User:Wracking/False eyelashes

False eyelashes, also known as falsies, are a cosmetic product used to make one's natural eyelashes appear fuller, longer, or more dramatic. Synthetic or natural fibers are attached to the lash line. False eyelashes are available in various lengths, thicknesses, and curvatures.

Overview and application
Temporary false eyelashes are applied to the root of the eyelashes with temporary lash glue. Storebought false eyelashes can be trimmed before application to better fit the wearer's eye. Unlike eyelash extensions, temporary false eyelashes should not be worn while sleeping. If cleaned after use, false eyelashes can be reworn. False eyelashes can be cleaned with micellar water. False eyelashes made from natural materials may last up to 20 wears, while those made of synthetic fibers last up to 5 wears.

Eyelash extensions are small fibers that are individually glued to single natural eyelashes. Like temporary false eyelashes, eyelash extensions may be synthetic or made from natural materials. As opposed to temporary false eyelashes, eyelash extensions are semi-permanent and may last 3–8 weeks, falling out similarly to natural eyelashes. Eyelash extensions are usually applied by a specialist, though at-home kits also exist. While the wearer's eyes are closed, the specialist applies 50–200 individual pieces with tweezers.

Early developments
In 1882, Henry Labouchère of Truth reported that "Parisians have found out how to make false eyelashes" by having hair sewn into the eyelids. A similar report appeared in the July 6, 1899, edition of The Dundee Courier which described the painful method for elongating the lashes. The headline read, "Irresistible Eyes May Be Had by Transplanting the Hair." The article explained how the procedure achieved longer lashes by having hair from the head sewn into the eyelids. During the early 20th century, several people invented false eyelash methods. In 1902, German-born hair specialist and noted inventor Karl Nessler patented "A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Manufacture of Artificial Eyebrows, Eyelashes and the like" in the United Kingdom. By 1903, he began selling artificial eyelashes at his London salon on Great Castle Street. He used the profits from his sales to fund his next invention, the permanent wave (perm) machine.

In 1911, a Canadian Anna Taylor patented false eyelashes in the United States. Taylor's false eyelashes had a crescent-shaped strip of fabric which had tiny pieces of hair placed on it.

In 1916, while making his film Intolerance, director D. W. Griffith wanted actress Seena Owen to have lashes "that brushed her cheeks, to make her eyes shine larger than life". The false eyelashes, which were made from human hair, were woven by a local wig maker. The eyelashes were adhered using spirit gum. One day, Owen came to set with her eyes nearly swollen shut, her co-star Lillian Gish wrote in her memoir.

As early as 1919, Polish-American Max Factor created false eyelashes. He designed false eyelashes made of human hair for the silent film actress Phyllis Haver.

By the 1930s, false eyelashes were becoming more widespread. False eyelashes were featured in Vogue.

1960s–1990s
In the early 1960s, cosmetologists began applying false eyelashes that could last up to a week. In the 1960s, eye makeup that made the eyes appear larger was very common. This look was achieved by applying false eyelashes on both the top and bottom eyelashes. At this time, false eyelashes were made of "bristle-like plastic." Twiggy helped popularize the trend.

In 1968 at the feminist Miss America protest, protestors symbolically threw a number of symbolic feminine products into a "Freedom Trash Can", including false eyelashes.

In the 1970s and 1980s, false eyelashes were less popular, though they were still worn by celebrities like Cher.

In the 1990s, false eyelashes had a resurgence for both celebrities and mainstream women; more natural-looking eyelashes were popular with supermodels.

21st century
In the 2000s, false eyelashes and eyelash extensions became popular in Japan. In 2006, Japanese inventors created false eyelashes that looked more natural, by using individual lashes with temporary glue. After being successful in Asia, the trend of eyelash extensions spread to the United States. In 2014, Katy Stoka, founder of One Two Cosmetics, invented magnetic false eyelashes as an alternative to those that utilize glue. Purchases of false eyelashes fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did purchases of many other personal care products. The 2021–2023 global supply chain crisis exacerbated the drop in sales. As women's wages rise, marketing experts predict higher sales for cosmetic products, including false eyelashes. In the 2020s, lash technicians began using robots assisted by computer vision to apply eyelash extensions, instead of applying them by hand.

Modern culture
False eyelashes are generally seen as a symbol of femininity. People who have lost their eyelashes due to old age or illness may wear false eyelashes or eyelash extensions. Eyelash extensions cannot be used if there are no natural lashes.

In the United Kingdom, usage of false eyelashes alongside fake tanning and exaggerated eyebrows was popularized on the reality TV show The Only Way is Essex. Instagram face, a social trend that may involve various cosmetic changes to the face, may involve cosmetic changes such as false eyelashes or eyelash extensions.

