For beauty enthusiasts, getting longer eyelashes is one of those things for which people tend to try every DIY under the sun. From oils and creams to various other tools, there are a number of tips and hacks floating around on the internet that promise long, dark, and thick eyelashes. One such hack to get longer eyelashes is crying.
How true is this? Read on to find out does crying make your eyelashes longer or if it’s something you need to ignore completely.
Does Crying Make Your Eyelashes Longer?
Crying is good for your mind and soul, but unfortunately, it does nothing for your eyelashes.
Shedding a few tears of joy or frustration will not contribute in any way to your natural lashes. But the good news is that crying doesn’t damage your lashes either.
Benefits Of Crying
Crying is mainly associated with extreme emotions including extreme joy and happiness or pain, heartache, and loss.
Regardless of why you are crying, you should know that this act does offer a number of benefits.
#1. Crying Is Cathartic
Experience will confirm that you feel soothed and lighter after a good cry. This is because your tears release endorphins and oxytocin — the two major “feel good” hormones.
Oxytocin is often referred to as the love hormone, while endorphins can lessen stress and even help you manage your weight.
#2. Crying Can Cleanse Your Eyes
When something foreign gets into your eye, your eyes will instinctively start to water. Crying and shedding tears is your body’s reflex to clearing out any unwanted intrusion from your eyes, preventing any future risk of infection and irritation.
#3. Crying Can Be Good For Your Skin
Crying allows you to release your stress, frustration, and anxiety, thus allowing you to get rid of pent-up emotions. As it helps relieves stress, it can also help avoid acne or other skin flare-ups. Crying can thus positively impact your skin.
#4. Crying Helps Release Toxins
Whenever you have a good cry, your body releases mood-regulating hormones including neuropeptides that can reduce the stress levels in your body. Instead of tensing and tightening, your muscles relax and allow you to feel better and more relaxed.
#5. Crying Offers Numerous Emotional Benefits
Regardless of whether you are crying alone or being comforted by your support system, crying can be extremely beneficial to your overall emotional and mental health.
Once you’ve cried and released all your bottled-up emotions, your thinking becomes clearer, your emotions become calmer, and you also see the bigger picture. Crying allows you to let go of all the emotional baggage that weighs you down.
How To Make Your Eyelashes Longer
Now that we’ve answered the question of “does crying make your eyelashes longer,” it is time to find proven and more effective ways of making your dream of longer lashes a reality.
These are some of the most common recommendations for lengthening your eyelashes. These suggestions may or may not work for you, but if you want longer lashes, they’re worth a shot. Note that these are not “quick fixes,” and results will take time.
#1. Green Tea
You can apply a cotton ball dipped in unsweetened and cool brewed green tea to your eyelashes. Do this daily to maximize the effect of caffeine and epigallocatechin-3-gallate from green tea that promotes hair growth.
Additionally, green tea also contains antioxidants and Vitamin B that can overall improve your hair health, including strengthening the follicles.
#2. Petroleum Jelly
Apply a tiny amount of Vaseline to your eyelashes overnight at least three times a week. Petroleum jelly will not promote hair growth but it will condition and moisturize your eyelashes, thus encouraging strong and longer lashes.
#3. Castor Oil
Castor oil is not just good food for your skin. Regular application of castor oil to your lashes can make them longer and thicker. You need to apply a small amount of the oil using a Q-tip to your lashes for a few hours, preferably overnight, before washing them off. But be careful to not let the oil enter your eyes as it can irritate your eyes.
You can also achieve the same effect using extra virgin olive oil.
#4. Aloe Vera + Fenugreek Seeds
Another powerful treatment is aloe vera gel combined with a few drops of fenugreek seed-soaked water. Leave this mixture on your eyelashes and thoroughly wash it off in the morning.
#6. Bimatoprost or Latisse
This is a medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make your eyelashes become longer. It was initially intended to treat glaucoma under the name Lumigan and people exposed to the treatment had a positive side effect — longer eyelashes. Make sure you talk to your doctor before using this medicine.
How Can Crying Occasionally Be Beneficial To Your Health?
Crying is an acceptable form of releasing your emotions.
Crying occasionally is good for you because it is a natural body mechanism to release emotions as well as build-up feelings including stress, emotional pain, fears, and anxieties.
Bottling up your emotions, good or bad, is not a healthy coping mechanism. It can lead to adverse side effects on your physical, mental, emotional, and psychological health. Allowing your tears to fall is a safe way to express yourself.
Note that repressive coping or when you keep everything to yourself can also cause medical conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and a weaker immune system.
Other Common Myths About Crying
#1. Crying Makes You Weak.
Quite the contrary. Crying makes you stronger because you fully acknowledge and accept the emotions you are experiencing. You are making yourself vulnerable by letting go of what you feel, which is not a sign of weakness.
#2. Real Men Don’t Cry.
Societal standards for men dictate that they not show any emotions, especially sadness or fear. Men often feel weak when they cry, but they shouldn’t — emotions are a natural part of being a human being. All living creatures are allowed to express their feelings and communicate them the way they want to.
#3. Babies Who Cry Too Much Can Experience Problems Later.
When babies cry, it gives them the chance to exercise and strengthen their vocal cords. It also makes them more aware of the sounds that they’re making. Studies have shown that there is no correlation between babies crying and their future development, and in fact, crying is an important part of their development.