Society’s obsession with full, fluttery lashes dates back to Ancient Egypt where women coveted tinting treatments, ointments and brushes to achieve a bold and beautiful look. Attempts at eyelash extensions date back as early as the 1800’s, where it’s been recorded that women experimented with gluing lashes to their lash line. Today, there are endless options for achieving the lashes you long for, whether it’s choosing an eyelash serum like RevitaLash® Advanced for healthier, stronger lashes, opting for lash extensions to add dramatic volume, or simply sticking to mascara for an everyday look. Though beauty treatments have come a long way since Ancient Egypt, our human physiology has remained the same – namely, the lash cycle. Before getting caught up in expensive beauty treatments or jumping to conclusions about lash fallout, it’s important to understand the cycle of this small but oh so important feature.
Each person typically has between 150-200 natural lashes per eye on their upper eyelids, and 75-100 on the lower eyelids. While each person differs on lash length, thickness and color, we each go through a growth cycle, which can be broken down into three phases: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.
The Anagen Phase (Active Growth):
During the anagen phase, the lashes are actively growing. It lasts between 30 and 45 days. Only about 40% of the upper lashes and 15% of the lower lashes are growing at any one time. Each lash will grow to a specific length and then stop.
It’s during this phase that lashes grow to their full length and can make the most of the nourishing ingredients found in RevitaLash Advanced.
This is one of the crucial stages wherein the strength of the eyelashes are established – RevitaLash helps to condition and strengthen in the Anagen Stage, allowing to prolong the individual's 'typical' Anagen stage.
The Catagen Phase (Transition Phase):
By this point, the lashes have reached the catagen phase, and the hair follicle begins to shrinks. This period is when the lashes stop growing and maintain their length, it is also called the ‘rest period’.
This is the usual phase that most eyelashes are seen as it is also the longest stage that lasts between 14 to 20 days. During the catagen phase, the eyelashes have already established their strength and holding power.
The Telogen Phase (Resting Phase):
The final stage is the resting phase, this is the longest phase of the life cycle, and it typically lasts more than 100 days.
This is the part when the hair follicle holding the eyelash would start to loosen and slowly release the eyelash from its grip. Simultaneously, a new eyelash will start to emerge from the hair follicle, and it normally takes 4-8 weeks to fully replace an eyelash.
To help keep lashes in tip-top shape, we recommend following these practices:
- Remove makeup thoroughly each day
- Avoid waterproof makeup
- Incorporate a lash serum into your daily routine
- Avoid tugging, pulling, or rubbing lashes
