Why men are shaving off their eyelashes
From stopping dust and dirt getting into the eyes to prompting our blink reflex, eyelashes do more than just look pretty.
Which makes it hard to explain the social media trend of men trimming down — or even entirely shaving off — their eyelashes in a bid to look “more masculine.”
Videos posted to TikTok, Instagram and X in recent weeks show men braving blades very close to their eyes, in barber shops from Turkey to New Zealand, in a quest for stubby lashes. While some barbers are seen wielding buzzing electric clippers, others are freestyling with just a pair of hairdressing scissors and, hopefully, a steady hand.
“Eyelashes are vital for both visual experience and eye health,” said Vickie Lee, a consultant ophthalmic and oculoplastic surgeon at Imperial College London, in an email interview. “As well as acting as a barrier and a trigger for the protective blink reflex, eyelashes help reduce airflow over the eyes… maintaining moisture, keeping the eyes healthy and comfortable, filtering intense sunlight, reducing glare and improving visual quality.”
While Lee said eyelashes follow a natural growth cycle, shedding and re-growing over time, she added that there are many reasons why removing them, per the methods seen on social media, is a bad idea. “Improper removal can lead to complications… Cutting or trimming eyelashes can cause discomfort and irritation as (it) can leave a sharp stubby end rubbing on the ocular surface,” she said, not to mention the risk of “causing potential injury to the eye.”
Lustrous lashes have been a signifier of femininity or attractiveness for centuries, depicted in art (including works by John Singer Sargeant and Pablo Picasso), poetry (Thomas Hood) and literature (F. Scott Fitzgerald), And there may be an evolutionary imperative, too: Scientific research from 2005 found that women with more attractive faces also possessed higher levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, which equates to increased fertility and fecundity — genetic traits that are appealing, in reproductive terms.
But in today’s increasingly masculine political climate, fueled by controversial online “manosphere” figures such as Andrew Tate and tech bro jocks like Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg (who recently voiced his support for more “masculine energy” in the corporate world, telling podcaster Joe Rogan in January: “A culture that celebrates the aggression a bit more has its own merits”), it is easy to see why some men are eager to repress anything about their appearance that could be construed as overtly feminine.
Even Vice President JD Vance, an outspoken defender of men’s right to “masculine urges,” has fallen foul of new masculine beauty standards when it comes to his eyes. During his televised election debate in October 2024, the internet was awash with speculation that Vance had worn eyeliner to achieve his dark, heavy-lashed look. The chatter became so widespread that disgraced former Republican congressman George Santos weighed in: “Vance does NOT use eyeliner,” he wrote on X at the time. “I’ve met him in person before he was a senator and I can confirm he has long eyelashes and they cast a shadow on his waterline. Grow up people!”
While none of the eyelash-shaving barbers approached for this story replied to CNN’s requests for comment, I do speak to one long-lashed male friend, 48-year-old, Spencer Bailey. “I’ve got a lot of flak over the years about my thick, dark eyelashes,” said the London-based IT professional. “But I definitely wouldn’t take the clippers to them. Comments are usually from other men who say they’re ‘girly’ — despite the fact I’m also 6-foot-2” — and ask if I’m wearing eye makeup or, more recently, if they’re fake… My wife likes them, but they seem to really bother some guys.”
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