Do Eyelashes Grow Back if Cut?

Life with lashes can be tough. Maybe you had a mishap with an eyelash curler. Or perhaps you had the not so brilliant idea to cut your eyelashes to promote growth. Either way, many of us wind up in the unfortunate position of wondering…”Do eyelashes grow back if cut?”

Or maybe you’re a smartypants and doing your research before you subscribe to the old wives tale that cutting your lashes will make them grow back thicker and more luscious.

Whatever the case, let’s unpack the whole issue of cutting eyelashes and regrowth.

Do Eyelashes Ever Need to Be Cut?

When it comes to eyelashes, for most of us, the longer they are, the better. However, sometimes, one person’s blessing can be another person’s curse.

Full, long, naturally curled lashes are beautiful, but not when they interfere in your daily life.

For some people, the lashes hit the brow bone in an uncomfortable way, or they hit the lens of their glasses every time they blink. It sounds like a fabulous problem to have, until you’re confronted with that every day. 

In those cases, a trim is allowed, and even necessary, but even so, there are a lot of things to take into consideration:

• You probably only need a very, very small trim. A couple of millimeters, at best. 
• If you can, have someone else do it, because it will be much easier if you don’t have to do it on your own eyes.
• Brush your lashes very well before to make sure none of them are tangled and you cut them all equally.

Will Your Eyelashes Grow Back? 

Now, let’s pretend you haven’t cut them on purpose; accidents happen all the time: you accidentally singe them with a lighter or by standing too close to the stove or fireplace, or you have the dreaded eyelash curler accident when you sneeze and end up cutting your lashes in half.

Now you look funny and you’re mildly terrified – what if it’s like the eyebrows you overplucked in the 90s and they never grow back?!

You’ll be happy to hear you can let out a sigh of relief: your lashes will grow back, it just may take awhile. How long is “awhile”? Up to 200 days! Yikes.

But that’s if you yanked them out. Otherwise, you can expect around 6 to 8 weeks for them to complete the eyelash growth cycle, which is still annoying, but not nearly as bad. That also means that if you trim them on purpose, you will need to do maintenance. 

Will Your Eyelashes Grow Back Thicker and Fuller?

There’s a myth that we all seem to learn about in middle school that if you cut your hair (on your head, on your body, and including your lashes), it will grow back longer, thicker, darker, and fuller.

A lot of women may be tempted to cut their lashes in an attempt to encourage this mythical growth. 

Unfortunately, we have bad news: there is nothing about cutting hair that makes it grow, and that includes eyelashes.

The simple act of cutting any hair on your body does not impact its qualities or structure in any way, so please don’t cut your eyelashes in an attempt to get them to grow back nicer! You’ll be waiting a long time to be disappointed.

The good news is that there are other ways to encourage growth that don’t involve scissors. 

What Can I Do to Help My Lashes Grow Back?

Okay, so we’ve established that cutting your lashes (whether on accident or on purpose) is not the end of the world and they WILL grow back. But even so, is there anything you can do to speed up the process? Yes, there is!

• Use eyelash growth serums – here are the best ones!
• Use castor oil – or another of the best oils for lashes!
• Brush them regularly
• Don’t use waterproof mascara
• Avoid rubbing your eyes
• Nourish them regularly

What Should I Do While I Wait for My Lashes To Grow Back?

If you didn’t exactly intend to shorten your lashes and now you’re stuck with stubby ones until they come back in, you don’t need to despair.

It’s an annoying wait, but it can be made sweeter by taking advantage of some great temporary solutions…

Lash extensions

The most obvious route is to go for lash extensions, but you need to keep in mind the possibility that they may affect your natural lashes further. 

False eyelashes

Faux lashes can also be a life-saver in a pinch, but there are some caveats: it can be tricky to apply them and some people find them uncomfortable. However, if you practice, strip lashes or individual lashes are both good options. 

Mascara (preferably a lash growing mascara)

Probably the easiest thing is to just make do with a good lengthening and volumizing mascara. Extra points if you go for one that’s also a lash growing mascara and will help your lashes grow back longer and thicker

Unless it was your eyelash curler who betrayed you and chopped your lashes in half, you may want to also curl them before coating them in a mascara that is both lengthening and volumizing. 

Wear eyeliner

A good tip can be to add some eyeliner to your everyday look until your lashes return to their former glory. Even tight-lining (applying eyeliner to your upper waterline) can make a difference!

While cutting your lashes won’t give them any magical properties and help them grow longer, they will grow back eventually, so there is no need to panic.

In the meantime, put some of that growth advice to good use to enjoy longer, fuller, more luscious lashes!