Pro Tips On How ToGet Through Autumn Lash Shedding

Question!  Did you know that eyelashes are hair?  It may seem like a silly question, but the fact is that the hair on our eyelids is made of the same substance as the hair on our heads, and that’s something that many people don’t realize.  All the hair on our body falls out and grows back.  Each part of the body sheds hair in its own cycle.  You have probably noticed this if you wax regularly.

As summer says goodbye and the days get shorter, the temperature starts to drop and our body loses eyelashes faster than normal.  This seasonal shedding is known as Autumn Lash Shed.  The arrival of autumn means that many beautiful things are happening.  The air is crisp, the leaves are starting to fall, and we can finally bring our furry socks!  Seasonal changes, like the transition between summer and fall, can also have an effect on your lashes.  Your skin and hair adjust to changes in temperature and humidity in many ways, but most notably with increased turnover, which means you may experience more lash loss than normal in the fall.

Eyelashes fall out during the fall season due to changing weather and this can have a big impact on people with eyelash extensions.  Fall is the season for pumpkin spice and all things beautiful, but you may have noticed more than just the falling leaves.

Twice a year (during the autumn and spring) our body reacts to the change in temperature and as a result, we lose hair faster than normal.  This includes our lashes!  Remember when you make a wish after noticing a fallen lash?  Yes, that was lash shedding and we all experience it, even with lash extensions.

Our eyelashes fall out in cycles, but they fully fill in and grow back every 60-90 days.  There is no need to worry as it is a healthy part of our hair growth routine.  On average, we lose up to 20% of our natural lashes every two weeks and depending on our hair growth, we can lose 2-5 natural lashes per day.

Much to our amazement, just like with our lash cycle, we have a new lash growing to replace a lash that has fallen out, and most of us haven’t even realized it.

When is the shedding season?

Humans lose eyelashes just like our furry animal friends and their hair, and at a faster rate during the warmer months to prepare for a change in temperature.  This is why your extensions last less, something most lash technicians are aware of, but clients should be careful anyway as this is completely normal.  Excessive sweating due to high temperature makes the lash adhesive work less effectively due to oil retention on the skin.  Tip: This situation also applies to workouts, so you should keep sweat out of your eyes by wearing a headband during gym sessions or wiping off sweat as often as possible.

However, for some, it seems that it is actually the winter months that weigh on eyelash extensions as conditions vary from person to person.  Low temperatures and low humidity can make lashes brittle and fall out easily and quickly.  To avoid this, there are small changes you can make, such as balancing your diet and taking advantage of any winter sun to get some vitamin D – the healthy diet you intake brings that healthy sheen to your hair when your eating habits are on point.  You can also get the same benefits for your eyelashes.

Do eyelashes fall out in autumn?

Yes!  Yes!  And yes.  We all LOVE the autumn season … Beautiful autumn colors, gold, russets, reds, and browns, inspire us to create our own gorgeous eyelash masterpieces!

I would usually say do the refill in 2-3 weeks, but this time of year you may need a 2-week refill as the autumn shedding may have started!

What is autumn eyelash shedding?

You might be surprised to find that your lashes are affected by seasonal changes, but it is true, and as the weather gets colder, most of us may be dealing with eyelashes falling out.  I know what you are thinking: Do eyelashes extensions have a shedding season?

Lash shedding can certainly vary throughout the year, and as we approach autumn, you may notice that your lashes are shedding more than usual.  Here is my explanation of why this happens and if there is anything to worry about.

Our bodies react to the drop in temperature and eyelashes fall out faster than normal, which is known as Autumn Lash Shed.  One eye has 90-150 lashes and we lose on average about 2-5 lashes per day, over the life cycle of the lashes.  Our lashes fall out in a cycle of continuous renewal, so we usually don’t even notice they’re falling out.  Seasonal lash drop is usually more noticeable, which explains why you may have seen more on your pillow recently or on your fingertips if you’ve rubbed your eyes.

Do you lose more eyelashes in the autumn?

In the same way that animals shed their heavy fur due to warmer weather, like humans, we too lose our hair (including eyelashes) for the next temperature change.  Summer weather can make some clients’ skin sweat and produce more oils, which will affect retention, while winter weather, with its lower humidity levels, can make eyelashes more fragile and fall out more easily.  In a regular cycle of lash loss we can lose up to 2-5 natural lashes per day, however, this can increase dramatically in spring and fall in preparation for temperature changes.  This is what’s referred to as “autumn eyelash season”.

Lash loss often goes unnoticed by people without extensions as natural lashes are so thin, but when you have single or fan lash extensions attached to natural lashes, they can become more noticeable.  It is for this reason that we need to make sure that both eyelash artists and their clients are informed about their natural lash cycle.

Why do eyelashes have a shedding season in autumn?

Research shows that there are multiple factors that come into play when it comes to the autumn lash season.  First of all, it is necessary to consider the season that directly comes before autumn – summer.  During the summer months, higher temperatures encourage lashes to stay longer in the telogen phase, also known as the resting phase.

This means you probably have ԛuite a few lashes still hanging down when they normally would have fallen out a few weeks ago.  Another way summer weather affects eyelash loss is through the naturally higher levels of oils that the skin tends to produce during the warmer months.  There is a small chance that this higher level of natural oils (along with makeup and skincare) could slow the growth of lashes into the anagen phase, the growth phase, causing them to jump straight into the rest and from there, to the shedding phase. 

However, it is not only warmer weather that affects the eyelash fall cycle, it is also the presence of cooler weather that initiates it.  Constantly getting in and out of cooler weather in dry, artificially heated environments can make our lashes feel brittle and parched, making them more prone to lash shedding or even breaking!

