How To Grow Eyelashes: 4 Tips To Try

There are more than a few products on the market that claim to give you longer lashes, but many of them either don’t work, contain really undesirable ingredients, or both.

If longer lashes are what you want, we recommend getting them healthy. If you’re wondering how to grow lashes that are longer and stronger, it starts with understanding how your lashes grow in the first place.

Using natural products that help encourage lash growth, keep lashes hydrated and conditioned, and enhance them without the use of harsh chemicals may seem like a tall order, but RMS has you covered.

We’ll fill you in on what causes your lashes to grow (or not) and give you 6 tips to try to encourage your lashes to grow naturally.

The Life Cycle of Your Lashes

Your lashes, like other hair on your body, grow at a rate that is specific to you. In other words, no one else’s hair grows exactly at the same rate yours does. Your lashes also have a distinct life cycle that consists of four different phases.

Anagen Phase

This phase of your lash cycle is the growth phase. It can last anywhere between four to ten weeks. During this phase, each individual lash hair is continuously growing. Growth begins at the base of your lashes’ follicles, so the lash fibers you see are technically the dead ends.

Catagen Phase

During this phase, your lash transitions from active growth. The hair follicle shrinks and it becomes cut off from the blood supply that helps it grow.

Telogen Phase

This is also referred to as the resting phase. Eyelashes in the telogen phase no longer grow but are not yet ready to fall out. This phase can last days to weeks.

Most of the lashes you see on your lash line are in the telogen phase. New lash growth is difficult to see because the hairs are so small and close to the lash line.

Exogen Phase

During this phase, the eyelash has finished its life cycle and is released from the follicle. It is then replaced by a new hair entering the anagen phase.

The complete life cycle of your eyelashes is between four to eleven months.

That might seem like a long time, especially if your lash extension provider insists you come in monthly for maintenance. Remember, however, that each individual lash is on a different cycle, with lashes falling out in the exogen phase daily.

What Makes Lashes Grow?

So, what makes eyelashes grow? Each lash grows from its own follicle, and how long it gets depends mostly on how long that follicle stays in the anagen (growth) phase. Many factors affect hair growth, including heredity. If one or both of your parents have long eyelashes, chances are you will, too.

For those of us who didn’t hit the eyelash jackpot in the gene pool, there are other methods that can help encourage your hair to grow during the anagen phase.

Accompanied by proper diet, rest, and protection from external stressors, you can encourage your lashes to grow as long as possible.

4 Tips for Longer Lashes

Longer lashes are possible with proper care, the right products, and patience. Here are 4 tips to help you get longer, more volumized lashes. For even more ideas on how to get longer eyelashes, see our full guide.

1. Use nutrient-rich mascara that lifts, volumizes, and nourishes.

Just because the tube says “lengthening” doesn’t mean there’s anything in your mascara to help promote lash growth.

While mascara may coat your lashes with fibers or finishes that make your lashes appear lengthier than they are, if you really want to grow your lashes you’ll need a product that contains pro-lash ingredients.

RMS Beauty’s Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara doesn’t just give you the look of longer, darker, more defined lashes, it nourishes your lashes with ingredients that promote growth and lash health.

Our mascara doesn’t just lengthen and darken your lashes, it creates lift from the lash line that helps open the eye and create better definition.

Pro Peptides: Your Secret Weapon to Healthier Lashes

Forget serums that have questionable ingredients and weird side effects, pro peptides help nourish your lashes in a way that promotes their healthy growth and retention.

Pro peptides are small chains of amino acids. Amino acids are what make up proteins, and proteins are foundational for healthy hair growth. When you take amino acids, you are helping your body build proteins, like keratin, which is the main protein required for stimulating new hair growth.

Pro peptides strengthen your existing lashes, revitalizing them and keeping them healthier and stimulating follicle growth.

2. Apply mascara the right way.

Even though you’ve probably been wearing mascara since your early teens, you could be applying it improperly. Mascara should be applied beginning with the top lashes.

1. Remove the wand from the tube. Avoid thrusting the wand into the tube repeatedly. This creates air bubbles which can oxidize your product and it simply isn’t necessary.
2. Avoid wiping or scraping mascara off of the wand. If you’re using a quality mascara, the perfect amount will be dispensed when you pull out the wand. Unless you are applying a thin coat of mascara to your bottom lashes, there’s never a need to wipe off excess product.
3. Begin by applying mascara to the middle of your lashes, directly at the base, moving in slow, outward, angled strokes. The focus of your application should begin here, working outward toward the outer edges of your eyes and then finishing by touching the inner edges.
4. Wait for your upper lashes to dry before applying mascara to your lower lashes. Use the same technique for your lower lashes, but avoid getting mascara directly on the base of your lashes.

Once your lashes have dried, you can apply a second coat if you want more volume, however be careful that you don’t apply so much mascara that you end up with “tarantula lashes” or “spider lashes,” i.e. lashes that are stuck together in clumps.

3. Remove mascara the right way.

One of the easiest ways to damage your lashes and stunt their growth is by improperly removing your mascara, or not removing it at all.

Leaving mascara on your lashes overnight causes them to become dry and brittle; the perfect recipe for breaking.

Removing mascara with abrasive cloths, pulling, or tugging on your natural lash fibers can not only pull them out, it can damage your delicate eye skin causing irritation, redness, and dryness.

Mascara should be removed nightly, and you should choose a gentle, natural product to remove it. RMS Raw Coconut Cream is our favorite for sliding mascara off your lashes (even hard to remove waterproof formulas) without damaging your natural lashes.

Raw coconut cream is also incredibly hydrating and nourishing, helping promote lash health even when removing your makeup. The fatty acid content combined with the natural antimicrobial properties of raw coconut cream make it the perfect product for removing eye makeup.

