Did you know that our eyelashes, follow a natural eyelash growth cycle and grow to a certain length? We were born with a specific number of follicles. It is important to take care of our eyelashes to stay lush and complete throughout your life.

Eyelashes are not just a beautiful feature of the body; they have a very specific and important function. They are actually for protection. Eyelashes are designed to protect objects from getting into the eyes. They activate the blinking reaction so that dust, dirt, debris and other objects do not accumulate in our eyes.

There are about 90 to 150 eyelashes in the upper part of the eyelid, while the lower ones are about 70 to 80. Every single eyelash is programmed to reach a certain length (3/8 inches on average), falls off and then grows again. The eyelash passes through the three-part growth cycle.

Phases of Eyelash Growth Cycle

Anagen Phase:

This phase is also known as the growth phase. This is the stage where the eyelashes actively develop and lasts between 30 and 45 days. During this stage of the eyelash growth cycle, the lashes will not fall unless they are forced and removed. If all of our eyelashes were in the anagen phase at the same time, then they all would be about to fall simultaneously, however, only about 40% of the upper eyelashes and 15% of the lower eyelashes are in the anagen phase at the same time. Each lash will grow to a specific length and then it will stop.

Catagen Phase:

Also known as the transitional phase. At this stage, the lashes have reached the designated length and have stopped growing,. The hair follicle begins to shrink. This means that if the lash falls out, it will not grow back until it completes the catagen phase. This phase usually lasts between 2 and 3 weeks.

Telogen Phase:

The final phase is also known as the “resting phase.” It’s the longest cycle by, typically lasting more than 100 days. Eventually, during this resting phase, the eyelash will fall out a new growth will occur. It will then be 4-8 weeks before a new one starts growing in. Since our lashes are in different phases of the growth cycle, it’s natural for a few to fall out each day.