Another way colder weather signals the start of the lash-shedding season is for the simple reason that we naturally lose hair all over our body to make way for new growth that should help keep us warm. While this may not make a difference as a true winter coat does for our furry friends, our lashing cycle doesn’t seem to think so and it still means we lose some hair in preparation for winter, in this case, our lashes.

The science behind autumn lash shedding

In a study published in the journal Dermatology, scientists followed more than 800 healthy women for six years and found that they lost most of their hair in the autumn months.  To understand why you need to know something about normal hair growth.

Hair cells are the second fastest-produced cells in the body, so hair is often the first to undergo changes in the body.  Hair is in a constant state of growth;  90% of our hair is growing, while the rest are in a resting state (known as the telogen phase) before they fall out.  The hair follicle rests before the whole process is repeated.

The researchers found that the women had the highest percentage of resting hair in July, and the telogen status in most of them ended about 100 days later, starting in October.  This pattern is thought to be evolutionary: the body clings to the hair to protect the scalp from the midday summer sun.

Luckily for my extension lovers, it will only last about 6 weeks.

All you need to know about autumn lash shedding

During autumn lash shed, we lose more lashes than normal (eyelash loss happens faster).  Don’t fear eyelash lovers, this won’t last forever!  Shedding usually takes about 1-2 eyelash cycles (around 6 weeks) before things get back to normal.

Don’t worry, you’ll just need more regular filler appointments to maintain your gorgeous results.  Let your lash artist know if you like to bring your infill appointments forward.  Another thing you might try is to opt for a slightly shorter lash extension (or a less dramatic curl than usual) to minimize noticeable effects.  Your lash artist will be able to advise you on what is best.  If you have Length Volume Lift treatments, you may notice that raised lashes shed more (especially when we move in the winter months) and fall out, as part of the lash life cycle.  The reason for the shedding has not been confirmed, but theories include that we keep more hair in the summer months to protect the skin, or that we lose more hair during the autumn to make way for hair growth.

Can you prevent an autumn lash shed?

First, let’s be absolutely clear: eyelashes fall out.  They just do.  In fact, every lash you have will fall out within a few months and new lashes will grow to replace the ones you have lost.  It is a natural phenomenon and cannot be avoided.  So we need to clear this up right away, so you know what to expect.  2-5 lashes will fall out every day.  So don’t panic when this happens.

This shedding cycle is very natural and healthy for our lashes.  It keeps our lashes fresh and healthy and it is very little we can do to stop nature from doing its thing.

Eyelash growth serums can help strengthen our natural lashes, but the effectiveness varies from person to person and does not prevent further lash loss.

It can be a good idea to keep track of each customer’s retention and how they feel about each appointment. The lash-shedding season can have a different effect on each person.  From this, you can understand when it is best to book their infill time.

Professional tips to help you beat autumn lash fall

Lash shedding is a completely normal process that accelerates at certain times of the year.  There isn’t much we can do to stop it!  But aftercare service is very important.

1. Apply serum daily

Daily application of a nourishing serum will help take care of the lashes during the colder months.

2. Clean! Clean! Clean!

Do not even deviate from regular cleaning;  Many people worry that cleaning will cause their lashes or extensions to fall out, however, gentle and regular cleaning will help maintain lashes and keep them healthy.

Expressing the importance of cleaning the lashes during this change.  (Customers should always clean their lashes, but at this time it is especially important not to forget or skip a few days.) Allergies are on the rise during this time, which can cause lashes to build up.  This buildup plus excess oil production is a surefire way to remove clogged hair follicles and add stress to your lashes.  While your customers may see more lashes falling out as they clean, let them know it’s completely normal but heartbreaking.

3. Go for regular refills

More freԛuent refills can help you and your customers get through the autumn lash-shedding season. It may sound selfish to your customers, but you should do well to explain to them that they will likely need more freԛuent refills to deal with lash extension shedding.  This means coming every 2 weeks.  If they are really committed to what you have achieved for them with eyelash extensions, your clients won’t mind visiting you every 2 weeks instead of every 3 weeks.

4. Educate your clients

Make sure you educate your clients about how normal this period is, and while it is pretty scary to find that more lashes are falling out, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.  Although if this shedding occurs for more than a few weeks and your clients show continuous excessive loss, they may want to see a professional doctor as there may be more going on.

As for those who need a little more conviction, just explain to them that it would be a real shame for all the time, effort, and money they spent on eyelash extensions to go to waste.

Conclusion

Keeping your lashes in good shape can be a bit of a challenge during the autumn lash-shedding season.  Changes in temperature affect the growth cycle of natural lashes, causing them to fall out faster than normal.  Fortunately, the lash-shedding seasons don’t last forever, and the natural growth cycle returns to normal after just six weeks.

I hope you are feeling very clued up now.  It is very normal for your eyelash extensions to fall off with your natural lashes during the shedding season.  With the colder months currently upon us, taking care of your extended lashes and following the advice I mentioned above is crucial to making your eyelash extensions last longer and shedding much less.

Eyelash shedding season occurs twice a year in spring and autumn when temperatures start to change.  Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to prevent this, but cleaning your lashes every day and keeping up with refills are some of the ways to reduce the effect of autumn lash shed.  It is also vital to educate yourself and your clients about eyelash shed. Shorten infill times or retail service products to help you get through this period, but most importantly remember it is absolutely natural!  Loss of longer and thicker lashes will leave any client’s lashes looking uneven.  This embarrassing aspect can make your client hate their eyelash extension experience forever!  At the end of the service, you should always advise your client to book a refill every 2 weeks depending on the lashing cycle.

Hope this guide will help you prepare for the autumn lash-shedding season.