Lash Growth Cycle

Ever wonder the specifics on why you need to get your lash refill every 2-3 weeks?

You should get your refill because some of those lovely fans will have fallen off during those weeks. No, it is not your lash artist fault. And even with the best cleansing practices and the best retention, some lashes are just destined to fall.

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“But why?!” you may be asking.

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This is why.

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Your lashes go through a cycle we call the Lash Growth Cycle in which lashes shed and grow back in these three stages. The stages are Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.

Each stage of your lash growth cycle is so important to the lifespan of your lashes.

Your lashes will constantly grow, rest from growing, shed, regrow and repeat. This is how our natural eyelashes are programmed, unlike hair in your scalp that is programmed to grow and grow!

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Curious about each stage in the process? Keep reading!

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Our first stage of the cycle is Anagen. This is the part where your new hair pushes out the old lash and falls out, making room for a new hair bulb to begin growing in its place. The whole process can take roughly 30-45 days to complete. The healthier the follicle, the longer it will take to grow.

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Anagen stage is shown in three images, as  very young and fine hairs. You can see them make their way to the surface and exposes itself amongst your other full-length lashes. They are so fine that they can even appear as transparent and fuzzy lashes at times and will not resemble the other 60% of lashes around them. During this stage, it is constantly and actively growing, becoming thicker as it grows in length. These lashes SHOULD NOT be filled, as they are so thin and cannot hold much weight. About 40% of your upper lashes are in this stage. When can you start filling lashes? Proceed to the next stage to find out!

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Catagen phase is the transition phase in which the root slows down and stops growing. This stage can last about 14-21 days. Again, the more time the lash stays in each stage, the healthier your follicle is. This is the stage in which you can FINALLY start filling lashes. These lashes are long, thick and safe enough to lash.

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Unfortunately, this is also where the hair follicle starts to also transition and degenerate and shrink, pushing the fully grown eyelash out. If a lash gets pulled out sooner than it is programmed to do, this may prolong the growth cycle repeating and your lashes will look less full. This is why it is so important to not put lashes on your client that are too thick and heavy to handle or even attempt the removal of lashes yourself. You might pull too hard and damage the follicle.

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The last stage is the telogen phase, also known as the resting phase. This is when your natural eyelash has been pushed out almost completely, with a new hair bulb waiting right behind it to take its place in a couple months.
It is also when your lashes resting in your follicle will fall off naturally, and thus the growth cycle can begin to repeat itself.

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So to answer you, lash loss is a normal part of your eyelash cycle.
You will lose those lashes and to ensure your lashes are full always and CAN actually hold lashes to achieve this full look, you must take care of your lashes, give your client lashes their eyes can handle, and instruct your client how to take care of your lashes.

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