Eyelashes are apparently the latest threat to masculinity. Men have survived questionable mustaches, frosted tips, aggressively sculpted eyebrows and enough hair gel to qualify as a construction material. Now, perfectly innocent eyelashes have somehow joined the list of things some men apparently need to toughen up.
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Yes, some men are cutting or shaving their eyelashes because they believe shorter lashes make them look more masculine.
If you’re currently blinking in disbelief, at least your eyelashes are still doing their job.
Videos circulating on social media show men trimming their lashes with scissors, clippers and other grooming tools in an attempt to achieve a shorter, less noticeable look. Some reports have even highlighted barbers being asked to perform the treatment, although it’s unclear how widespread the trend actually is.
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And while the internet loves nothing more than turning an unusual beauty habit into a full-blown phenomenon, ophthalmologists have a less entertaining observation: your eyelashes aren’t just decorative. They’re there for a reason.
So When Did Eyelashes Become Too Feminine?
The apparent logic behind the trend isn’t particularly complicated. Some men associate longer eyelashes with femininity and believe that cutting them down will make their appearance look tougher, harder or more traditionally masculine. It’s an interesting theory, mostly because biology seems to have completely ignored it.
Eyelash length and density naturally vary between individuals. Some men are born with short lashes. Others have lashes that could probably qualify for their own fan club. Women can have short lashes, too. There is no biological rulebook assigning eyelashes according to gender.
Still, social media has given the idea a place to flourish, with videos showing men getting their lashes trimmed and viewers debating whether the result actually makes them look more masculine.
The bigger problem is that viral content can make a niche behaviour look like everyone’s doing it. At present, there is no reliable evidence that huge numbers of men have suddenly decided their eyelashes are sabotaging their masculinity.
Which is probably for the best. Because the eyelashes may have something to say about this.
Those Little Hairs Are Actually Working
Eyelashes aren’t sitting around doing nothing while you go about your day. They are tiny protective barriers positioned in perhaps the most inconvenient place imaginable for something you’d want to trim with scissors.
According to Cleveland Clinic ophthalmologist Dr. Nicole Trovato, eyelashes help reduce the amount of dust and debris that reaches the surface of the eye. Their natural curve can also help divert substances such as sweat and other irritants away from the eye.
So every time you complain about having long eyelashes, remember that they’re basically unpaid security guards. They’re also equipped with an alarm system.
When something touches the lashes, the sensation can trigger the automatic blink reflex, helping close the eyelids before an object reaches the eye.
Cutting your lashes doesn’t eliminate that reflex completely, but it can reduce some of the protection the hairs provide. And then there’s the tear film.
Dr. Nicole Bajic, an ophthalmologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, has said eyelashes may help reduce tear evaporation and protect the tear film — the thin layer of liquid that keeps the surface of the eye lubricated.
Suddenly those “feminine” eyelashes are looking less like a beauty accessory and more like employees who have been quietly working overtime.
The Scissors Are the Scariest Part
Even if you don’t care about the protective benefits, there’s one extremely obvious problem with this grooming trend. You’re holding sharp equipment next to your eyeball.
Scissors, clippers and razors have many legitimate uses. Being waved around centimetres from one of the most delicate parts of your body is perhaps not their finest application. One unexpected movement could injure the eyelid or the cornea, the transparent surface at the front of the eye.
Experts have also warned that cutting lashes too short can reduce some of their protective function and potentially leave the eyes more exposed to debris, irritation and infection. Dr. Trovato has warned that trimming eyelashes can contribute to eyelid inflammation, while disrupting the tear film may leave the eyes feeling dry or itchy.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean everyone who trims their eyelashes is going to end up with an eye infection. It just raises the slightly awkward question of why anyone would voluntarily create a new eye problem when there wasn’t one to begin with. Your eyeballs did not ask for this.
Good News: The Lashes Usually Come Back
If you’ve already joined the eyelash-cutting experiment and are now wondering whether you’ve permanently altered your face, don’t panic. Eyelashes generally grow back when their follicles remain intact.
Dr. Trovato says lashes should regrow after cutting if the follicles have not been damaged, although repeated trauma, inflammation or infection can interfere with regrowth.
Dr. Bajic has also said that eyelashes typically grow back within around six to 10 weeks after trimming. She recommends that people who have already cut their lashes consider wearing sunglasses more frequently to provide additional protection from debris while the lashes grow back.
There is, however, one myth that needs to be firmly escorted out of the beauty conversation. Cutting your eyelashes will not make them grow back thicker or longer. Unfortunately, eyelashes do not operate according to the same logic as mowing a lawn.
When Cutting Eyelashes Actually Makes Sense
There are circumstances when eyelashes may need to be trimmed or removed. They’re just considerably less glamorous than a social media masculinity makeover.
Trichiasis, for example, occurs when eyelashes grow inward toward the eye and rub against the cornea or conjunctiva. In these cases, a doctor may remove problematic lashes or recommend another treatment.
Dr. Bajic says eyelash removal can sometimes be appropriate when lashes grow in abnormal directions and cause problems, but she does not recommend trimming or removing healthy eyelashes simply for cosmetic reasons.
And if you’ve already taken the scissors to your lashes, pay attention to what your eyes are telling you.
Significant eye pain, persistent redness, light sensitivity or changes in vision after trimming are reasons to seek medical advice.
Maybe Masculinity Can Survive the Eyelashes
Men have spent decades being told that masculinity is about everything from jawlines to muscle definition to the exact amount of chest hair required to achieve Peak Manhood™.
Now eyelashes have apparently entered the chat.
But if a man happens to have long eyelashes, perhaps the most masculine thing he can do is simply get on with his day.
After all, confidence is supposed to mean not being bothered by every tiny detail of your appearance. And if somebody’s first thought upon seeing a man with enviable lashes is, “Oh no, that’s too feminine,” perhaps the problem isn’t the lashes.
Maybe it’s the remarkably fragile definition of masculinity doing the heavy lifting.
So before you grab the scissors, consider the bargain you’re making: potentially irritated eyes, less natural protection and six to 10 weeks waiting for your lashes to return — all to achieve a look that may or may not make you appear more masculine.
Frankly, let the lashes live. They’ve got a job. And unlike the people inventing bizarre grooming trends on social media, they’re actually doing it.
Source: Fashion Times