SPRING SHEDDING - What's up with this unusual lash loss?
SPRING & FALL SHEDDING - UNUSUAL EYELASH FALLOUT
'Tis the season for cute dresses and flowers all around! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. Unfortunately, new transitional seasons like Spring and Fall makes us shed our old skin to make way for the new cells.
WHAT IS IT AND WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
We have from 80 to 120 eyelashes on our top lids and they are constantly growing and falling out every 60 - 90 days. This means that we lose 1 to 5 eyelashes every day, but we typically don't notice it as it could happen in the shower while sleeping or taking off our make up.
But with an extension attached, you're now much more aware of your lashes and you may notice how during Spring or Fall you may experience some unusual lash loss. You'll probably notice your skin is changing too, and if you're a pet owner you've probably experienced it with them as well.
This also happens on your head, and all other body hair for that matter, but of course it may differ from person to person. During this natural process, our bodies will increase oil production to help keep our skin and hair hydrated to cope with these external changes.
There are many reasons because of which seasonal hair loss happens. A few of them are mentioned below:
HORMONES
The testosterone level in the body
The level of testosterone in the body increases during the spring and autumn that leads to hair loss. Testosterone is converted to DHT (Dihydroxy-testosterone) by an enzyme. When the conversion happens, it results in hair follicle shrinkage as the follicle is sensitive to this conversion. And eventually, the hair growth stops.STRESS
The first effect of stress is faced by the hair and even probably the most of it. Stress already is enough to damage your hair and if this stress by you is taken in the seasons like spring and autumn, then the hair loss can be more than usual.
MEDICATION
Certain drugs are not good for hair growth and push most of the hair from their growth stage to their resting stage. Drugs like Retinoids that are used in acne treatment, anti-depressants, anticoagulants are not good for hair growth.
If you have no added stressors in your life and are not taking any medications, then your situation is probably hormonal.
SHOULD I WORRY?
Well, it depends on the cause of the lash loss. But since in most cases it is hormonal because of the changing seasons, it is completely normal and if you wait it out for a couple of weeks, after around three to six weeks you should be fine. Think of it as is being our body's way of trying to acclimate itself to the new harsher season (Winter or Summer).
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional so contact your general physician if your hair loss appears to be serious.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M EXPERIENCING THIS?
If you've been getting lashes done for a while with the same trusty artist, have not changed anything in your skincare routine, and experience poor lash retention then you might be going through this. A good indicator would be if you're seeing a lot more hair on your brush or noticing changes in your skin's texture.
As soon as I saw around 5 lash tips growing out all at the same time when looking at my eyes from very close up, then I knew that this is what it was.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT IT?
Give it time. There is nothing you can do. There is nothing you can do to prevent it, but you should shampoo your lashes more regularly because of the rise in oil production, you can get an infection or other problems caused by clogged hair follicles. You may also experience less lash growth since you won't be allowing lashes to simply grow interrupted.
HOW CAN I PREPARE OR WHAT SHOULD I DO?
This typically happens around the same time as the temperature around your area changes drastically like when winter turns into Spring and Summer into Fall. This is the body's way to prepare itself for this so that you can predict around the time it will happen and it will last a couple of weeks. But if you live in a Tropical climate or someplace where there are no drastic changes in seasons, then you may not experience this at all! Since it is a hormonal reaction, it also depends on each individual person, so plan on adding another refill in between your typical refills around these times.
WHAT ABOUT SERUMS?
It depends on the type of serum you use as some of them, like Revitalash, put your lashes on the resting stage for longer than usual which can become an issue during this time if you decide to stop or not be consistent with it. But others help promote more growth so it can help you get out of that shedding stage quicker! So do your research before starting to use a lash serum to understand your lashes better and not get discouraged.
Check out this video from Dr. Rupa Wong, an Ophthalmologist that explains how eyelash serums work and her experience using some of them.
We suggest you stop using all lash serums for the first three weeks of April (if you live in Paris or in an area with similar seasons) and use Organic Castor Oil instead. Afterward, you can go back to a lash serum if you stick to it religiously.
So if you are losing lashes more than you normally would, just know that in these seasonal shifts this it is nothing to worry about and it is completely normal and you’d be glad to know that any hair loss is usually rapidly replaced by new growth if you’re healthy. The problems start when we don't remove our make up properly as clogged pores are not the best environment for newly growing lashes, so if you're a makeup user (yes, concealer counts), then it is best to invest in a Lash Shampoo.