Madarosis or eyelash thinning - Ways to treat and prevent

Madarosis is a term for eyelash and eyebrow loss. Eyelashes aren’t just important for beauty, but they protect the eyes from debris that can cause injury or infection. Eyelash thinning as we age is a completely normal phenomenon; a majority of adult women surveyed reported noticing significant changes in eyelash thickness over time. After all, healthy eyelashes falling and growing back about every 6 weeks is normal. However, when they begin to thin or fall out at a higher rate than normal, you might be concerned and maybe even a little embarrassed. A variety of factors can affect the health and fullness of your eyelashes.

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Here are some abnormal things that could happen to your eyelashes:

• Slow Eyelash Growth
• Sudden Eyelash Loss
• Inflammation of the Eyelids with Sudden Eyelash Loss

Despite how simple the symptoms may be, there are actually a variety of things that could cause your eyelashes to fall out. Here are some reasons your eyelashes could be thinning:

• Hereditary Factors – Some genetic diseases such as cryptophthalmos and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome could cause your eyelashes to fall out.
• Excessive Eye Rubbing – Harsh scrubbing when you remove makeup products or whenever you rub your eyes could be causing eyelashes to fall out.
• Bad Beauty Habits – Leaving eye makeup or mascara on, or using heat products could damage eyelash hair follicles.
• Allergies – An allergic reaction to beauty products and other things could causes eyelash loss.
• Age – Eyelashes naturally thin as a part of the aging process.
• Medical Conditions - A medical condition such as blepharitis, thyroid disorders, alopecia, inflammatory diseases, skin cancer, and many other diseases could cause eyelashes to thin.
• Certain Medications – Some medications have eyelash thinning as a side effect like chemotherapy drugs.

There are many reasons why your eyelashes could be thinning, and sometimes the solution is simply treating a different medical condition or changing beauty habits. There aren’t many symptoms, but there are many possible reasons for thinning lashes. Whatever the reason, it’s important to have a professional determine the causes. Whether you want long, thick lashes or want them to stop thinning, a dermatologist can help with medications contributing to eyelash growth.

Home Remedies

While home remedies have taken on popularity, there are little to no studies confirming the effectiveness of such treatments. In some cases, it might even do more harm than good considering their minimal effectiveness versus the unknown side effects they could have on your body. It’s best to follow the medical advice of a dermatologist because they know what will or will not treat the disease. Here are some popular home remedies that you should be careful with:

• Castor Oil
• Olive Oil
• Aloe Vera
• Green Tea
• Vitamin E

Over the Counter Medication

While some over the counter (OTC) medications are effective enough to be given as prescriptions, other OTC medications have limited effects on disease. They might help for mild to moderate cases, but they aren’t usually effective on severe ones. If used incorrectly and without guidance, they might even prove to be ineffective and produce unforeseen side effects. However, a dermatologist can tell you whether or not these can be effective for you. Here are some OTC medications that may or may not be included in a treatment plan given by one of our dermatologists:

• Anti-inflammatories – Relieves inflammation that causes eyelash thinning from diseases like blepharitis.
• Minoxidil – It was originally used for high blood pressure. It helps blood flow to the hair follicles, increasing their size and hair shaft diameter. This helps hair grow and keep it growing for hair loss via alopecia.

Prescription

Prescriptions, alongside professional medical advice, are the most effective form of treatment. Home remedies and over the counter treatments take plenty of time, energy, and money, yet are uncertain to work. Our experienced dermatologists take your unique skin, set of symptoms, and medical history into account to take the guessing game out of your road to recovery. Here are some prescriptions your dermatologist might include in your personalized treatment plan:

• Anti-inflammatories – Relieves inflammation that causes eyelash thinning from diseases like blepharitis.
• Minoxidil – It was originally used for high blood pressure. It helps blood flow to the hair follicles, increasing their size and hair shaft diameter. This helps hair grow and keep it growing for hair loss via alopecia.
• Prostaglandins – Stimulates eyelash growth by manipulating the hair growth cycle in eyelashes Prescriptions to treat diseases causing eyelash loss.

Our dermatologists have resolved countless eyelash thinning cases with medications and treatment plans that are proven to do something about your thinning eyelashes once and for all. Trust dermatologists, the experts on eyelash thinning.

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After being seen by one of our SkyMD dermatologists, you’ve been equipped with the treatment plan and prescription(s) to treat your discomfort. However, disease can be persistent, so you have to be too. A skin care routine and a set of disease-preventing habits recommended by our dermatologists are essential for long term prevention. Here are some popular prevention strategies that could supplement your personalized treatment plan:

• Handle eyelashes gently when using beauty products
• Avoid heat products like eyelash curlers for your eyelashes
• Remove makeup products before sleeping