Beauty Q: Why Are My Eyelashes Thinning?

Do you like the word thin…except when it applies to your eyelashes?

Yeah, I thought so.

It’s not your imagination: Thinning eyelashes come with this so-called midlife aging thing.

What’s happening? The four stages of eyelash development – growing, resting, shedding and re-growth – while cycling continuously, slows down.

Or maybe the eyelash follicles quit producing altogether. Like some people do when they get old.

It’s no secret.

 We put a lot of emphasis on our eyelashes; always have, always will. A 2010 article published in the journal Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says that the face – especially the eyes – is “recognized as important contributors to physical beauty.”

And eyelashes, in particular, the author says, especially long and thick ones, “are considered a sign of beauty in many cultures and often have a positive psychological effect on women.”

Amen.

But the truth is, we really need them.

And it’s not just for beauty purposes. Eyelashes protect our eyes against flying debris (although sometimes they fail you, like when the occasional fly lands in your eye. Yuck.)

There’s more to it than just aging.

Heredity. As if you don’t blame your parents and/or your genes for enough things already.

Your fault. Scrubbing or rubbing you eyelashes/eyelids too hard. As if you didn’t have enough guilt in your life already.

Your fault again. Sleeping in your mascara, using waterproof mascara, which is generally more drying and more difficult to remove. As if you needed another excuse for getting a bad night’s rest.

Medical conditions. Blepharitis, alopecia and something called hypopituitarism. Curious about these? Here you go.

Psychological conditions. A compulsion to pull out your own eyelashes, resulting in pleasure or relief. Trichotillomania is no laughing matter.

Skin diseases. With names you might or might not have heard of, like psoriasis, lichen planus, ichthyosis, lupus erythematous.

And there’s more. Some drugs, infectious diseases, and thyroid diseases. Here’s the down and dirty.

Three (useless?) eyelash trivia facts to impress your cocktail companions with. 

• Eyelashes do not become gray with age.
• We’re born with all the eyelash follicles we’ll ever have. They don’t increase during life.
• Eyelashes are wider than scalp hairs.

You’re asking: Please tell me what to do????

 My next post will not only reveal some solutions to this dilemma, but will include a surprise giveaway. Yay!

Because, after all, we’re entitled to continue to bat our lashes, no matter how old we get.