No more lashes? The bizarre TikTok trend tied to toxic masculinity that Gen Z is jumping on
Young men are trying to look more ‘manly’ by shaving off their eyelashes, but eye doctors warn that not only is it dangerous, but a bad idea.
Just when you think that you’ve seen it all, something new pops up on social media that leaves you scratching your head. A few months back, a trend among young men started with videos circulating on social media of them trimming and even shaving off their eyelashes.
The reason? In order to look “more masculine” apparently. However, eye doctors warn that not only is the practice dangerous but that it is a bad idea for the health of one’s eyes.
Men trimming eyelashes to be “manly”
Long, full eyelashes have been associated with femininity and attractiveness for centuries. So, in an age when some want to reaffirm genders and their roles, as a man trying to be the opposite of feminine, trimming or shave eyelashes may make sense.
A man that has especially thick eyelashes may even get some grief from society, just ask Vice President JD Vance. A whole debate sprang up about whether he uses eyeliner after the televised debate between him and Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz in October 2024.
Eye doctors warn about dangers of trimming eyelashes
It’s generally not a good idea to put sharp objects extremely close to your eyes, or let someone else do so unless it’s a doctor doing so to fix a problem. “It is hazardous and very easy to damage the delicate surface of your eye, the cornea,” ophthalmologist Dr. Ashley Hayden told the HuffPost.
Furthermore, eyelashes serve several important purposes. While humans have lost a lot of their other bodily hair as they’ve evolved, nature seemed to think keeping them and eyebrows as pretty necessary.
Eyelashes are human’s whiskers
Eyelashes work like whiskers for humans, they detect when something might get into the eye like dust or insects, or even larger objects. Small objects that land on the surface of your eye can cause abrasions which can be extremely irritating. Even the stubs of your trimmed or shaved eyelashes may irritate your eyes.
“Eyelashes are meant to block foreign objects such as dust, debris and splashes in the eye,” explained Dr. Victoria Williams, an oculoplastic surgeon and neuro-ophthalmologist in Michigan speaking to HuffPost. “It blocks germs and bacteria from getting in your eye and prevents eye infections.”
Trimmed eyelashes: watch out for dry eyes
Additionally, one of the ways out eyes expel foreign objects is to tear up, but without eyelashes you may have more of a problem as they help reduce tear evaporation by up to 50% according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface notes the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
It will also be harder for you to keep your eyes moist, if you look at an electronic scene for long periods of time, which can dry out your eyes. This could be a serious problem if you have to look at a computer scene all day, which is pert near everyone.
Eyelashes: nature’s sunglasses
Eyelashes are nature’s natural sunglasses as well. “Lashes protect from harmful light rays and reduce sensitivity to bright light,” Dr. Thomas Stokkermans, senior medical reviewer at All About Vision told HuffPost.
“Trimming the lashes reduces this protection and increases the risk of cancers in the eye and eyelids and of developing cataracts,” he added.
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