Eyelash Loss. What Are My Options?

Question

I had surgery last year for a fibroid tumor at Cedar Sinai hospital. Apparently when they taped my eyelids shut, I had an allergic reaction to the tape (my eyelids were red and puffy) additionally, they ripped off most of my eyelashes on one eye and partial on the other. A year later my eyelashes are still sparse and the majority of them are short. Will they grow back at this point? Can there be permanent damage done from ripping them off? Should I see a doctor and if so what type?

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Your eyelashes are likely to return to normal with time. Latisse, however, is a safe and reasonable option to attempt to speed up this process. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

Dear TLR,

	The eyelashes should grow back to where they were before.  You could try Latisse which may help speed up the progress to get them to grow more quickly.

	Unfortunately, as time goes on, our lashes do get thinner and more sparse.

Raminder Saluja, MD · Answer

Having the lashes pulled from the adhesive tape is akin to waxing, so the hair follicle, should be intact and normal. This does hold promise therefore, that Latisse may be a good option to grow the lashes. It is important to note however, that Latisse will take from 8-16 weeks for the results to be appreciated.

Vincent D. Lepore, MD (retired) · Answer

In most cases your eyelashes should continue to grow back with time. Latisse is a topical product that can help grow eyelashes and should help speed the regrowth of your eyelashes. The product does require a prescription. Like many plastic surgeons, we carry the product in our office. Best wishes.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

You can see an Ophthalmologist if you'd like for an evaluation, or a Dermatologist. Assuming that the only issue is the fact that they were pulled out, your hair follicles would still be fine and undamaged, in theory. This would mean that Latisse could be a good option for you because it speeds up the hair cycles so you will get longer, thicker, darker lashes faster than you are capable of just getting naturally. There is normally not permanent damage from this happening once - it's similar to what happens when people pull off eyelash extensions.

Eyelash Loss. What Are My Options?

Answers (5)