It’s up for grabs on whether or not you believe that our eyelashes are the staples of our faces, but depending on the length, thickness, and darkness, they can be game-changers for your appearance. Long, dark, and thick lashes can create the perception of wearing makeup, making getting ready in the morning 100 times easier and in most cases a whole lot faster.

As Anna Faris once said, “the eyes are the nipples of the face”, and even in this joking manner I think we can all agree that she’s kind of right. The first thing you typically notice on a person is their eyes, but if you look a little closer, why does it sometimes appear that guys have longer lashes than girls? Are men just genetically gifted with the lash gene? 

Breaking the eyelashes myth from the beginning of time

Truth is, it really has nothing to do with gender. Humans have eyelashes to protect the eyes from dust and other small objects that might fly or get into the eyes.

Animals also have this feature making eyelashes one of the evolutional perks that have stayed prominent against time. When humans evolved and became the species we are today, lashes became more of a cosmetic feature versus a survival one, so people with long lashes are just considered lucky. 

With that being said, men do have a higher potential for having longer and thicker lashes based on their genetics. Testosterone is a hormone that increases the amount of body hair a person has, and with that being a male dominant hormone, it can increase the quantity and quality of body hair, which includes eyelashes.

So, why do people have longer lashes than others? 

This may come as a surprise, but the length of your lashes actually has to do with the width of your eye. Your eyelashes are ⅓ as long as the width of your eye, but why a ⅓?

A study in 2015 concluded that this is the length needed to protect our eyes and keep them moist and without eyelashes, our eyes would become red, itchy, and very dry. So in regards to lash length, the only thing that really matters is the size of your eye.  

People who wear makeup do tend to be more prone to having shorter lashes also. If you sleep with your makeup on, or can’t quite get all of it off, it can cause your lashes to break easier. One of the ways mascara works is by making the eyelashes stiff, so they are incredibly prone to breakage once it’s on. Hitting the bed with the mascara still on crunches your lashes against the pillow surface, and they may break in the process because of their already brittle state.  

How can I make my lashes longer? How long does it take?

There are a few things you can do to make your lashes longer, and we are here to give you the tea! Latisse is the only Food and Drug Administration approved lash growing serum that makes your lashes growth cycle longer, causing them to keep growing beyond their normal growth period and not break off sooner.

This serum gradually works over a period of 4-16 weeks to get full results, but the upside is that they are your natural lashes and most people say that it is worth the wait. 

Another popular method is lash extensions. These are popular with people who want to see immediate results, but be careful not to use lash extensions over a long period of time because they can actually hurt your eyelashes and potentially make your natural lashes shorter. 

Our final methods are mascara and makeup. Mascara and makeup are the most popular methods to get the appearance of longer, thicker and darker lashes, and are the most cost-effective. Eyeliner is especially effective in making your eyes look bigger, and as we all just learned, bigger eyes equal longer lashes. Curling your eyelashes can also be a great method to make your lashes appear longer, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, or if the angle of the curl is off, it can make them appear shorter.

Is it even possible to grow longer lashes? Is an eyelash growth serum a viable option?

In order to truly grow longer eyelashes, you have to be committed to the process because it does take time and nothing is going to happen overnight. If you avoid false lashes, go easy on the lash curler, remove your eye makeup every night, and visit with one of our providers for a growth serum prescription, then yes, it’s actually possible to grow longer lashes. However, you have to be consistent and patient.

These treatments take months to work, and once you stop, so does the growth, so it’s up to you if all the work is truly worth it.