Science of Eyelashes: Your Eyelashes Should Be This Long

First off, Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Hopefully all of our bloggers and readers are wearing green today!

In celebration of having a fun day, and thanks to our client Elizabeth, we wanted to share a fun article from the "Scientific American." Called, "Your Eyelashes Should Be This Long, Science Say."
You can find the Resource link here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/your-eyelashes-should-be-this-long-science-says/

Here are some of the highlights from the article,

"Cosmeticians probably won't agree, but scientists say eyelashes have an optimal length: a third of the width of the eye.
This ratio helps keep the eyes wet, according to a new study that attempts to answer the question: What are eyelashes for anyway?
"They've been hypothesized to act as sun shades, dust catchers and blink-reflex triggers," said David Hu, a mechanical engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "But there's been no really systematic study of what their true benefits are."

"Hu and colleagues suspected eyelash length might have something to do with channeling airflow, and they devised an experiment to find out. In the lab, the researchers made mock human eyes out of small petri dishes fitted with fake eyelashes of different lengths and a bit of water, meant to mimic the thin tear film on the surface of the eye. The researchers tested how quickly water would dry up from the dishes in a low-speed wind tunnel. They found that the lashes of optimal length were the best for preventing evaporation.

Eyelashes create a "speed bump" that diverts airflow away from the surface of the eye, Hu said, so having no lashes would leave the eyes vulnerable to evaporation and incoming particles like bacteria that can cause infections. You might expect this speed bump to get more effective as it gets bigger, Hu said, but eyelashes that are too long might actually funnel airflow into the eye, causing more evaporation and drying the eyes.

At this point you might be wondering: Are you telling me I should toss my fake eyelashes? Well, maybe not. But perhaps you should take your beauty cues from the camel.

"The more dense you could make your eyelashes, the better it would be," Hu said.
Camels have two rows of dense eyelashes — likely an extra defense against the dry, sand-laden desert air. Eyelashes of high density (or low "porosity" as the researchers say) are better at blocking airflow from the surface of the eye, the experiments showed.
This benefit might even hold true for humans with unnaturally long lashes. In their paper, Hu and colleagues wrote that "wearing curved false eyelashes of low porosity can potentially provide extra protection to the eye and reduce dry eye.""

If you have any questions, leave a comment below and we will return your comment as soon as possible. Or e-mail us at UrbanLashSpa@gmail.com.

P.S.  Happy Saint Patrick's Day! 

From the Urban Lash Staff

Eyelash Extension Medical Exemptions (#7-10)

 Depending on where eyelash extensions technicians receive there education, unless they are licensed estheticians or cosmetologists (or specialty licenses in Texas), most techs are oblivious to medical needs or diagnosis that may tamper or exempt clients from eyelash extensions. It's scary that certain states have not regulated eyelash extensions in ALMOST ALL STATES, except Texas. With this being said, most techs are not licensed estheticians or cosmetologists that have no experience, education, or knowledge of diseases, sanitation, safety, medical problems/issues, medical needs, etc.
If you aren't sure, please check my original article http://urbanlashspa.blogspot.com/2014/08/eyelash-extension-licensing.html

Obviously we're only human, and as we are human, we can still be exposed to diseases, illnesses, viruses, and more. With this being said, I don't think it takes to much common sense to tell your clients who have a bad cold or flu to NOT show up to there appointment. But what about other diseases?
So I've decided this week to make a "Basic" medical list of who is exempted from getting lash extensions, and who is not, but needs a little more care or assistance with a medical issue.

SO first:
The Exemption List:
This list exempts all clients or perspective clients from receiving eyelash extensions until all candidates are no longer suffering from illness, disease, treatments, etc.

For our first #1-6, visit http://urbanlashspa.blogspot.com/2015/01/eyelash-extension-medical-exemptions-1-6.html

Alopecia

Alopecia is essentially hairloss. If clients have a history of hairloss from the past or present, lashes may be exempted to them. It's not that a technician WANTS to exempt a client from an amazing service, but we are actually SAVING a client from spending or wasting a ton of money on something that will be more of a drama than a quality service.
Hair loss, also effects your lashes, brows, body hair, and etc.
When having hair loss, we unfortunately cannot attch any extensions to the skin, only to hair follicles (lashes.) With this being said, we ask client so seek a doctor or medical attention provider.

What is Alopecia? 

Hair grows everywhere on the human skin except on the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet, but many hairs are so fine they're virtually invisible. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin that is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about six inches a year. The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult head has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them a day; finding a few stray hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for alarm.

At any one time, about 90% of the hair on a person's scalp is growing. Each follicle has its own life cycle that can be influenced by age, disease, and a wide variety of other factors. This life cycle is divided into three phases:

• Anagen -- active hair growth that lasts between two to six years
• Catagen -- transitional hair growth that lasts two to three weeks
• Telogen -- resting phase that lasts about two to three months; at the end of the resting phase the hair is shed and a new hair replaces it and the growing cycle starts again.

