taking vitamin supplements containing biotin (B7), which has been shown to have a positive effect on strengthening weak follicles, leading to healthier-looking lashes when combined with the good cleansing routine mentioned above.
Eyelashes play an important role in protecting our eyes from dirt and dust, while also giving us a more youthful appearance. Unfortunately, they don’t last forever and eventually start falling out due to various reasons, such as aging, hormonal changes, or medical conditions like alopecia areata. It’s, therefore, important that we take steps now to protect our lashes from further damage by following a good skincare routine and avoiding excessive mascara usage where possible, along with supplementing our diet with vitamins containing B7 to help strengthen weak follicles, leading to healthier-looking lashes over time.