Instructions

• Step 1: Get more silicon Eat foods containing silicon, a trace element that promotes hair growth. Asparagus, cabbage, cucumbers, olives, green beans, beer, rice, and oats are all good sources.
• Step 2: Oil your lashes Apply a daily drop of castor oil to your lashes with a cotton swab to help them shine.
• Step 3: Curl them Use an eyelash curler to make lashes appear longer than they are. Or get an eyelash perm at a beauty salon; it will last about four months.
• TIP: For best results, use an eyelash curler before and after applying mascara.
• Step 4: Prime them Use an eyelash primer to condition and coat the lashes. Then, apply mascara made specifically for lengthening lashes.
• Step 5: Wear falsies Attach false eyelashes, either one by one or as a set. Or consider eyelash extensions, where dozens of individual lashes are glued onto your existing ones. They last about two months.
• Step 6: Use an eyelash growth product Try eyelash growth products, available in beauty stores. They contain peptides, amino-acid derivatives that supposedly stimulate follicles. Because the side effects vary, consult your ophthalmologist before trying.
• Step 7: Discuss a prescription with your MD Ask a dermatologist about a prescription for Latisse, an FDA-approved daily treatment that contains chemicals that stimulate eyelash growth.
• : Side effects of Latisse include eye redness, itchy eyes, and darkening of the eyelid skin. It can also cause the iris to turn brown permanently.
• Step 8: Some may consider a transplant Some people actually undergo an eyelash transplant, a medical procedure done under local anesthesia. Hair is taken from other parts of the body and implanted onto the eyelids. Unlike natural eyelashes, transplanted lashes need to be trimmed regularly.
• FACT: A chemist invented mascara in 1913 when he mixed coal dust with petroleum jelly so his sister could enhance her lashes.

You Will Need

• Silicon
• Castor oil
• An eyelash primer
• A curling iron or an eyelash perm
• A lengthening mascara
• False eyelashes or eyelash extensions
• An eyelash growth product
• An eyelash transplant