False Eyelashes, Beauty Standards, and Women

The Origins

If you’re a woman, and you’re on social media, you’ve noticed the trend of young women wearing false eyelashes.

The origins of this practice begin in the late 1800’s. According to Business Insider, “…At its core, this obsession with longer lashes stems from the idea that lashes get shorter with age. In ancient Rome, author Pliny the Elder helped make long lashes even more enviable when he posited they were linked to being chaste. “Eyelashes fell out from excessive sex, and so it was especially important for women to keep their eyelashes long to prove their chastity,” Pliny claimed, incorrectly of course. As a result, women strived to have the longest lashes possible.”

If you’re curious about the development of this beauty practice, check out the complete article on Business Insider

The origins of this practice are rooted in misogyny. The misogynistic belief being that women are to be chaste, and that purity is to be pursued in order to appeal to males.

While the meaning has changed, we cannot ignore that most beauty practices come from misogynistic violence.

Present Day

Bringing things to the present day, it’s become extremely normal to see a woman wearing eyelash extensions, or falsies.

I don’t believe that women are wrong, or evil for desiring that look, but my concern comes because of how these things can alter your perception of self.

So many young women talk about hating their appearances when they’re not wearing lashes. They start off wearing strip lashes, and graduate to extensions in order to maintain the look for a longer period of time.

This can cause insecurity and make you disassociate from yourself because you’re so used to the “done up” version of yourself.

When you’re wearing strip lashes, or extensions, EVERYDAY, you can get addicted to the person you are with them on.

This practice also removes your natural lashes, even when performed “safely.” This can contribute to feelings of disassociation, and insecurity because the comparison is drastic, and that’s jarring.

When you’re ripping your lashes out with glues, you’ll also feel like you barely have any eyelashes anyways, might as well cover them up and look “better.”

The Dangers

In pursuit of the look, women are going to unlicensed “lash techs” who promote their services on social media.

Videos of women with heavy lashes, red eyes, and tear stained cheeks have gone viral, the public mostly laughing at the exaggerated nature of it all.

Women have been having natural allergic reactions to glue, or infections from bacteria and poor maintenance. Optometrists have been issuing warnings and proper care guides in order to safely engage in this practice.

Regardless of the safety precautions, some issues are unavoidable with everyday use (loss of lashes, cornea damage, insecurity, irritation, traction alopecia, addiction)

Solutions

• Moderation: If you feel compelled to wear lashes, wear them occasionally. Give your eyes a break for a few weeks at a time, and save them for special occasions

• Don’t Wear Mascara + Lashes: This can cause irritation, and clog important glands in your eyelids. Your eyes exist to see, not for beauty.

• Cleanliness: Keep your lashes clean. Oil, debris, dirt, sweat, and make-up build up naturally, extensions can clog pores.

• Go To A Licensed Professional: A lot of infections, and complications come from unlicensed techs. It’s important to go to a trained professional who practices cleanliness and doesn’t use glues with formaldehyde (stuff used to EMBALM DEAD BODIES!)

Conclusion

Whatever you do, be safe! I want women to be safe, confident, and healthy. This post exists to bring awareness to the dangers of this beauty practice, and to let women know they’re not alone.

If you feel different when you see yourself with/without lashes, you’re not alone. It’s easy to develop insecurity, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

However, this practice can come with dangers, we need to acknowledge them and discuss strategies to mitigate harm.

Please wear eyelashes in moderation if you must wear them. Start analyzing the reasons why you may feel compelled to wear them everyday, and get to the root of why.

Journaling about this, and mentioning it to a therapist (or a trusted girlfriend) can help with finding those answers.

If you’re interested in shadow work, I end this article with a prompt.

Prompt: What’s scary/intimidating about the appearance of my face without eyelashes? What about them makes me feel compelled to wear them everyday?

Sources:

“3 Simple Steps to Clean and Care for Eyelash Extensions.” The Lash Lounge, 1 Sept. 2022, https://www.thelashlounge.com/blog/eyelash-extension-care-3-simple-steps-to-keeping-your-lashes-clean/

Kalberer, Danielle. “The True and False of Eyelashes.” Women In Optometry, 25 Apr. 2020, https://www.womeninoptometry.com/editorial/article/the-true-and-false-of-eyelashes/

Kwan, OD, Courtney. “The 3 Things Your Eye Doctor Wishes You Knew about Eyelash Extensions.” Farmington Vision Care - Family Eye Care In Farmington, MO USA, 18 Feb. 2019, https://fvcmo.com/blog/107003-extensions-serums-and-enhancers-the-top-3-things-your-eye-doctor-wants-you-to-know-about-achieving-beautiful-eyelashes

Lubitz, Rachel. “The History of Fake Eyelashes Will Make You Never Want to Wear Them Again.” Business Insider, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/the-history-of-fake-eyelashes-will-make-you-never-want-to-wear-them-2017-7

Lubitz, Rachel. “The Truly Bizarre History of Fake Eyelashes: From Needles and Human Hair to Anna Nicole Smith.” Mic, Mic, 5 July 2017, https://mic.com/articles/181378/the-truly-bizarre-history-of-fake-eyelashes-from-needles-and-human-hair-to-anna-nicole-smith#.JJrWG7j3p