The answer to the question “do eyelashes grow back” is not a simple “yes” or “no” because it depends upon what happened to the missing lashes.
Why do we need eyelashes at all? Do they serve an essential purpose and what happens if we don’t have them?
Eyelashes grow on the edges of the eyelid and they exist to protect the eye from debris or foreign bodies. Their function is similar to that of the whiskers of a cat, in the sense that they are very sensitive to being touched. This warns us that something is close to the surface of the eyeball, and the eyelids then close reflexively.
That simple function is enough for most men, and they don’t give their lashes a second thought, if they ever think about them at all.
This is not true for most women who require their lashes to perform another function. Long eyelashes are considered a sign of femininity in many cultures. Accordingly, some women seek to enhance their eyelash length artificially, using eyelash extensions.
Eye makeup is an essential element of the female armory in the battle to attract attention. It has been discovered that eye makeup was used as far back as the Bronze Age. The use of eye makeup in Ancient Egypt is well documented.
Modern eye makeup includes mascara, eyeliner, eye putty, and eye shadow to emphasize the eyes. There are also different tools that can be used on the lashes such as eyelash curler or mascara shield. In addition, the past decade has seen the rapid increase in the development of eyelash conditioners. These conditioners are designed to increase the health and length of the lashes
So, you may understand that eyelashes are important to women, and not only because of their practical function. You will have often have read phrases such as “fluttering her eyelashes seductively” in the context of the female/male relationship.
Now that we know a little more about the subject, we return to the question: Do eyelashes grow back?
The answer is – it depends on the reason for their loss. If they have been plucked out they should re-grow in seven or eight weeks.
If, however, the eyelashes are lost to a disease, such as Madarosis, that may not be the case.
But all is not lost even then. Today it is possible to get eyelash transplants, which are similar in nature to hair transplantation. Since the hair is transplanted from the hair on the head, the new eyelashes will continue to grow like head hair and will need to be trimmed regularly.
In 2009 the drug “Latisse” was launched to promote eyelash growth; it is the first drug of its type to receive FDA approval. Allergan, the manufacturers, claim that noticeable eyelash growth occurs within 16 weeks.
In our modern world the question of whether eyelashes do grow back naturally is no longer as relevant as it once was.
If they do, they do. And if they don’t, there are many other solutions to the solve the problem of their replacement.
