The trend these days seems to be whopping great big lashes with coatings of extra mascara. Everyone is doing it from the red carpet to the clubs but somehow, we must have missed the memo. How many of us are still going au naturel?
In order to get longer and thicker eyelashes, you are going to need to put in the legwork and we imagine that many of you have picked up some pretty bad habits along the way…
How many of you still go to sleep at night in the makeup you put on that morning, and probably touched up a little along the day? This is the first thing you need to change. There’s no point in doing any of the other stuff you’ll read in a minute if you don’t do this bit first. This is the most important part.
When you fall asleep in your mascara, you are suffocating the poor eyelashes. They are smothered in a black, sticky substance – imagine if someone wrapped you up in a black sticky substance. Before you go to bed, wipe a makeup remover wipe (or solution on a cotton wool ball) over your eyes and get rid of the stresses of the day you are leaving behind. Ideally, you should be washing your face now too but one step at a time…
Growing eyelashes after chemo or extensions
Those of us who are less fortunate and had to deal with chemotherapy can also benefit from our tips below. These are safe and natural ways of growing eyelashes and will improve quality of lashes in all cases. Usually it takes about two to three months after the last round of treatment for your eyelashes to regrow. You can make this process a little faster by taking folic acid and biotin in addition to what is described below.
As for those who had eyelash extensions, you might have issues with your lashes not growing or growing crooked. What you need to remember is that eyelashes do grow back but it might take a little bit of time – in most cases it takes about two months to restore completely. Our home remedies will help you speed up the process and straighten your lashes and improve their health.
Don’t underestimate eyelash brushes
Have you ever seen those little eyelash brushes? They are cute but they also serve a purpose. You should be brushing your eyelashes. Not only will it help straighten things out and make them appear bigger, you are encouraging new growth and the shedding of dead hair. It works in much the same way as the hair on your head when you think about it.
Using natural oils
We talk a lot about oils for hair treatments such as olive oil, castor oil and coconut oil. You can also use these oils on your eyelashes in order to protect them, coat them in a layer of moisture that prevents them from further damage, and also helps to provide the lashes with extra nutrients that they need in order to grow luscious and long. Vitamin E oil has proved to be pretty impressive. Simply add a few drops of oil to your brush and apply directly onto your lashes like you do with mascara.
In addition, olive oil is an excellent eye makeup remover so if you get the habit of using olive oil to remove your makeup you will be treating your eyelashes without any effort!
Make your own serum
You can easily prepare your own hair growth serum at home by mixing equal parts of castor oil and coconut oil. If you would like to enhance it even further, add a little bit of avocado oil too. Mix all ingredients in a container, shake well and apply using eyelash brush or a Q-tip. This mixture can be applied on eyelashes and eyebrows if necessary.
Using Vaseline
Another awesome way to help your lashes grow is to apply Vaseline. Apply a tiny amount of Vaseline to your lashes using Q-tip just before you go to sleep and rinse in the morning. Be careful not to get that into your eyes though.
What about Latisse?
Latisse is another great product for growing eyelashes. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss pros and cons of Latisse, however it is important to mention that there were some reports when women with light colored eyes had their eye color change due to improper use of this product. For example, in some rare instances women with blue eyes had their eyes turn brown due to improper application of Latisse.
So while Latisse definitely works, take your time to read instructions and use it carefully.
[wp_ad_camp_1]Fake it until you make it
Of course, growing your eyelashes will take time and most of us want results like, RIGHT NOW! (Don’t lie – most of us hate waiting!) Growing eyelashes requires some patience but you can always fake thicker and luscious lashes with the help of “falsies” or smart mascara tips.
If you use a mascara with a fatter brush (normally volume-boosting styles) to spread the lashes out first and follow this up with a nice but thin coating of a thinner brush (normally lengthening styles), your lashes will get two boosts – length and volume. This is the best way we’ve found to get false-looking lashes without actually needing false lashes. If you are going on a big evening event and want double the effect, you can always add a comb style brush over the other two layers to separate and give a little extra va-va-voom!
Now that’s the way to flutter!