False eyelashes are a
cosmetic enhancement attaching synthetic or natural fibers to the
eyelid
An eyelid ( ) is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. "Palpebral ...
s to give the natural
eyelash
An eyelash (also called lash) (Neo-Latin: ''cilium'', plural ''cilia'') is one of the hairs that grows at the edges of the top and bottom eyelids, spanning outwards and away from the eyes. The lashes grow in up to six layers on each of the upper ...
es a fuller, more dramatic look. They are available in various lengths, thicknesses, and curvatures.
History

In 1882,
Henry Labouchère, of the British periodical ''
Truth
Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...
'', reported: "Parisians have found out how to make false eyelashes
y having hair sewn into the eyelids. A similar report appeared in the July 6, 1899, edition of ''
The Dundee Courier'', which described the painful method for elongating the lashes, under the headline "Irresistible Eyes May Be Had by Transplanting the Hair": the article explained how the procedure achieved longer lashes by having hair from the head sewn into the eyelids.
In 1902,
Karl Nessler, a German-born hair specialist and inventor, patented "A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Manufacture of Artificial Eyebrows, Eyelashes and the like" in the United Kingdom. By 1903, he began selling artificial eyelashes at his London salon on Great Castle Street. He used the profits from his sales to fund his next invention, the
permanent wave
A permanent wave, commonly called a perm or permanent (sometimes called a "curly perm" to distinguish it from a " straight perm"), is a hairstyle consisting of waves or curls set into the hair. The curls may last a number of months, hence the ...
(perm) machine. In 1911, Anna Taylor, a Canadian, patented false eyelashes in the United States. Taylor's false eyelashes had a crescent-shaped strip of fabric bearing tiny pieces of hair. Another inventor of false eyelashes is
Maksymilian Faktorowicz, a Polish beauty guru and businessman, who founded the company
Max Factor.
In 1916, while making his film ''
Intolerance
Intolerance may refer to:
* Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system
* ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith
* ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...
'',
D. W. Griffith noticed his actress,
Seena Owen, was missing something. Griffith wanted her eyes to be twice as large and "supernatural". He then spoke to his
wigmaker to create false lashes. They were made of human hair, which was then fixed to her eyelashes by
spirit gum. One day, Owen showed up with her eyes swollen nearly shut, her co-star
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in movies of the silent era. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was dubbed the "F ...
wrote in her memoir.
By the 1930s, false eyelashes were becoming widespread. False eyelashes were featured in ''
Vogue''.
In the 1960s, eye makeup that made the eyes seem larger was very common. This look was achieved by applying false eyelashes to the top and bottom eyelids to mimic the look of a doll.
Twiggy advanced the trend. In 1968, at the feminist
Miss America protest
The Miss America protest was a demonstration held at the Miss America 1969 contest on September 7, 1968, attended by about 200 feminists and civil rights advocates. The feminist protest was organized by New York Radical Women and included put ...
, protestors symbolically threw a number of symbolic feminine products into a "Freedom Trash Can", including false eyelashes.
In 2014, Katy Stoka, founder of One Two Cosmetics, invented magnetic false eyelashes as an alternative to those affixed with glue.
Temporary false lashes

Temporary false lashes are synthetic lashes that come in strips. These lashes are universal and made to fit all eye shapes. They can be trimmed to fit the width of the
eyelid
An eyelid ( ) is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. "Palpebral ...
. These lashes are then adhered to the eyelid just above the natural lashes with temporary glue. Since the adhesive is made to be temporary, the false lashes can easily be removed with warm water or eye makeup remover. They are designed not to be worn when showering, sleeping or swimming.
Magnetic lashes are used by a thin strip of
magnets
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
attached to the strip lash.
They work by placing the magnetic false lash between one's eyelashes, thereby sandwiching the natural eyelashes with magnetic eyelashes.
These lashes are affordable and reusable but there is a potential riskdue to the magnets that are attached to the lashes it is possible that they may be a hazard to a patient if being used in an
MRI scanning room.
Eyelash extensions

Eyelash extensions are individual lashes that are applied to the natural lash using semi-permanent glue. These lashes are usually applied by a technician, and the process can take up to two hours. They can last anywhere from three to four weeks, depending on the care and maintenance of the lashes.
Lash extensions are more versatile than false lashes. The technician who is placing the lashes can cater to the specific client by customizing the lash extensions specifically to that client. They take into consideration the eye shape, the
eyelid
An eyelid ( ) is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. "Palpebral ...
s, as well as the state of the natural lash. Once these factors are evaluated the client and the technician can pick the material, length, color, and curvature of the lashes that best suits them.
Overall, lash extensions can also be classified into different styles. There is a classic set, which is the most natural form of lashes, as well as a volume set, which is considered the fullest style. In between these two styles is a hybrid set, which is a combination of a classic and a volume.
In the United States, each state regulates eyelash extensions. Some states require either a
cosmetology
Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/ pedicures, non-permanent hair removal suc ...
or esthetician license; some states have a certificate or license specifically for lash technicians.
In the United Kingdom, the Guild of Professional Beauty Therapists accredits courses for the safe application of semi-permanent individual eyelash extensions. The value of the course content can be judged by the number of CPD (Continued Professional Development) points that the course is awarded.
See also
*
Eyelash curler
*
Eyelash perm
References
External links
The History of Women and Their Eyelashesat MarieClaire.com
History of Artificial (false) Eyelashesat Cosmetics and Skin
{{Cosmetics
Cosmetics
Human eyelashes