A few months ago, something insane happened: While curling my eyelashes, I slipped on a puddle of water under my sink and ripped half of my lashes out. Frankly, the worst part was the noise, which I can only compare to the sound of a chunk of coarse hair being waxed off.
For a few minutes, I stood still and stared at the damage I had done: Not only was half my lash line bald, but my entire eyelid was swollen and painful. Had I always thought eyelash curlers were mean-looking? Yes. Did I ever think they could actually rip your eyelashes out? No, I did not. I frantically Googled “what to do when you pull your eyelashes out with your eyelash curler” to see if I was, as I suspected, the first-ever reported victim of this self-inflicted crime. Turns out this is a relatively common beauty mishap, and the internet is filled with YouTube videos and Reddit threads focusing on how to grow back torn lashes. The advice was relatively confusing: Some said to double down on eyelash growth serums, while some encouraged using simple coconut oil. I didn’t know what to believe, and my eyelid still looked weird.
Thankfully, I know Jasmine Imani, a licensed aesthetician and eyelash specialist who, when I called and told her what had happened, demanded that I stop Googling and wait for her to get to my house (she doesn’t just do this for friends, by the way — this woman does lash-lift and lash-extension house calls, so you don’t have to sit blind in an unfamiliar salon for an hour). I obeyed.
After inspecting my bald lashes, she told me not to panic. Lashes come and go, she said, and even if I did nothing, mine would grow back on their own in 6 to 12 weeks. But if I wanted a speedier recovery, I should apply lash serums and moisturizers to my lid line daily, and clean my remaining lashes with a spooly (a clean mascara wand). All of these tips, she mentioned, would also be helpful for someone trying to grow thicker, longer lashes.
One of the products I used — a lash serum from Rodan + Fields, recommended to me by a friend who claimed it transformed her supethin eyelashes — worked particularly well. In fact, after using it for a couple of weeks, I described my lashes to a friend as “Bambi-like.” I noticed while using it, though, that it caused some irritation around my lid line. After looking it up, I learned that there is an active lawsuit against the company regarding the exact irritation I experienced. I called Jasmine and asked what she thought of the allegations. “Rodan + Fields has a shady feel to it,” she told me. “It seems like they’re more about profit than making good products.” Had I known Jasmine’s take ahead of time, I probably wouldn’t have used it. But I did, and I can’t deny that it had a positive effect on my lashes’ growth and thickness.
It’s been two months since the day I yanked my lashes out, and I’m pleased to say that they have almost completely grown back to their normal length and thickness. Below are the products I used to bring them back from the brink.
If you ask a group of beauty editors what the best eyelash serum is, chances are they’ll recommend GrandeLASH, a nightly product that promises noticeable results in just four weeks. The online reviews are so-so: Some said it changed their lives, other said it did nothing. But Jasmine said it had worked well for her, so I decided to give it a go. About three-and-a-half weeks after the incident, I noticed that my traumatized little lashes were pushing out of their beds. I also applied the serum on the lashes I didn’t tear out, and noticed they got a lot longer, but not a lot thicker. Consistency is key: In order to see results, you must use it every single night.
This lash serum is beloved by Jasmine and many of my other lash-obsessed peers. People say that out of all the lash serums on the market, this is the least irritating on the eyes. People also swear that this makes a noticeable difference on their lashes in just two weeks.
Applying coconut oil daily to your lashes and lash line is a natural way to stimulate growth. Since I was using a lash serum at night, I applied the coconut oil in the morning. I noticed after I started using this product that I was losing far fewer lashes than I typically do. Plus, since lash serums can be intense on the eyes, this was a nice way to give my lashes some TLC after their hard nightly work.
Another pro tip from Jasmine: Buy some mascara wands, throw them in your purse (in a plastic bag or container, so they stay sanitary), and brush your lashes with them at least once a day to remove any debris and dead skin cells. This will help create a healthy environment for your lashes to grow and thrive!
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