Eyelashes fall out due to normal shedding, but excessive loss can signal cosmetic irritation (makeup, extensions), eyelid inflammation (blepharitis), stress, nutritional issues, thyroid problems, or underlying skin/health conditions like alopecia, eczema, or even skin cancer, so see a doctor if it's severe, affects both eyes/scalp, or includes redness/itching. Common culprits are harsh makeup removal, old mascara, lash extensions, allergies, or rubbing your eyes.
Leaving eye makeup on for too long, using and removing lash extensions and using eyelash curlers (heated or non-heated) can all harm lashes and speed up shedding. Eyelash loss can also stem from allergies to mascara and from glue used to apply eyelash extensions. Blepharitis.
Vitamin deficiencies. If you're deficient in certain vitamins, your lashes may take a hit. Specifically, biotin, zinc and iron deficiency have been shown to have a role in lash growth.
If eyelashes were naturally shed: They typically regrow within about 6 weeks as part of the normal hair cycle. If eyelashes were pulled out: Plucking or frequent rubbing can damage the follicle, and regrowth may take 2 to 3 months.
Alopecia areata is a relatively common condition of undetermined etiology that involves a circumscribed patchy loss of hair in several areas including the scalp, brows, eyelashes, and bearded portion of the face.
The Best Vitamins for Longer, Fuller, and Thicker Lashes
Autoimmune diseases that can cause madarosis include:
Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and member of the Byrdie Beauty and Wellness Board.
Rapid eyelash loss or irritation along your eyelashes can indicate another underlying health condition. If you find a lot of eyelashes on your pillow or face, start to see patchiness along your lash line, notice eyelash loss on both eyes, or are also losing hair on your brows or head, it's time to visit your physician.
Stress or hormone imbalances can also cause excessive lash loss. Stress can push lash follicles into the dormant (or telogen) phase of the eyelash cycle, which can cause these follicles to fall out.
Finally, madarosis may indicate an imbalance in your body's nutrient or hormone levels. Certain dietary insufficiencies, such as inadequate intake of protein, biotin, zinc, or iron can all cause hair loss, as well as severe overall malnutrition.
Thyroid Hormones
Whether it's hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, these imbalances can lead to overall hair thinning, including those precious lashes. If a client is shedding lashes along with symptoms like fatigue or weight changes, it might be time to advise them to check in with their doctor.
What Foods Make Your Eyelashes Grow?
Medical Treatments: Prescription treatments like Latisse (bimatoprost) can encourage eyelash growth. Nutritional Advice: Guidance on diet and supplements to ensure you're getting the nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth.
There's no particular age when eyelashes stop growing, as the hair growth cycle continues throughout our lives. Nevertheless, with age, our lashes do become thinner and weaker, requiring us to take additional care, such as regular hydration, serums help.
For those with adequate biotin levels, research shows limited evidence that supplements directly boost eyelash growth. Most reported benefits—like stronger, healthier lashes—are anecdotal, with users noticing improvements after consistent use over weeks or months.
While your family doctor may be capable of diagnosing and treating an infection around your eyelashes, an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diseases of the eye. An eye doctor may be a more appropriate choice for your first visit to check out your eyelash symptoms.
Absolutely, hair growth supplements that contain biotin, zinc, and vitamins C and E can also bolster lash health.
If the eyelids and hair follicles are healthy and not severely damaged, eyelashes will eventually grow back. The specific cause of lost eyelashes will impact the speed and time it takes eyelashes to return. Most eyelashes fully regrow after two months.
Vitamin deficiency
If you have a vitamin C deficiency, you may develop scurvy, a disease that can cause various symptoms, including corkscrew-like, bent, and fractured hair. This might also affect your eyelashes. A 2022 review also found a link between zinc deficiency and the onset of eyebrow and eyelash alopecia.
Let's address this directly - Vaseline does not grow eyelashes. It does not contain ingredients that influence the lash growth cycle or encourage new lash growth at the follicle level. So if longer, fuller lashes are the goal, Vaseline is not designed to deliver that result.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is one of the most well-known natural remedies for hair growth, including eyelashes. It contains ricinoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties and may improve blood flow to the hair follicles, promoting lash growth.
Common symptoms of autoimmune disease include:
Lupus can also affect your hair and nails
The most common type of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can cause dry, coarse hair to develop along the hairline. These dry, coarse hairs break off easily, causing the sparse-looking hair known as lupus hair. Other types of hair loss also develop.
Common Lupus Symptoms