So, here’s a Men’s trend I never thought I’d be writing about. In fact, it makes me feel a bit uneasy.
Getting a beard trim is one thing, but some men have taken to trimming their eyelashes – all in the name of looking more “masculine”.
Increasingly, some men have been getting an added service while having their hair or beard trimmed by opting to also get their eyelashes chopped. WITH CLIPPERS!!
Unsurprisingly, experts have warned that this could be dangerous.
Videos posted on TikTok show men sitting in barbers’ chairs as electric clippers shorten their lashes to stubbier versions, to ‘look more masculine.’
I’m confused by the trend, because eyelashes do serve a purpose – to protect the eye from debris, including dust, bacteria, pollen, and other pollutants. I could never trim my eyelashes, due to the potential risks it poses to both the eyes and the lashes.
Does this represent toxic (and dangerous) masculinity? To state the obvious, using sharp materials near the eye increases the risk of injury not just to the delicate skin around the eyes, but also to the cornea and the eyeball itself,
Trimming lashes can weaken them, leading to breakage and interfering with their natural growth cycle. There’s also the risk of introducing bacteria, which can lead to eye infections like conjunctivitis.
Is it down to mental health, self-esteem issues, gender and coping skills, due to the notion of long lashes being ‘feminine’? I don’t know.
Guys, would you do it?