4. Take in the right nutrients.

If you’re serious about lash growth, you’ll have to get serious about your diet. If you aren’t eating a balanced diet rich in nutrients and vitamins, your lashes won’t grow any more than they normally do. When it comes to what helps eyelashes grow from the inside, nutrition plays a supporting role by giving your follicles the building blocks they need.

Looking for lash-loving nutrients to include in your diet and in topical products? Here’s your master shopping list.

• Lean protein. Your lashes need protein to grow, so a diet rich in proteins can help support lash growth. Salmon is a great choice because it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for keeping your hair follicles healthy.
• Vitamin A. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin A also helps support lash growth by helping keep the hair follicle lubricated with sebum which keeps the hair healthy. Vitamin A can be ingested and used topically.
• Biotin. Biotin helps support healthy hair growth. If you are deficient in biotin, you may even experience hair loss. Biotin is found in a variety of foods including peanuts, almonds, and fish.
• Folic acid. Folic acid assists your body with cell repair, which helps fortify your lashes and keep them strong. Foods high in folic acid include beans, broccoli, spinach, and whole wheat bread.
• Iron. Iron is essential for helping support strong hair shafts, and your lashes benefit by the inclusion of iron in your diet. You can include iron in your diet by eating more chicken, green leafy vegetables, and nuts.
• Calcium. Calcium, like folic acid, helps keep cells strong, which helps keratin cells function properly and allow your lashes to grow. Calcium can come from dairy products, but also from leafy green vegetables and tofu.

Incorporating these foods into your diet can help make sure you’re getting the vitamins and nutrients you need on the inside to promote lash growth. Products that contain some of these nourishing ingredients can help encourage lashes to stay stronger when applied topically.

Best Treatments for Growing Eyelashes

There’s no single fix for longer lashes, but some treatments do more than others. Here’s an honest look at your options, from everyday care to prescription treatment.

Conditioning Mascara

A mascara made with nourishing ingredients, like our Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara, gives you instant length and volume while keeping lashes conditioned. Healthier, more flexible lashes are less likely to break, so more of them reach their full natural length.

Gentle, Nightly Removal

Many people lose lashes to breakage, not slow growth. Removing mascara every night with an oil-based remover like Raw Coconut Cream or our Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes, without rubbing or tugging, is one of the simplest ways to keep the lashes you have. Our guide on how to remove mascara walks through it step by step.

Over-the-Counter Lash Serums

Lash serums generally fall into two groups. Conditioning serums use ingredients like peptides and plant oils to keep lashes healthy and are gentle, though the evidence for actual growth is limited. Other serums contain prostaglandin-like ingredients, such as isopropyl cloprostenate, which can lengthen lashes but may cause eye irritation, redness, or darkening of the eyelid skin. Always check the ingredient list before you buy.

Prescription Treatment

Bimatoprost, sold as Latisse, is the only FDA-approved treatment for growing eyelashes. It works by keeping lashes in the growth phase longer, and results typically appear after about two months of nightly use. It requires a prescription and can cause side effects, including eye irritation, darkening of the eyelid skin, and, rarely, a permanent change in eye color. Talk to a dermatologist or eye doctor to see if it’s right for you.

Address the Root Cause

If your lashes are thinning or falling out suddenly, see a doctor. Conditions like blepharitis, thyroid problems, alopecia areata, and some medications can all cause lash loss, and treating the cause is the only way to get lashes growing again.

Conclusion

Your lashes can grow healthy and strong if you use products that nourish and hydrate them. Using propeptides is a great way to promote the growth of your lashes naturally. Combined with the right mascara application and removal process and a few adjustments in your diet, you can have lashes that are volumized, lengthier, and healthier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does it take to grow eyelashes longer?

Lashes grow slowly. The full lash cycle takes four to eleven months, and a lash that falls out usually takes several weeks to a few months to grow back to full length. With better daily care, most people notice healthier, fuller-looking lashes within one to three months. Prescription treatments typically show results after about eight weeks, with full results at around four months.

Q. What lifestyle habits support eyelash growth?

The habits that help most are the gentle ones:

• Remove mascara every night.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes.
• Curl lashes before mascara, not after.
• Give your natural lashes regular breaks from extensions and strip lashes.
• Replace your mascara about every three months.
• Eat a protein-rich, balanced diet, sleep well, and manage stress, since all three affect hair growth throughout your body.

Q. How can I grow my eyelashes naturally?

Focus on protecting the lashes you have and supporting new growth. Use a conditioning mascara, remove it gently every night with an oil-based remover, eat a balanced diet with enough protein, iron and vitamins, and avoid habits that pull lashes out. Natural methods won’t change your genetics, but they help every lash reach its full length. For more ideas, see our tips to make eyelashes longer.

Q. What triggers eyelash growth?

A new lash starts growing when its follicle enters the anagen, or growth, phase, usually right after an old lash sheds. How long that phase lasts depends on genetics, hormones, age and overall health. Prescription lash treatments work by lengthening this growth phase, which is why they can produce longer lashes.

Q. What vitamins help grow eyelashes?

Biotin, vitamin A, folic acid and iron all support healthy hair growth, along with plenty of protein. Supplements mainly help if you’re deficient, though, and taking too much of some, like vitamin A, can actually cause hair loss. Aim to get these nutrients from food first, and talk to your doctor before starting supplements.

Sources:

The Eyelash Follicle Features and Anomalies: A Review|NCBI

Growth Factors in Hair Organ Development and the Hair Growth Cycle|PubMed

Endogenous Retinoids in the Hair Follicle and Sebaceous Gland|PubMed