I never thought I’d be sharing my own transformation, but when my lashes changed, I knew I had to tell my story.
As a young woman in my 20s, I was lucky to always have long and naturally curled lashes.
I felt confident because people always commented on how beautiful they were.
After turning 52, my lashes not only thinned and grew sparse—like many of my patients.
They fell out in patches, leaving hard-to-miss gaps along my upper lash line I couldn’t hide.
Even my lower lashes had bald spots that made it look worse.
I usually prescribe medical lash-growth treatments for patients dealing with lash loss.
But after developing styes and seeing awful black lines on my lids from a prescription lash serum, I realized I was reacting to the prostaglandin inside.
I tried so many serums from all kinds of brands.
But most formulas weren’t initially made for mature eyes—and mine felt it.
I was ready to get extensions, but the technician said she couldn’t attach them, there wasn’t enough to put them onto.
Out of desperation, I started drawing a thick black line on my upper lid to fake a lash line, because mascara wouldn’t stick.
I kept my glasses on so no one would notice.
One day, after a consultation session, a patient looked at my eyes and said, “I’m sorry, but I need advice from someone who still has lashes… did you cut yours?”
In that moment, I had to hold back my tears and spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding any eye contact.
That night, under the bathroom lights at home, I looked at myself in the mirror.
Bald spots. Short, brittle stubs. A thin lash line that made my eyes look smaller and older.
It crushed me.
