Anatomy of eyelashes
They say that the eyes are windows to the world, and eyelashes are the "curtains" that embellish it.
The eyelashes (Latin Cilia) are small hairs located on the lash-edges of upper and lower eyelids of every mammal, including human. There is a difference between the eyelashes of the upper eyelids and the eyelashes of the lower eyelid.
The difference is their density and length.
The upper eyelid has up to 150-200 hairs, while the lower one has only 80-100. The length of the eyelashes is different - the hairs that are located in the middle are generally longer than those at the ends. The length of the eyelashes of the upper eyelid is longer than the lower eyelid. The longest eyelashes in the world are 6 centimeters. An interesting fact is that this record is held by a man. The record is quite impressive, considering that the average length of the eyelashes on the upper eyelid is about 10 mm and those of the lower eyelid - 7 mm.
Eyelashes consist of 97% protein and 3% water.
Their length, thickness, and color are genetically determined. Brunettes have longer eyelashes than natural blondes. The lashes of the Europeans are the thinnest and the thickest eyelashes belong to the Mongolian race. The more melanin there is in the structure of eyelashes, the darker the color and vice versa. The color of eyelashes and hair is not much different - just a few shades.
Each eyelash consists of a root and a visible part - a stem. The root is located at a depth of 2 mm under the skin, where the growth takes place. The root is surrounded by a follicle through which the eyelash feeds and receives oxygen. There are smooth muscles surrounding the eyelashes, whose job is to lift the hairs, and also 2-3 sebaceous glands, to keep them oily.
Not only do eyelashes make your eyes more beautiful, but they also have a very important role. Their main function is to protect the eye from dust, dirt, large amounts of liquids and more.
The lifespan of eyelashes varies on average from 3 to 5 months.
Every day between one and five eyelashes fall. The cycle of growth of eyelashes is much shorter than the rest of the body hair, and that’s why the eyelashes can’t grow so long.
A healthy person usually has 85% of the scalp hair in the growth stage. Eyelashes and eyebrows have a shorter growth phase, so they spend most of their lives in the resting phase. Eyelashes grow throughout a person's life, but with age, they begin to thin out and lose their color.
The eyelashes grow into three phases: anagen (active growth phase), catagen (intermediate period) and telogen (resting phase). At any time, 90% of eyelashes are in the active growth phase, during which they grow by 0.16 mm per day. So if you cut or tear your lashes, they will become long again ... in about 5 months.