More often, you have perhaps found yourself questioning why you have nimble of little hairs around your eyes, known as ‘eyelashes’. What is the purpose of eyelashes? Are they just little hairs covering our eyes, purely for boosting our beauty? Or are they to keep our eyes warm? While it is a normal misconception that the purpose and function of eyelashes is to embellish your eyes, making a more melodramatic look to your face, you might be amazed to hear that these little and fine creatures serve a number of significant functions. All in all, eyes with eyelashes are amazing, and some important functions of the eyelashes are as follows:
Safety from Potential Incoming Danger
Eyelash function is numerous, but protecting our eyes from damage is the most important. Much like the moustaches on a cat, the lashes are extra vulnerable to being touched. With an impulsive and reflex response, the lashes send signals(messages) to the brain, providing a caution to close the eyelids before a peripheral threat causes mutilation to your eyes. For instance, the eyelashes tell your eyelids when they must shut in cases when an object (such as a sharp or insect object) or fragments in the air (like sand or dust) are about to enter your eyes.
Shelter from Sun Damage
Eyelashes aid in filtering out the harmful ultraviolet rays coming out from sunlight that shine onto your eyes. Though they provide some defensive function from UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) rays, this safety is very slight and no matter how full or long your lashes are, they cannot take the place of shielding sunglasses!
Averting Particles Away from the Eyes
The curled shape of our lower and upper rows of lashes helps to keep the eyes healthy by slipping foreign particles and sweat out from our eyes.
Health Warning Sign
Since a loss of lashes can sometimes be an indication of a compromised level of the body’s defensive system, one less-known function of the lashes is to serve as a threatening sign of a genuine disease process. For instance, trichiasis, Demodicid (eyelash mites), sty (external hordeolum), blepharitis, distiasis, and madarosis are some of the most common diseases or health conditions that include shedding off of the eyelashes.
Assist to Keep the Eyes Moist
Having these little and fine hairs stick out on the outer side of our eyelids is believed to help decrease the flow of air through the eye surface, which helps lower the evaporation of tears, particularly in hot climates. Just have a look at camel eyelashes!
In Indicator of Femininity and Youth
Nowadays, it seems that lashes receive more interest for cosmetic purposes, inducing femininity and youth, and somewhat for structural purposes. This is because, from our physique evolving standpoint, having dark, long and thick eyelashes makes our eyes appear healthier and larger, signing reproductive and physical health. Moreover, biologists believe this facet translates to adolescence, which then interprets fertility and a woman’s capability to conceive children.
The importance of the lashes should never be underrated. Eyes without eyelashes without these small hairs, not only would we appear a bit bizarre, as if something was misplaced from our faces, but also our overall eye structure would look strange and would be more susceptible to foreign harms landing in our eyes and triggering infection and irritation. Separately from their aesthetic purposes, lashes serve to attract and fascinate the opposite sex. Most importantly, they serve numerous protective functions, which is why it is important to take good care of them for the health of your eyes.
For the ladies...
Meanwhile, eye makeup and various eye makeup applicators harbour pathogens such as bacteria that can boost eye infections; it is significant you make sure you wipe out your mascara wand every 2 to 3 months. Lashes are nurtured by oil glands, and if those oil secretors or our hair follicles are congested due to makeup not being appropriately removed, the risk of infection will have surged, and numerous other eye health problems will occur. Therefore, to diminish the risk of infection, ensure that you wipe off all eye makeup before going to bed, especially anything fastening to your lashes.
Conclusion:
What are eyelashes for? Eyelashes serve numerous benefits, which include protecting from pathogens and sunrays and boosting femininity. All in all, these tiny creatures must be taken care of properly. Keep your lashes clean and hygienic to keep your overall health at the spike.
