Men on social media cut their lashes to look more ‘masculine’ – to be a bad idea

Lately, they have been circulating on social media video with men who remove their lashes, cutting or shaving them.

This trend is based on the idea that short lashes look more masculine.

Hair can tell us a lot about our social and cultural values. As Canadian sociologist Anthony Synnott says, they can represent deep rooted ideas for the biological sex, such as « the opposite sex have the opposite hair » and « the hair of the head is inverse with body hair. »

But do the differences between gender have any basis in biology? And what about the health risks of intervention in the lashes?

If the idea of ​​a razor that bursts near your eyes makes you nervous, there is a good reason.

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Gender determines the length of the lashes?

Most mammals have lashes. Human lashes begin to grow in the womb about seven weeks and have been fully formed by the age of seven months.

Usually, we have 100 to 150 eyelashes in the upper eyelid that grow in two or three rows. In the lower eyelid there are half the lashes.

The length of the lashes is usually about one third of the width of the eye. The lower lashes are shorter (6–8 mm) compared to the upper lashes (8–12 mm).

The density, length, thickness and eyelash curve are determined by genetics.

However, there is no evidence that these anatomical differences are associated with sex.

This means that the idea that men have « natural » short lashes and women longer, darker and denser is based on culture and not biology.

At the same time, regardless of gender, eyelashes have many important functions.

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What is the function of lashes?

Protection

Eyelashes are a natural obstacle against dust, particles, insects, bacteria and chemicals (such as lacquer and deodorants), preventing them from entering the eyes.

The tears form a wet layer that covers the eye to keep it hydrated and the lashes also prevent the air from drying out this film.

Eyelashes also protect our eyes from the reflection, reducing the amount of light that enters the eye by up to 24%.

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Sense

The lashes are very sensitive, so their touch causes a reflex eye -catching eye. This protects it from unwanted materials.

The eyelid also activates the secretion of tears and distributes them to the surface of the eyes.

Social interaction

Eyelashes also help us communicate. Slow eyelid can mark attention or flirting – and lashes make it more attractive.

It is one of the characteristics of the face that affect our communication, mainly through expressions and body language.

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So what if you don’t have lashes?

People can lose their lashes for a variety of reasons.

For example, chemotherapy for cancer often results in hair loss, including eyelashes, as well as alopecia.

Also some people pull their lashes when they are anxious or stressed.

Regardless of the way you lose your hair, without eyelashes you are likely to feel more nuisance. More foreign particles can enter the eye, exposing you to a greater risk of infection, and you will open your eyes more often to remove them.

Sex, gender and eyelashes

The perceptions of gender differences in the eyelashes still exist, in part because of their social rules and their media visualization.

For example, a 2023 study by the United States examined 319 people (142 men and 177 women) of different ethnic descent on the length of eyelashes in women.

Men and women of all origin stated that images of female faces without lashes or short lashes were the least attractive, regardless of nationality.

The characters in the cartoon show how deeply rooted and socially constructed these gender differences are.

Animation often depict women with excessive eyelashes and male characters without at all.

It is essentially a way to understand the difference of sex when there is no other indication in the face.

The upper row depicts male characters without lashes, while the lower row depicts feminine characters with long and dense lashes. Zagtoon wiki

In fact, all bodies and features, including eyelashes, are of course different.

The rise of the Androsphere

This practice is just one of the latest trends that prove once again how dangerous toxic masculinity is.

As glittering lashes have been a symbol of femininity and attractiveness for centuries, it means that they endanger masculinity and manhood only with their existence.

In today’s increasingly masculine political climate, fueled by controversial personalities of the Androsiferus online, such as Andrew Tate and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg has even expressed his support for more « masculine energy » in the business world, telling Podcaster Joe Rogan in January: « A culture that honors a little more aggression has its own advantages. »

So it is easy to understand why some men are willing to suppress anything in their appearance that could be perceived as too feminine.