Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder what happened to those lovely thick long eyelashes you used to have? As a dry eye suffer you are not alone, the loss of, or the appearance of shorter or thinning of eyelashes is a common symptom of on-going dry eye and related conditions such as blepharitis.
Why do we lose our lashes?
Sadly, there is a tendency to see a fall in lash condition as we age. These losses can be made worse by the use copious amounts of mascara, especially waterproof ones, and the increasing use of eyelash extensions which involve glues being applied directly to the eyelid and the eyelash follicles
What are they actually there for?
Our eyelashes are not just cosmetic, they help protect our eyes from dust and dirt particles which can led to irritation or infection. They also act as a warning system, a bit like a cat’s whiskers, to help prevent small foreign bodies entering and causing injury to the eye.
Restore your eyelashes and confidence
The loss of the humble eye lash is more than just a mild inconvenience it can impact your self-confidence and the way you feel about yourself. A study by eye experts Allergan showed that 75% of women, age 18-65 want longer, thicker and darker eyelashes so it is no surprise the interest in our eyelashes is on the increase.
Image: Steve Jurvetson from Menlo Park, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Now for some good news
With so many products on the market it can be difficult to know which product to choose, this is where you may want to ask the advice of your optician. A leading optometrist and dry eye specialist, noticed the plight of his dry-eye patients eye lashes and the over dependence on mascara. When looking at the current products available to help eye lash regrowth the concerned eye care professional saw that the vast majority contained ingredients that would make his dry eye patient’s condition worse.
What’s different?
This led to the development of a product which dramatically restores eyelashes and eyelash condition without the use of these potentially harmful ingredients. This means no harsh preservatives and definitely no prostaglandins, such as bimataprost.
The result of a long period of research and development was the launch of Lash Builder restorative serum, this highly innovative formulation works using a biomimetic peptide and red clover extract, together these ingredients restore eye lashes but are also kind to sensitive or dry-feeling eyes.
Not another step to the beauty routine?
This highly effective serum is applied nightly and left on so it can work while you sleep. Just cleanse away in the morning as part of your normal skin care routine, it really is that easy.
How long does it take to regrow eyelashes?
Your eyelashes are like any hair, they take time to grow. Typically, the growth cycle is 4-6 weeks so whatever you do you will need to be patient.
However, just think, if you start working on your lashes now you could have thicker, fuller, longer, eyelashes in time for Christmas! Be ready to look the world in the eye.
If you have experienced eyelash loss or thinning always seek the advice of your eye care professional
Watch-out List
Ingredients potentially toxic to dry eye sufferers or those with sensitive eyes include:
Benzylalkonium chloride (BAK), formaldehyde releasing preservatives (quarternuim-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, bromopol, glyoxal), parabens (butyl paraben methyl paraben propyl paraben), prostaglandins (bimataprost), synthetic prostaglandins (isopropyl cloprostenate)