In Nigeria, a "hyper-feminine style" is displayed with "cascading hair extensions, long acrylic nails, heavy make-up, false eyelashes and towering heels". In West Java, Indonesia, brides who dress in the traditional sunda siger ('Sunda crown') style wear false eyelashes and mascara to make the eyes appear wider and emulate Sundanese beauty standards.

False eyelashes are commonly used at beauty pageants. The use of cosmetic modifications at beauty pageants for children has been especially criticized.

Production
False eyelashes are commonly assembled by hand. False eyelashes may be made of natural fibers (like mink or human hair) or synthetic fibers (like faux mink). "Silk" lashes are often not made of silk, but instead a "blend of lightweight synthetic materials".

False eyelashes may come as strips, corners, or individuals. While eyelash glue is commonly white and dries clear, there is also black eyelash glue. Other formulas may be high-strength or waterproof. There are also false eyelashes that can be attached via magnets, rather than glue. There are two main types of magnetic false eyelashes: strip and magnetic eyeliner. Strip lashes work by placing the magnetic false lash between one's eyelashes, thereby sandwiching the natural eyelashes with the false eyelashes. Magnetic eyeliner lashes are strip lashes with small magnets at the base; they are attached via eye liner magnetized with iron oxides.

China is the largest exporter of false eyelashes, with the majority of the world's false eyelashes being manufactured in Pingdu. Pingdu's government says the city produces 70% of false eyelashes worldwide. Indonesia is the second-largest exporter.

Ethical concerns
In 2003, SFGATE reported on poor working conditions and unfair contracts at a factory in Anshan, China.

In 2013, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) was criticized for acquiring a set of false eyelashes from Katy Perry's product line. Critics alleged poor working conditions and low wages at the factory in Purbalingga, Indonesia. The company, Original Editions, stated the manufacturer "pays the minimum wage set by the Indonesian government or higher". The curator in charge of the collection said, "The V&A has many objects from history made by enslaved workers, or those under various kinds of oppression." Workers earning less than the minimum wage were not found at the factory for Perry's range of lashes, though they were found at other Indonesian false eyelash factories.

In a 2023 study of the false eyelash industry in Indonesia, researchers found that workers were not earning the legal minimum wage and that the industry "resembles modern slavery".

North Korean production
False eyelashes are produced in North Korea; they may be labeled as "made in China". In 2015, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea reported that women in their 20s and 30s at the Jongo-ri prison camp "were assigned to wig and eyelash making." In 2017, Daily NK reported on a "stressful working environment" for teenage and child laborers at wig and false eyelash factories in North Pyongan Province. Also in 2017, Vox reported that, from 2012 to 2017, cruelty-free makeup brand e.l.f. "unknowingly sold US consumers false eyelash kits made with illegal North Korean materials," violating US sanctions against North Korea. In the city of Pingdu, the top global producer of false eyelashes, about 80% of eyelash factories "purchase or process false eyelash raw materials and semi-finished products from North Korea", according to Chinese eyelash box manufacturer Kali. When North Korea tightened its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its exports of false eyelashes decreased; Reuters reported that "significant trade in North Korea-made lashes via China resumed in 2023". According to China’s General Administration of Customs, false eyelashes and wigs made up almost 60% of North Korea's exports to China in 2023.

Regulation
In the United States, false eyelashes, eyelash extensions, and their adhesives are considered cosmetic products by the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates their safety and labeling. In the United States, each state individually regulates the application of eyelash extensions. Some states require either a cosmetology or esthetician license. In Minnesota, there is a specific license for the application of eyelash extensions. In Mississippi, the State Board of Cosmetology is prohibited from regulating the application of eyelash extensions.

In Canada, for application of eyelash extensions, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick respectively require cosmetology licenses and lash and brow technician licenses.

Risks
False eyelashes can cause allergic reactions, irritation, injury, or infection to the eye. Issues may be exacerbated by sharing false eyelashes with others or using unsafe glue. Issues may also arise when the wearer removes the false eyelashes, as the glue may also remove natural eyelashes. Repeated use of magnetic strip lashes poses a risk for traction alopecia.

Approximately 73% of individuals experience side effects after eyelash extension application, with the most common side effects being itching, redness, pain, and heavy eyelids. Like temporary false eyelashes, eyelash extensions and the glue used to attach them can cause infection or irritation, specifically conjunctivitis, keratitis, or styes. Adverse reactions, such as contact dermatitis, can be caused by physical irritation or a hypersensitivity or allergy to the materials. Eyelash extensions can cause traction alopecia by placing stress on the hair shaft. Irritation from eyelash extensions may cause madarosis if the wearer tugs on their eyelashes. Eyelash extension glue may include formaldehyde, which can irritate the eye. Less irritating alternatives contain butyl cyanoacrylate or octyl cyanoacrylate.

Alternatives

 * Mascara, which is temporary pigment added to the eyelashes


 * Eyelash curler
 * Eyelash perm or eyelash lift
 * Eyelash transplant
 * Bimatoprost, a medication sold under various brand names