Just like the hair on your head, your eyelashes go through a natural cycle of growth and eventual shedding. Before getting caught up in expensive beauty treatments or jumping to conclusions about lash fallout, it’s important to understand this lash growth cycle.
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 when it comes to lash length, thickness, and color, we each go through a growth cycle.
3 Phases of the Lash Growth Cycle
The lash growth cycle can be broken down into three phases: Anagen (active growth), Catagen (transition phase) and Telogen (resting phase). The entire cycle can take between 4 and 11 months.
Anagen Phase (Active Growth)
In the first phase, called the Anagen phase, lashes are actively growing for around 30–45 days. Approximately 40 percent of your lashes are in this phase at any given time. Each lash will continue to grow until a specific length and then stop.
Catagen Phase (Transition Phase)
The second phase in the lash cycle is the Catagen phase, where the lash reaches its desired length and stops growing, and the follicle gets smaller. This phase lasts 2–3 weeks. Should a lash fall out during the catagen phase, it won’t begin growing back until this phase has run its course.
Telogen Phase (Resting Phase)
The resting/shedding phase is known as the Telogen phase, which lasts 3–4 months. During this time, a new hair begins to grow from the hair follicle, eventually pushing out the old hair. This means there’s no reason to get worried about normal lash shedding – they are just making room for new ones! Because each individual lash is in its own phase of the cycle, it’s normal for a few lashes to fall out every day. It usually takes 4–8 weeks to fully replace a lash.
Tips for Healthy Lashes Throughout the Cycle
Damage can cause hairs to break off mid-cycle, so it’s important to keep your lashes healthy and conditioned – especially if you use makeup daily or get cosmetic treatments like extensions or lash lifts.
To help keep lashes in tip-top shape, we recommend following these practices:
- Remove makeup thoroughly each day. Our Micellar Water Lash Wash is made to cleanse lashes gently yet effectively.
- Avoid waterproof makeup. Try formulas with conditioning benefits instead.
- Incorporate a lash serum into your daily routine. Our RevitaLash® Advanced strengthens lashes and protects against breakage while improving flexibility and shine.
- Avoid tugging, pulling, or rubbing lashes.
- Nourish lashes twice a week with our Lash & Brow Masque to repair damage and restore health.
