Reader question: My lashes are ruined from years of lash extensions. How can I make my lashes grow faster? - Laura Irene If you weren’t inherently blessed by the eyelash gods, maintaining long lashes can feel like a perpetually uphill battle. Sure, you can resort to eyelash extensions or falsies, but that only increases the chance of your actual lashes snapping off, not to mention the ensuing dryness that contributes to more breakage. But you have the right idea here; instead of resorting to short-term solutions, you want to get to the literal root of your problem and figure out how to grow your lashes, not just fake the length. But first, a disclaimer. Just like the hair on your head, eyelashes naturally fall out and replace themselves in a cycle every six to 10 weeks, so it’s totally normal to lose between one and five eyelashes each day. Thinning eyelashes are another part of the aging process, so if your lashes don’t seem to have the same length and fullness they once did, don’t worry. Most of the time, some shedding and thinning is completely natural and nothing to worry about. That being said, your lashes can become brittle and fragile due to things like improper eye products, new medications, and underlying health conditions, so be sure to consult your doctor if your lash loss is significant. Meanwhile, you can coax your lash growth with some extra love. Of course, there are tons of old wives’ tales circulating online (I’m looking at you, lemon juice), but remember, we are talking about your eyes here, so please don’t get aggressive with experimentation. A lot of these methods aren’t actually effective—and moreover, could harm your eye area in the process. I’m talking about dermatologist-approved techniques that actually work and are good for your lash line long term. Here are some best practices. When it comes to OTC lash serums that Instagram influencers swear give them longer, thicker lashes, these likely contain an ingredient comparable to bimatoprost, such as isopropyl cloprostenate. But note: These aren’t FDA-regulated or approved, so always do your research (or better yet, ask your doctor or derm first) before painting your whole eyes with the stuff. And avoid using them entirely if pregnant or nursing.
