Home Makeup What Happens When You Stop Using Lash Serum?

What Happens When You Stop Using Lash Serum?

by Gabbi

Though beauty trends may come and go, changing with each year and season, one style staple you can be sure to count on is fluttery, long lashes.

Unfortunately, not all of us won the genetic lottery when it comes to lash growth, so we have to look to the aid of lash serums and growth formulas to give our hairs the boost they need.

After you’ve used lash serums for a while, and have seen the results you want, you may be wondering what will happen if you skip a couple of applications, or if you stop the use of the serum altogether.

So, what happens when you stop using lash serum? When you stop lash serum, you may experience lash fall, or see a drastic difference in the growth of your eyelashes. This is to be expected, though it may be a bit startling to experience at first.

In this article, we’ll break down what you should expect when you stop using lash serum, as well as other things you should be aware of about halting the use of the product. 

What Lash Serum Does

Lash serums are used by people all over the world as an agent that improves the strength, length, and growth of your eyelashes. There are a variety of different formulations.

When it comes to lash serums aiding in eyelash growth, there is only one clinically proven product that has scientific backing supporting its formula- and that is Latisse. It’s FDA approved and is so concentrated of a formula that can only be obtained through a prescription from your doctor. 

Other, more commercially available lash serums like GrandeLASH, RapidLash, and The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum might be marketed as growth serums, but they actually lean more towards strengthening and hydrating your eyelashes instead. 

Regardless of what kind of lash serum you choose to use, prescribed or not, lash serums will work wonders on existing lash growth, as well as future lash growth, working hard to strengthen right from the initial application. 

All lash serums are extremely rich in amino acids, which are the molecules that are the building blocks of proteins. Since your eyelashes are about 80% keratin, saturating them with amino acids on a daily basis makes a serious impact on the well-being of your eyelashes. 

One of the main ways eyelash serums improve the look of your lashes is by strengthening the lashline and the hair follicles, making them firm enough to hold onto your lashes for longer, even when they change in weight and thickness due to the formula.  

Stopping Lash Serum

Though the results of using eyelash serums are usually very striking, there are a number of reasons why someone might decide to stop the use of them altogether: they can be too expensive to continue use, cause side effects that some people fall victim to, or not show the results you wanted. 

If you’re looking for a cheaper way to grow your lashes, you can always try pure castor oil, as there is some anecdotal evidence of castor oil improving hair growth.

Regardless of why you may choose to stop using your lash serum, you may be wondering what the safest way to go about it is. 

Do You Have To Taper Off Your Use Of Lash Serums?

Even medicinal lash serums like Latisse can be stopped in a single day. There is no need to gradually wean yourself off of the use of your lash serums. Though they may be deeply effective, stopping them suddenly shouldn’t be a call for concern. 

Do Lashes Fall After Stopping Lash Serums?

Just like the hair on your head, eyelashes go through their own growth and fall cycle. Our eyelashes are tiny, and you lose around 5 of them each day (even if you don’t notice them). Of course, this number may increase depending on how thick your lashes are, especially if you’re in the midst of using an eyelash serum. 

When you stop using your serum, you can expect more lash fall than you’re used to. Without the aid of the product, your follicles may stop being strong enough to carry the weight of your lashes, especially since they’re heavier, so shedding what’s too heavy is only natural. 

In spite of all the lashes you lose, you can rest assured that you’re not going to lose enough to leave your lashline looking naked. You’re only going to lose what your follicles can’t carry, but not enough to warrant concern or to have your eyes look visibly emptier.

How Long Does It Take For Lashes To Go Back To Normal?

There are active ingredients in eyelash serums that need to be consistently applied in order for the results to be kept up, once use is halted, it won’t take long for your eyelashes to self-regulate and return to their regular growth cycle. 

Eyelashes take around 4-10 weeks to grow straight from the root. Even when you don’t notice them growing, they do lengthen by .12 to.14mm every single day! This is called the anagen phase and it’s far shorter than the growth rate of the hair on your head. 

The degradation phase and telogen phase occur soon after this, which is when the hair follicle shrinks, and the eyelash falls from your lash line. Lash serums directly affect the growth and fall phase. 

When not applied, lashes won’t grow the same way, nor will the fall period be halted. Lashes will begin growing in at their original thickness, and once they drop from the follicle, will regrow in the same way your lashes did before serum use.

Once all of your serum-treated lashes fall, your eyelashes will return back to their regular length, strength, and thickness, which can take as soon as one month

Dangers Of Stopping Lash Serums

Other than your eyelashes returning back to their normal state, it’s normal to wonder if there are any long-term side effects that come with stopping lash serums, or if halting the use of the formula will leave you with harmful consequences!

As far as it goes, there haven’t been any notable issues with the sudden stopping of a lash serum, though there are a number of issues surrounding the actual use of them, so quitting the use of your serum may relieve you of these issues rather than exacerbate them.

Among all the side-effects to look out for, a lot of lash serum users worry if exposing their lashline to the formula for such a long period of time will affect the way they grow after stopping use. The answer to this question is no

Your lashes won’t grow back weaker or thinner, though it may seem that way due to how striking the difference is once they start growing in at their normal rate. While the juxtaposition may worry you, we reassure you that they are not any weaker than they were prior to your use of any product.

It may take several weeks for your growth cycle to regulate, with its longest being around 2 and a half months. However, you shouldn’t experience pain, itchiness, or any swelling while your growth cycle regulates, and if you do, you should always check in with a health professional, especially if the serum was prescribed. 

Why You Should Stop Using Lash Serums

When you start using an eyelash serum, side effects that warrant immediate halting of the product should show up fairly quickly. From the first use, you’ll be able to see the compatibility of the formula with your skin.

If you notice any of these side effects, discontinue the serum use entirely:

  • Irritated eyes
  • Swelling around the lashline
  • Itchiness
  • Allergic reactions and hives
  • Blurry vision

It may take around a month of consistent use for you to be able to see any long-term side effects rearing their heads, so make sure to pay close attention to the look and feel of your lash line and lashes within this time in order to see if you should discontinue use of the serum.

Some of these side effects don’t necessarily warrant the need to stop using the product- they could simply be annoying or affect your appearance while being otherwise harmless.

Here are some consequences that may take longer to show up:

  • Collagen Reduction – Some (not all) lash serum users notice their eyes looking droopier or hollower with continued use of serums- mainly Latisse.
  • Darkening Of Lash Line – This is more noticeable on fairer skin tones and can leave you looking more tired than you are. Anywhere you apply the serum can change in tone, so it’s important to apply it as close to your lashes as possible.
  • Eye Color Change – A small percentage of Latisse users with blue eyes noted the outer ring of their iris going dark brown with continued use. Unfortunately, this is not reversible and will last even if you’ve stopped using your lash serum. 

Related Questions

Do you have to use eyelash serums forever?

If you have thin or fine eyelashes, you will have to use eyelash serums long-term in order to maintain the results you have with them. There are unfortunately no products that permanently change the way your lashes grow in, so consistent use is not optional. 

Do lash serums damage eyes?

Lash serums should never touch the eyeball itself, and should only be applied to the lashline. When used appropriately, lash serums do not damage eyes or eyesight. 

Do lash serums damage skin?

Depending on the concentration of the formula, there’s a chance you may see collagen reduction or darkening of the delicate skin around your eye. This is more likely to be noticed when using stronger lash serums (like Latisse). 

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