How to Help Your Thinning Eyelashes

Frame your face with lovely lashes

Lovely lashes go a long way to defining and flattering your eyes, and defined eyes are the key to your beautiful, expressive face. But as we age, our lashes tend to get thinner and can even lose pigment. Lashes may thin because of hormonal changes in the body. Also, eyelash follicles can slow or stop producing new lashes altogether as we get older.

Here are some tips and techniques to make your lashes really stand out.

Your go-to: mascara

Mascara is probably the go-to for most of us looking to define and enhance our lashes. We’ve been reaching for that thick, black stuff (or brown, or even purple or blue) since we first begged our moms to let us start wearing makeup. But there are so many possibilities – and where do you start? Start with a primer, of course.

A primer goes on before your mascara to define, lengthen, and volumize your lashes. The primer will make your mascara easier to apply and help it last longer.

Then it's time for mascara. There are a staggering number of brands and formulas to choose from: lengthening formulas and thickening formulas, washable and waterproof. Wands can be found in different sizes and shapes, and are made from different materials. Examining all the possibilities at the makeup store can be a little overwhelming! To see what works best for you, experiment with several different formulas and wand styles. Even if you find a favorite – experiment a little more. There are always new products to try.

There's no law that says you have to stick to one brand or one formula. Try mixing it up. First, use a mascara with a thinner formula to separate and define your lashes. Then top it with a volumizing formula to add volume and length.

If you have short and sparse lashes, look for a mascara with a thin, fine-tooth wand. It will grab and coat every little hair to give you the definition you are looking for. Or try a fiber mascara. The mascara formula is filled with tiny fibers that adhere to your lashes, making them look thicker and denser.

Tools and techniques

Curling your lashes before you apply mascara can give your eyes a natural lift. Gently squeeze the eyelash curler along your lashes. Try for a natural look instead of one sharp angle by squeezing near the root, then squeezing again farther along the lashes. Be careful with the curler and squeeze very gently.

To color your lashes as close to the root as possible, press the mascara wand against the root of your lashes and wiggle it through. This will put more product closer to the root of your lashes and give your eyes more definition. With this technique, you won't get that little line of uncoated hairs showing through.

Uh-oh: clumps

If your mascara is getting a little thick in the tube, put the tube in a glass of hot water for a minute or two. The heat will thin it out and make application easier. If, however, your mascara goes on lumpy, use a toothbrush or lash comb to declump your lashes.

A different way to use eyeliner

If you have sparse or thinning lashes, draw in a few lashes on the inner and outer corner of the eye with a fine-brushed liquid liner. This is particularly effective for those hard-to-see bottom lashes.

For more definition to your eye, try tightlining. Line your water line with black liner. (The water line is the pink part under your lashes.) Then smudge the liner into your lash line.

Try a dotting technique. Draw tiny dots between the hairs along your upper or lower lashes with a fine-tip liquid liner. Then wiggle your mascara through the hairs as close to the lash line as possible. Dotting will give you the appearance of fuller lashes without looking like you are wearing falsies.

The truth about falsies

If you want to try false eyelashes, you have a lot of choices. There are full strips, shorter pieces, and clusters, and even individual lashes. Experiment and find the look that you want. False lashes can really make your eyes pop. You can go for a natural look or opt for dramatic flair.

Magnetic lashes attach to your own lashes with tiny magnets. Your own lashes are sandwiched between two magnetic layers of lashes. It might take a while to get the hang of applying them, but the effort is worth it. They stay put, and there's no messy, gunky glue.

Extend the benefits with lash extensions. A salon professional glues semipermanent lashes to your own natural lashes. Extensions last about 6 to 8 weeks, and fall out as your own natural lashes are shed. The great thing about extensions is that you no longer have to apply layers of mascara each morning to get the look you want. Time saved!

Lifts and tints

A lash lift will give your lashes long-term lifting and shaping. A salon technician will apply a perming solution to your lashes, and lock them into shape with a silicone mold. No more curling your lashes to get the shape you want.

Try tinting. A salon technician applies a semipermanent dye to dark your lashes. This is a great option for pale blondes with light-colored lashes. No more hiding your face until you get your makeup on. Even without mascara, your eyes will have definition.

Serums

Growth serums such as Be LASH Full™ from SeroVital™ Beauty can improve the look of your lashes. Be LASH Full is a lash volumizing serum that is formulated with three functional peptides clinically demonstrated to promote naturally beautiful lashes. Be LASH Full helps you get longer, thicker, fuller-looking lashes^† — without the prescription required for some other growth formulas.

Supplements

Hair-growth supplements can be a boon to your lashes as well as your scalp. Hair Regeneres Softgels, also from SeroVital Beauty, helps regrow longer, thicker, darker eyelashes.*^‡ Bioavailable keratin peptides and crucial nutrients work together to reduce age-related hair loss.

Try one or more of these lash-defining tips and techniques, and bat those lashes at the world!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

†Be LASH Full is not intended to treat hypotrichosis of the eyelashes or to treat, cure, or prevent hair loss.

‡Due to hair loss associated with aging.