Eyelashes - Not Just for Beauty

Author: Luo Ban Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Reviewer: Yang Hong, Chief Physician, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

The song "Curly Eyelashes" has haunted countless beauty lovers. Having long and curly eyelashes has become a standard for beautiful eyes. To make them look good, curling eyelashes, applying mascara, and even grafting false eyelashes have become a trend among beauty lovers. However, few people know that this may cause eye diseases. Eyelashes are not just for beauty, they also have important physiological functions. Understanding these physiological functions can safeguard "beauty".

First let us understand what normal eyelashes look like.

Normal people have more than 200 eyelashes, located at the upper and lower eyelid margins, growing outwards. They are like two rows of guards standing guard outside the eyes. When you blink, the upper and lower eyelashes move towards each other, blocking dust, insects and other uninvited guests from the eyes, forming the first line of defense for the eyes. In order to ensure the smooth protection of the eyes, eyelashes are renewed every 3 to 5 months. On average, several eyelashes fall off every day, and they will grow back naturally after a few days. Therefore, eyelash loss is a normal physiological process, and you don't have to worry too much.

Eyelashes have such an important defense function, so will there be any problems with them? What kind of impact will it have on our lives? When the number or quality of eyelashes is abnormal, it may affect the defense function of eyelashes and cause some eye problems.

If eyelashes fall out too much or have problems growing, they will become sparse or even absent, also known as "bald eyelashes". When the eye's guards die one by one, the eye loses its first line of defense, and foreign invaders (dust, foreign objects, etc.) can easily enter the no-man's land and cause eye damage.

What causes fewer eyelashes? The nutrients for eyelash growth come from the hair follicles on the eyelid margin, commonly known as the "eyelash roots". Visual fatigue (common in myopia), malnutrition (lack of B vitamins), bad hygiene habits, long-term use of inferior cosmetics, etc. can cause inflammation of the eyelid margin, which we call "blepharitis". Inflammation invades the "eyelash roots", causing malnutrition of eyelashes, and eventually leading to eyelash loss and growth restriction. It is often manifested as redness of the local skin on the eyelid margin, desquamation at the eyelash roots, loss of luster and color changes of eyelashes, stinging, itching or burning sensation in the eyes, etc.

How to prevent eyelashes from becoming thinner? First, pay attention to eye habits, avoid overuse of eyes (such as looking at mobile phones or computers for a long time), wear glasses correctly, etc.; second, pay attention to eye hygiene, wash hands frequently, keep towels clean, avoid or reduce the use of mascara and other cosmetics, especially inferior products; finally, pay attention to a balanced diet and supplement foods rich in B vitamins (such as pork leg, soybeans, peanuts, chicken liver, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, etc.).

When blepharitis occurs, you should seek medical attention promptly and may also take the following corresponding treatment measures: ① Remove various inducements; ② Avoid eating irritating and oily foods; ③ Pay attention to resting your eyes; ④ Clean the eyelid margin daily with normal saline or a cotton swab dipped in 3% boric acid solution, wipe off the desquamation or secretions, and then massage the eyelid margin with a cotton swab coated with antibiotic eye ointment, 3 to 4 times a day; ⑤ After the inflammation completely subsides, treatment should be continued for at least 2 weeks to prevent recurrence.

When there is a problem with the quality of eyelashes, it will also cause eye problems.

Earlier, we mentioned that normal eyelashes grow outward from the upper and lower eyelid margins without touching the eyeball. If the eyelashes grow inward and touch the eyeball, especially the cornea, they will not only fail to protect the eyes, but will rub against the corneal surface like a brush due to eyeball movement, scratching the cornea, causing corneal epithelial detachment, foreign body sensation, photophobia, tearing, eye pain and other discomfort symptoms. This is what doctors call "trichoplasty", which refers to an abnormal position of eyelashes that tilts toward the eyeball and stimulates the cornea and conjunctiva. Normal eyelashes are shown in Figure 1, and children's trichiasis is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

The most common in our daily life is inverted eyelashes in children. Because the nose bridge of children is not fully developed and the nasal bone is too low, pseudo-skin is formed at the inner corner of the eye, which compresses the eyelid margin and rolls inward, resulting in inverted eyelashes. This kind of inverted eyelashes mostly occurs on the inner side of the lower eyelid. Children often show symptoms such as frequent blinking, rubbing eyes, foreign body sensation, and itchy eyes. In severe cases, they may have photophobia, tearing, and even astigmatism, which causes decreased vision. Most children will gradually improve their inverted eyelashes as their nose bridge develops with age. However, for those with severe astigmatism that affects vision development or long-term corneal irritation such as photophobia and tearing that affects their quality of life, it is recommended to see a doctor for corrective surgery for inverted eyelashes as soon as possible.

Some adults are also troubled by inverted eyelashes, which are more common in the elderly. Some people only have a few eyelashes in abnormal positions, which is called simple inverted eyelashes. For this type of inverted eyelashes, the method of removing the inverted eyelashes is often adopted. This is a simple and inexpensive method, but the inverted eyelashes often grow back, and it cannot completely cure the discomfort caused by inverted eyelashes. Regular and repeated removal treatment is required. If you want to completely cure inverted eyelashes, there is another treatment method, which is to use freezing or electrolysis to destroy the hair follicles of inverted eyelashes, so as to achieve the effect of cutting the grass and eradicating it, but this method requires doctors to use appropriate instruments and equipment in the hospital.

In addition to simple inverted eyelashes, there are also rows of inverted eyelashes like those in children. This type of inverted eyelashes is often caused by blepharitis, eyelid burns, eyelid trauma, trachoma or blepharospasm, which causes the entire row of eyelashes on the upper or lower eyelid to fall toward the eyeball. For a whole row of inverted eyelashes, it is often necessary to undergo eyelash correction surgery in the hospital.

In summary, eyelashes are the standard of beautiful eyes. At the same time, eyelashes are also the gatekeepers of our eyes from foreign invaders. When the quantity or quality of eyelashes changes, the function of eyelashes will be damaged, causing discomfort caused by eye damage. We need to understand eyelashes and take care of eyelashes to protect the beauty and health of our eyes.