Eyelash Growth Rate Explained

Eyelashes generally take a very long time to grow, usually several months. Their growth actually requires a lot of patience as it is hardly noticeable. The period that eyelashes take to grow also depends on what caused the initial loss of the eyelashes, like your diet and lifestyle, your age, your genes, or your hormonal state. The growth cycle of an eyelash is divided into three stages:

Anagen- This can also be referred to as the active growth phase. This is because at this stage over 30% of the eyelashes are in active growth. This phase can last up to 7 weeks.

Catagen phase- It can also be referred to as the lag phase because the growth stops and the follicle will shrink. It can last for a maximum of 3 weeks.

Telogen- This is the final phase before the eyelashes fall off. Each and every eyelash is in its own cycle so there are some lashes in each phase at all times. So there will be no time when all the eyelashes will fall off simultaneously.

Having explained the growth cycle let us now consider the factors that affect the period of time that eyelashes take to grow back. People who generally lack balanced diets or people who consume junk foods tend to take a longer time to grow eyelashes. This is because they lack the nutrients that are necessary for hair growth. On the other hand people who feed on healthy meals tend to take a shorter time to grow their eyelashes. Individuals who don’t consume too much alcohol also take a shorter time to grow their eyelashes as compared to heavy drinkers and smokers. In general people who live a healthy lifestyle will grow their eyelashes faster than people who live an unhealthy lifestyle.

Depending on what caused the loss, eyelash growth might take a short time or a very long time. If you lost your hair through burns and for this matter serious burn, it might take forever to grow back if they ever grow at all. If the burns were minor burns, then the eyelashes will grow back after a few weeks.

The age of the affected person also determines how long it will take to grow the eyelashes. As you know the older you get the more hair you loose and the longer it would take to grow back if it grows back at all. Therefore older people take longer to grow body hairs. On the other hand the younger generation takes shorter time to grow eyelashes and other body hairs because their bodies are very active.

Genetic structure also affects the rate of hair growth. People who come from families whose members are known to have thick or longer hairs tend to grow back eyelashes or other body hairs extremely fast as compared to those who come from bald families.

The final factor is hormonal state. If your body does not have the necessary hormones to stimulate growth, then it will take a long time to grow. In conclusion, let me say that the maximum period of time that eyelashes should take to grow is approximately 12 weeks. If it exceeds that, it is very unlikely that it will grow at all. Because of the short time frame, it's best to maximize the growth. Some have successfully use good eyelash conditioner to boost eyelash growth.