UNDERSTANDING YOUR LASH CYCLE...

​I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THE DAYS THAT TWO OR THREE OF OUR LASHES FALL OUT IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS IN THE MOVIES WHERE YOU DROP TO YOUR KNEES IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY SIDEWALK AND SCREAM “NOOO!”. EVEN FOR THOSE OF US WHO METICULOUSLY TAKE CARE OF OUR LASHES, SHEDDING IS INEVITABLE AND ITS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY.

EYELASHES MOVE THROUGH A NATURAL GROWTH CYCLE. THE UPPER LID TYPICALLY HAS 90 TO 150 LASHES ON IT, WHILE THE BOTTOM HAS BETWEEN 70 AND 80 LASHES. MOST EYELASHES GROW TO BE ABOUT 10MM LONG (THAT IS JUST OVER 3/8 OF AN INCH), AND THEN STOP! LASHES- LIKE ALL THE HAIR ON OUR BODY- FOLLOW A THREE-PHASE CYCLE: ANAGEN (GROWTH) PHASE, CATAGEN (TRANSITION) PHASE, AND TELOGEN (RESTING) PHASE.
 
THE ANAGEN PHASE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE GROWTH PHASE, IS WHEN LASHES ARE ACTIVELY GROWING. THIS PHASE LASTS BETWEEN 30 AND 45 DAYS. ONLY 40% OF OUR UPPER LASHES AND 15% OF OUR LOWER LASHES WILL GO THROUGH THE ANAGEN PHASE AT ANY ONE TIME.  EACH LASH WILL GROW TO ITS SPECIFIC LENGTH AND THEN STOP.
 
THE CATAGEN PHASE IS WHEN THE LASH STOPS GROWING AND THE HAIR FOLLICLE- THE CELLS SURROUNDING THE ROOT OF A HAIR- ACTUALLY SHRINK. YOU CAN EXPECT THIS PHASE TO LAST BETWEEN TWO TO THREE WEEKS BEFORE TRASITIONING TO THE LAST PHASE- THE TELOGEN PHASE.
 
THE TELOGEN PHASE CAN LAST MORE THAN 100 DAYS BEFORE THE EYELASH FALLS OUT AND A NEW ONE BEGINS TO GROW! BECAUSE EACH EYELASH IS IN ITS OWN PHASE OF THE GROWING CYCLE ITS NORMAL FOR A FEW LASHES TO FALL OUT EVERYDAY. PHEW! HOWEVER, THIS IS WHY RETOUCHES ARE NEEDED EVERY 3 WEEKS. WHEN ONE LASH IS GROWN OUT, ANOTHER IS JUST BEHIND WAITING FOR THEIR CHANCE TO BE GORGEOUS! ITS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE ONLY LASH THE LASHES THAT CAN SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE EXTENSIONS- USUALLY THOSE IN THE CATAGEN AND TELOGEN PHASES. HERE IS A DIAGRAM TO HELP YOU VISUALIZE THESE CYCLES!

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​UNDERSTANDING THE GROWTH CYCLE OF AN EYELASH CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SHEDDING IS NATURAL. IT CAN ALSO HELP US COME TO TERMS WITH THOSE MOMENTS WHERE WE FIND A FEW OF OUR LONG LASH FRIENDS RESTING ON OUR CHEEKS. JUST REMEMBER THAT EVERY FALLEN LASH IS A WISH. ;)