As people age, their rate of hair growth slows.

There are many types of hair loss, also called alopecia:

• Involutional alopecia is a natural condition in which the hair gradually thins with age. More hair follicles go into the resting phase, and the remaining hairs become shorter and fewer in number.
• Androgenic alopecia is a genetic condition that can affect both men and women. Men with this condition, called male pattern baldness, can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early 20s. It's characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Women with this condition, called female pattern baldness, don't experience noticeable thinning until their 40s or later. Women experience a general thinning over the entire scalp, with the most extensive hair loss at the crown.
• Alopecia areata often starts suddenly and causes patchy hair loss in children and young adults. This condition may result in complete baldness (alopecia totalis). But in about 90% of people with the condition, the hair returns within a few years.
• Alopecia universalis causes all body hair to fall out, including the eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic hair.
• Trichotillomania, seen most frequently in children, is a psychological disorder in which a person pulls out one's own hair.
• Telogen effluvium is temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair. A large number of hairs enter the resting phase at the same time, causing hair shedding and subsequent thinning.
  
  
  
  What causes Alopecia?
  Doctors don't know why certain hair follicles are programmed to have a shorter growth period than others. However, several factors may influence hair loss:
• Hormones, such as abnormal levels of androgens (male hormones normally produced by both men and women)
• Genes, from both male and female parents, may influence a person's predisposition to male or female pattern baldness.
• Stress, illness, and childbirth can cause temporary hair loss. Ringworm caused by a fungal infection can also cause hair loss.
• Drugs, including chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment, blood thinners, beta-adrenergic blockers used to control blood pressure, and birth control pills, can cause temporary hair loss.
• Burns, injuries, and X-rays can cause temporary hair loss. In such cases, normal hair growth usually returns once the injury heals.
• Autoimmune disease may cause alopecia areata. In alopecia areata, the immune system revs up for unknown reasons and affects the hair follicles. In most people with alopecia areata, the hair grows back, although it may temporarily be very fine and possibly a lighter color before normal coloration and thickness return.
• Cosmetic procedures, such as shampooing too often, perms, bleaching, and dyeing hair can contribute to overall hair thinning by making hair weak and brittle. Tight braiding, using rollers or hot curlers, and running hair picks through tight curls can also damage and break hair. However, these procedures don't cause baldness. In most instances hair grows back normally if the source of the problem is removed. Still, severe damage to the hair or scalp sometimes causes permanent bald patches.
• Medical conditions. Thyroid disease, lupus, diabetes, iron deficiency, eating disorders, and anemia can cause hair loss, but when the underlying condition is treated the hair will return.
• Diet. A low-protein diet or severely calorie-restricted diet can also cause temporary hair loss.

Resource:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/understanding-hair-loss-basics?page=2

Trichotillomania 

 Client's who are diagnosed with this current condition, will be warned not to receive eyelash extensions. Due to the diagnosis, lash technicians have to apply individual eyelash extensions to actual hair follicles. Eyelash extensions are NEVER applied on the skin. Because of the technical science behind this, unfortunately, technicians are not left with a lot of  natural lashes to work with. If a decent amound of natural lashes are missing, or if natural lashes have large gaps or balding, unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to apply lash extensions.

People normally can get thus because of nervous behavior, anxiety, habit, or stress.
If you have this issue, please seek medical attention for treatment, or try a lash stimulators such as serums: like latisse or revita lash, or take biotin (vitamin to help stimulate and grow your hair follicles- lashes.)


What is Trichotillomania?

People who have trichotillomania have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, usually from their scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows.

Trichotillomania is a type of impulse control disorder. People with these disorders know that they can do damage by acting on the impulses, but they cannot stop themselves. They may pull out their hair when they're stressed as a way to try to soothe themselves.

 esides repeated hair pulling, other symptoms may include:

• Feeling tense before pulling hair or when trying to resist the urge to pull hair
• Feeling relieved, satisfied, or pleased after acting on the impulse to pull hair
• Distress or problems in work or social life due to hair pulling
• Bare patches where the hair has been pulled out
• Behaviors such as inspecting the hair root, twirling the hair, pulling the hair between the teeth, chewing on hair, or eating hair

Many people who have trichotillomania try to deny they have a problem and may attempt to hide their hair loss by wearing hats, scarves, and false eyelashes and eyebrows.

Resource:

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/trichotillomania 

Blepharitis

If client's come in with signs or symptoms of Blepharitis, we may end up rescheduling there appointment unti'll the client is completely healed.
Blepharitis is irritation and inflammation of the eye and lids. Because of this, adding eyepads, tape, makeup remover, lash primer, lashes and adhesive (with fumes) may be too much for eyes to handle, while they are obviously fighting off the B-infection. With this being said, adding more water to a pot of water that's already overflowing would be pointless. Unti'll clients are completely healed, than lashes will be done. For more medical identification, speak to your local medical care provider.

