All about your cycle

It's truly a time to stay calm and literally take a deep breath if your eyelash extensions are falling out. It's not always a sign of doom and gloom but before you jump to conclusions let's "shed" some light on common causes, which we can take action on.

Let's start off with a little graph which shows you your hair growth cycle and discuss each of those phases.

EYELASH GROWTH CYCLE

Keep note that the average person has between 80-150 eyelashes on their upper eyelid and about 50-80 on the lower. Eyelashes along with eyebrows and even arm pit, leg and arm hairs have a relatively short active growth phase that can last from 30-45 days.

There are three main phases to the Growth Cycle:

ANAGEN - 1st Phase

It's the active growth phase of the hair follicles. During this phase, a single hair grows about one centimeter every 28 days. Typically during the early anagen phase, it pushes out the older hairs.

CATAGEN - 2nd Phase

This is the transition phase when the hair stops growing and the follicle shrinks and attaches to the root of the hair creating what is called a club hair. Lasting 2 to 3 weeks, 3% of hair is in this phase at any given time.

TELOGEN - 3rd Phase

The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. This phase lasts for about 100 days for hairs on the scalp and much longer for hairs on the eyebrow, eyelash, arm, and leg. At any given time, 10 - 15% percent of all hairs are in the telogen phase.

Some other things that can cause shedding:

Natural Shedding

Shedding occurs when the lash has completed its life cycle. Often, several lashes will reach the final stage at the same time and they will all shed as a group. This is known as a shedding phase.

Shedding phases are detected by the appearance of several baby lashes.

Medical and Diet Conditions

Conditions such as Trichotillomania Tangle, Thyroid Condition, Alopecia Areata: Chemical Blepharitis, and Chemotherapy can all have a negative effect the growth, shedding, and overall health of your lashes. Vitamin deficiencies can also play a role in having weak or strong lashes.

Oils

The natural enemy of lash extensions adhesives. Whether they are natural oils produced by the body or ingredients in products used on the face, oils reduce retention of the extensions to the lash and cause them to fall prematurely. Keep oils away from your lashes.

Growth Serums and Conditioners

Well, the point of these products is to condition your lashes and helps them to grow longer, stronger, and thicker. While the results can be amazing, you might experience more shedding if your lash cycle is quickened. Also, some serums contain ingredients like various oils that are a big no-no for extensions.

Cleanliness

We talk about this to each of our clients. It is essential to keep your lashes and eye area clean. When lashes are not clean, the lash hair follicle can get clogged with dirt and debris. Clogged follicles cause lashes to shed and if left untreated can lead to stunting new lash growth.

Sleeping and touching

If you sleep on the side of your face, expect your lashes to fall out, We always suggest sleeping on your back. And of course, we know you love your lashes but refrain from being touchy-feely. Any oils on your fingers can transfer to your lashes. Constant touching can also cause your lashes to entangle with each other which sometimes leads to accidentally tugging them out. It’s a good idea to keep your hands off your lashes.

Getting them wet too soon after the application

After your application, it is a general rule to not get your lashes wet for 24 hours. The 24 hours is the time that is needed for the lash and adhesive to fully bond. If water gets onto the lashes before the 24 hour period is over, the drying process might be interrupted and the bond compromised. The result of this is the lifting of the extension off the lash.

eyelash shedding guide

Each eye can shed between 2 – 3 lashes per day

Therefore….

1 WEEK = 21 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

2 WEEKS = 42 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

3 WEEKS = 63 LASHES PER EYE ARE SHED

That’s why we recommend lash fills every 2 to 3 weeks to keep your set looking its best

* Now again, do note as we've said before. Eeach individual is different, there will always be variations to this chart…some might shed a little bit less and some might lose a bit more. If applied properly extensions are attached to lashes that are at the middle of last stage in their cycle and there is no way to know the exact time that the a lash will shed naturally, so it is not uncommon for a freshly extended lash to shed the day of the application.

Examine your lashes

Examine Your Lashes

So we know that lashes naturally shed every day, however, we don’t usually notice it until it is attached to an extension. So you’re encouraged to get up close and personal with that lash on your pillow or in your sink.

If you can see the 1 single lash attached to an extension, you can exhale knowing it is a natural part of the cycle.

If a few extensions fall on their own without a natural lash attached, one of the areas we covered above could be the reason…and we would recommend that you take any necessary prevent more shedding.

When should I be worried?

When I should be worried

You’re losing more than the average amount of extensions daily
A high volume of extensions are shedding that is not attached to your natural lashes
Eyelash extensions are shedding and are clumped together
Multiple lashes are attached on one extension

If you experience any of the above, it’s time to contact your lashtichian.