20-05-2025
Is your son cutting off his eyelashes? What you need to know
HONOLULU (KHON2) — By now, you may have seen it online. A young man sits in a barber's chair. He looks into the camera, then closes his eyes. The razor buzzes. A swipe and his eyelashes are gone.
It's not a prank. It's a growing trend. A recent report from Body+Soul found that across TikTok and other social media, young men are removing their eyelashes to look more 'masculine.'
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Some say long lashes look too feminine. Others say their partners told them they did.
But there's a lot more going on here. Cutting off your eyelashes is not only risky. It's built on a misunderstanding of what eyelashes actually do.
Eyelashes aren't just there to look pretty. They're one of the body's first lines of defense. Here's what you need to know before you reach for the razor.
Eyelashes aren't just there for looks. They protect your eyes from dust, debris and even bugs. Ophthalmologists consider them to be the most important protection for our eyeballs.
Think of eyelashes as your eyes' whiskers. They are sensitive to touch. If something comes close, even just a puff of air, your lashes trigger a blink. That blink can stop a tiny speck or insect before it reaches your eye.
They also help slow evaporation. A from 2015 found that lashes reduce moisture loss from the surface of the eye by up to 50 percent. Without them, your eyes can dry out faster which leads to making them itchy or irritated.
Many young men trimming their eyelashes believe shorter lashes make them look tougher or more masculine. But where does that idea come from?
Sociologist Anthony Synnott told Naomi Schalit that his team studied how people relate to hair. He found that societies often assign meaning to hair length and placement.
For example, 'opposite sexes have opposite hair' is a common belief. This leads to the socially accepted meaning that whatever's feminine must be the opposite of what's thinking can lead to harmful ideas. Some boys may feel pressure to get rid of anything that might look 'feminine'. This is an example of toxic masculinity. It's the idea that being a man means avoiding anything soft, gentle or emotional. It limits how people express themselves and how they care for their bodies.
In one viral TikTok, a barber said his client shaved his lashes after being teased by his wife. Other users called the trend toxic and dangerous. Even TikTok placed a warning label on one video, saying people could get hurt.
Eyelashes are short, but they grow from delicate follicles right on the edge of your eyelids. Shaving or plucking them can cause irritation, swelling or infection. Your eyelids could become red and sore.
You might develop a stye, which is a painful bump caused by bacteria getting into a clogged eyelash follicle.
Losing lashes also makes your eyes more vulnerable to wind, dust and light. If you wear contacts or already have dry eyes, cutting off your lashes could make your symptoms worse.
And if the idea of a razor buzzing near your eye makes you uncomfortable, it should. The eye is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. Even a small slip could lead to serious injury.
Human beings have less body hair than most mammals. But we kept our eyebrows and eyelashes. Why?
Eyebrows help move sweat, rain and other moisture away from our eyes. Their curved shape directs liquid to the sides of the face, keeping vision clear. They also play a key role in facial expression.
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A 2018 found that eyebrows are one of the most recognizable features on the face, more than the eyes themselves.
Lashes protect us in different ways. They serve as tiny shields that catch dust, and they function to warn us of danger.
Ophthalmologists believe healthy lashes are unique. They live longer than most other body hairs and don't turn gray. And unlike other types of body hair, lash follicles rarely develop cancer.
That's one reason doctors warn against eyelash tinting or other cosmetic changes. Some eyelash dyes aren't regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Others can cause serious reactions.
And lash growth serums, which use a glaucoma drug, can darken the skin or even change the color of your eyes.
Talk to your son about the basic biology and functions of eyelashes. Help them to understand the consequences of allowing body harming trends to alter their self-perception.
If you are the one who feels pressure to change how your eyelashes look, take a moment to ask yourself why. Who says short lashes are more masculine? Where did that rule come from?
It's okay to express yourself but don't let harmful beauty standards or peer pressure make you risk your health.
Instead of cutting your lashes, take care of them. Keep your face clean. Avoid rubbing your eyes. If you wear makeup, remove it before bed. And if you're worried about how your lashes look, talk to someone you trust. That could be a parent, a doctor or a counselor.
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Your eyelashes are doing a job, even if you don't always see it. Respecting your body, and protecting your eyes, is one of the smartest things you can do.
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