I get a lot of questions about shedding and/or loss of scalp hair, but there are also a lot of questions about shedding or thinning of eyelashes and eyebrows. This article will discuss the loss or fall of eyelashes in particular.

Some causes of eyelash detachment: Medically speaking, this term is called madarosis. It is often seen to go hand in hand with blepharitis (an inflammation of the eyelid) caused by physical trauma such as allergic reactions or chemical burns. This condition is quite easy to recognize because the eye and eyelids become red or pink and irritated.

Some feel this can happen if you remove your eye makeup too hard, but I think people who lose a lot of lashes know this is not the case. There’s a difference between trying too hard and losing one or two, but we’re usually talking about a lot more than this on a much more repetitive basis.

You may also want to consider thyroid issues. Losing 1/3 of your forehead due to hypothyroidism is a well-known fact, but some people report that this also affects their eyelashes. Finally, some people unconsciously pick or pull at their lashes, which can contribute to their loss.

Are you losing hair both on the eyelashes and on the scalp?: If you are losing your scalp hair and eyelashes, then there are other things to consider. There is much controversy as to whether chronic telogen effluvium (known as TE shedding) can cause loss in other areas of the body besides the scalp. Many in the medical profession will tell you that this is highly unlikely. However, if you spend any time on hair loss forums, you will see countless people losing eyelashes and hair with ET. I have personal experience with this and strongly believe that it is possible.

In addition to ET, autoimmune disorders can cause hair loss throughout the body. The best known of them is AA or alopecia areata. With this condition, you will often see patchy loss on the head and scalp that is quite difficult to miss. But, almost any autoimmune disorder can affect your hair and eyelashes. These include autoimmune thyroid problems (Grave’s disease), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and others.

How is the fall or loss of eyelashes treated?: That depends on what is causing it. If it is due to a chemical burn or allergic reaction, a dermatologist will treat it like any other skin condition or burn. If it is due to thyroid or autoimmune issues, you should work with your doctor to best treat this. If it is due to chronic detachment or CTE, then you need to find out your trigger (the reason for your detachment) and remove it.

Meanwhile, there are many topicals that claim to restore lashes and help them grow back faster. Often applying them is like applying mascara. In my own experience, I think they may have helped a bit. But you’ll get the best results if you can aggressively treat and then stop whatever is causing this in the first place.