What is Blepharitis?

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids that causes redness, itchiness, irritation, and scaly skin at the edges of the eyelids. Blepharitis is one of the most common eye problems in older adults.

 Inflammation is a general term used to describe the process by which white blood cells and chemicals produced in the body protect us from foreign substances, injury, or infection. The normal body response of inflammation involves varying degrees of swelling, redness, pain, warmth, and change in function. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids, causing red, irritated, itchy eyelids, and the formation of dandruff-like scales on the eyelashes. It is a very common eye disorder with a wide variety of causes. It affects people of all ages. Although it may be uncomfortable, annoying, or unattractive, blepharitis is not contagious and generally does not cause any permanent damage to eyesight. The condition can be difficult to manage because it tends to recur. Another term for blepharitis is granulated eyelids. Angular blepharitis is a term used to describe blepharitis which primarily affects the outer corners of the eyelids.
Resource:
http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/blepharitis-eyelid-inflammation-directory

Why you SHOULDN'T play or touch your eyelash extensions

Ever wonder why your eyelash artist or technician tells you NOT to touch your eyelash extensions?

Believe it or not, there is a reason for the madness.

First of all, Eyelash extension adhesives are predominantly made with "oil based" ingredients. When someone starts to play with there lashes, not only do the oils from your hands can loosen the bonds, making them last less or come off faster, but by tampering with your lashes, you can make extensions fall out faster. Playing with your lashes in the first place is a no no! Jeopardizing that you may pull, yank, twist, snag, or pluck lashes or extensions off, can lead to messing up your lash cycle, damaging your lashes and/or cycle, and/or damage of premature lash balding/shedding. Even though lash extensions can feel like left over mascara, and may feel addictive to pick at, try your best to re frame! You'll thank us later, and you're tech will thank you! :)

The next reason not to play with your lashes,
is conjunctivitis. In other words, Pink eye.
People who play with there lashes usually are doing it out of habit or "subconsciously." But when most people are "on-the-go", no one ever stops to think about, "How clean was the gas pump I just touched before touching my lashes?" or "How clean was the money I handed the gas station clerk, before touching my lashes?" or other things of that nature.
Chances are, unless your a germ-a-phoebe (which I am), you are not always thinking about it how clean your surroundings are. Because of this reason, this is how a lot of people who have eyelash extensions get eye infections or problems.
Example:
Say you stopped to get gas, and now your touching your lashes.
Chances are you touched the machine (to swipe your card), pressed buttons (for pin, zip code, or picked the gas # you wanted), or you've touched the pump with the gas lever.

Who knows who's touched that machine, lever, pump, etc.
But if someone went to the bathroom and hadn't washed there hands, someone who had an itch "downstairs", or other reasons similar to these, and they DID touch those items before you......
And now your touching your lashes. Not only is that somewhat gross, but that's the gateway to pinkeye.
Even if someone went to the bathroom and forgot to wash there hands, and started to play with there lashes.....it's that easy to get.

Another reason not to play with your lashes, is since they are falling out faster, time is money. And money to get your lashes done, and finding the extra time to do it, because you played with them......isn't fun. Try to be conscience when it comes to your budget, especially if you are tight on your finances, or be conscience to your technicians time if shes busy/slammed.


A forth reason to resist the urge, is that your could also get bacteria infections. Like pink eye, other diseases like bacteria infections, eye infections, eye allergies or allergies, or other medical issues, can prevent you from getting eyelash extensions (full sets or fills). Not only can some of these medical issues be contagious, but can also set you back for re-couping, if you are to catch something....again, all because you decided to play with your lashes.

The last reason, is simply because you can irritate the eyes. Irritating the eyes more often, can make them inflamed, make you want to touch/rub/etc. and can make the eyes sensitive, water or tear. With more tearing, irritation etc. These can make the lashes come off faster, and can make the whole experience until a lash correction, not a fun experience. With a small irritation, can be the gateway to the above reasons medically to start.



With all of this being said, most of the time a lot of eye problems, medical issues, etc, are due on the client or customers own time. Depending on what technician you see, how experienced, clean, or particular they are with cleanliness, or if they follow state board (or if they are licensed) can also be a reason on the technicians behalf. Here at Urban Lash Spa, with all technicians being current licensed estheticians and cosmetologists, certified and certified/trained trough Urban Lash Academy, and following state board guidelines, we have never had to worry over situations regarding our shop or staff. Not only do we sanitize all of our tools, but we also sterilize.
Ask you technician or the spa/salon/boutique that currently see's you for lashes, and ask them how they clean they're tools.

For clients, if you can't stop playing with your lashes, at least carry a bar of soap to wash your hands, hand sanitizer and some wet ones.

Have questions? Ask us and comment below, and we will answer them shortly!