Would you bat an eye at this trend?
The latest in men’s aesthetics is eyelash trimming, in which men are cutting their lashes to appear more “manly” — much to the dismay of the rest of us.
On TikTok, men are boasting their shaved lashes, sharing clips of their barbers taking an electric razor to their lash line.
“Guys I’m cutting my eyelashes cause it’s not manly to have long eyelashes,” one person wrote on a video posted last month.
“I personally witnessed a walk-in client who asked a barber to shave off his eyelashes. He said he didn’t like how long they were and that his wife criticized them for looking too feminine,” one barber wrote online. “He was even willing to pay extra.”
He added, “But my question to all barbers out there is: Is this service really feasible?”
According to HuffPost, the answer is a resounding no.
“Trimming your eyelashes is not at all recommended,” ophthalmologist Dr. Ashley Hayden told the publication.
While eyelashes are sen as an aesthetic trait, Hayden said that they do “play a role in your eye health.”
“The more you interrupt the natural life of your lashes, the worse it will be for your eyes,” she said.
Not only is it hazardous to put sharp objects near the eye — it can very easily inflict injury and damage — but the eyelashes act as a buffer for dirt, dust and other debris that could get into the eye.
“It blocks germs and bacteria from getting in your eye and prevents eye infections,” Michigan-based neuro-ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Victoria Williams told the outlet.
Not to mention, eyelashes protect from light rays and protect the eyes from drying out.
“Especially for those of us who use computers and digital devices a lot (which is just about everyone nowadays), keeping your eyes from drying out is crucial,” Dr. Thomas Stokkermans, a senior medical reviewer at All About Vision, told HuffPost.
“With shorter lashes, the eyes will dry out even faster, potentially affecting your ability to do your job.”