The practice of curling your lashes to make them appear longer is not a recent trend. Women have long practiced eyelash curling in an effort to recapture the youthful and vibrant appearance longer lashes typically give. Unfortunately, this practice has its setbacks—and could be treacherous if you aren't prepared to do it correctly.

Curling the lashes involves a number of tedious and awkward steps. First, you must bend your hands into positions they probably aren’t comfortable in to get the tool in place. If you can perform this pretzel bending with your hands, you then have to carefully catch the lashes in the curling tool and slowly stretch them without using excessive force. Curling the lashes strains the follicles and shafts of the eyelash hairs, so make sure not to be too forceful.

Even done properly, the lashes can become brittle after repeated curling. Repeated applications of moisturizers and repair serums must be followed if you intend to keep your lashes on your eyelids, not tumbling off. Truth be told, the process can be a mind-numbing exercise and should only be attempted by those willing to put in the time, effort, and upkeep necessary.

What Leads to Thinning Lashes

Poor Diet — Your lashes are like any other part of your body, requiring vitamins and nutrients to continue growing and repairing themselves. If your diet doesn't include protein, for example, your muscles could begin to degrade. Your hair and lashes also need protein. They need many nutrients which are up to you to supply through your diet.

Age — As we age, hair stops growing back as thick and lush as easily as it used to. The word “easily” is used because strict regiments of nutrient-rich serums or other treatments can help to combat some of the age-related thinning in lashes.

Cosmetics — Many a woman has stated "beauty is pain" in the process of teasing, tweezing, and bending her body to her will. Unfortunately, repeated use of cosmetic products can take its toll on your lashes. Mascara, makeup remover, and other beauty products can be rough on eyelashes, causing them to fall out. Too much of a quick fix can be a bad thing.

Cheap mascara is an example of the danger in a quick fix. The adhesive used to clump lashes together to make them appear fuller can pull the lashes off the skin. The cheaper the product, the less likely it is to contain any moisturizing agents or anything to help protect the lashes. Repeatedly using these products gives your lashes little chance for survival, much less improvement.

The Problem of Missing Lashes

Missing eyelashes can be attributed to either not doing what you need to do often enough, or doing what you shouldn't do too often. Poor diet and lack of sleep take their toll on your body, right down to the lashes. Trying to cover the symptoms of insufficient nutrition with mascara and other cosmetics can eventually compound your problem by pulling out the lashes you have and damaging the ones that remain on your eyelids.

The Fix for Longer Lashes

The only permanent solution for longer, fuller lashes is a healthy diet that addresses most, if not all, of your dietary requirements, combined with moisturizers to help protect the lashes you have and a growth serum to help your lashes grow fuller and longer than before. This, combined with patience for the treatments to properly do their job, will go a long way in getting you the lengthier eyelashes you want.