{"id":10037,"date":"2019-07-26T10:02:52","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T17:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=10037"},"modified":"2023-10-12T16:24:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T23:24:50","slug":"best-eyelash-growth-serums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/best-eyelash-growth-serums","title":{"rendered":"Eyelash Growth Serums: Experts Explain How They Work and How to Choose the Best One"},"content":{"rendered":"

At some point in your life (for us, it was yesterday!), you’ve probably looked in the mirror and fantasized about the idea of achieving long, luscious lashes without the labor of applying mascara, falsies or extensions. Thanks to the onslaught of eyelash growth serums, what was once just a dream has now become a reality.<\/p>

Though there is currently only one FDA-approved prescription on the market (Latisse<\/a>), there are more and more lash-growth products being sold over the counter every year. According to a 2018 market research study<\/a>, the market for eyelash growth serums in the U.S. was valued at around $280 million and is growing at a rate of 5%, year over year.<\/p>

For some of us, the desire to enhance our natural lashes is as innate as the desire to use injectables and skin rejuvenation tools. “Long, healthy-looking lashes make the eyes look full and make women feel beautiful and young,” New York City dermatologist Dr. Michele Green<\/a> says. For others, it comes out of a genuine need to feel like themselves again. “Some women also want to look as they did before chemotherapy, and lash serums can help.”<\/p>

How do eyelash growth serums work?<\/strong><\/h2>

The main goal of these lash products is to counteract the body’s natural hair-shedding process, to help the tiny hairs grow longer. “Everyone is born with a predetermined number of hair follicles,” Dr. Green explains. “Each individual eyelash is programmed to grow to a certain length, then fall off. However, using products that contain [certain] ingredients can extend the [growth phase] of the hair follicle.”<\/p>

A typical eyelash life cycle happens over the span of three stages.<\/p>

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  1. ANAGEN: The growth phase lasts from four to six weeks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. CATAGEN: The follicles begin to shrink during this transition phase, which can last anywhere from two to three weeks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. TELOGEN: The resting phase is when new strands begin to grow and old ones naturally fall off. It can take four to eight weeks for this final stage to occur, then the cycle begins again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>

    This is all to say: Lash growth is slow. Very very<\/em> slow. In fact, the growth rate is much slower than that of the strands on your head. Latisse and other eyelash growth serums that contain prostaglandin analogs<\/strong> (which are basically lipids derived from fatty acids) work by “stimulating more eyelashes to be in the anagen cycle, and they prolong growth,” says Los Angeles dermatologic surgeon Dr. Anna G<\/a>u<\/a>anche<\/a>. Those same types of serums, she adds, also help trigger the transition from the “inactive” final stage (telogen) to move more quickly back into anagen.<\/p>

    Beyond prostaglandins, some of the most common ingredients in these tubes are biotin, peptides, plant extracts and panthenol, though they typically just condition the lashes, thus making them stronger and healthier-looking.<\/p>

    Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

    Best practices and results<\/strong><\/h2>

    Eyelash growth serums are easy to use—at night, swipe a wand (or in the case of Latisse, a prepackaged, sterilized brush that you’ve added a drop of product to) right onto the skin closest to the lashes (the lash root), just like you would a liquid eyeliner, just once. Using more than the recommended application will not get you any faster results. Wait about two minutes to let the serum dry before going to bed.<\/p>

    Given that the lash growth cycle moves at a snail’s pace, it’s important for users to be patient. In most cases, with regular use, Dr. Green says, you can see results in as little as one month. For complete results, though, she advises to give it four to six months.<\/p>

    It’s also necessary to stay consistent with your application, if you want to maintain your new length and fullness. The makers of GrandeLASH-MD, for example, instruct users to “apply every other day for maintenance.” If you stop using the serum though, expect your lashes to return to their original state. “The eyelashes that fall out at a normal rate will grow back but will never reach the same length that was achieved while using a serum,” Dr. Guanche says.<\/p>

    In terms of interchangeability between eyelash growth serums and brow serums, Dr. Green says you can save yourself some money and buy one product for both areas. The only caveat: while a lash product is typically safe for brows, the opposite is not necessarily true. “It is not recommended vice versa, since the eyes are so sensitive—it can cause adverse effects,” she says.<\/p>

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