Eyelash implants are a form of cosmetic surgery involving transplanting additional

eyelash An eyelash (also called lash) (Neo-Latin: ''cilium'', plural ''cilia'') is one of the hairs that grows at the edges of the top and bottom eyelids, spanning outwards and away from the eyes. The lashes grow in up to six layers on each of the upper ...

es around the

eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. The process typically involves removing a section of

hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

from the patient, typically from the back of the head, and

grafting Grafting or graftage is a horticulture, horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the roots ...

the hair to the eyelids, replacing the existing eyelashes. The procedure typically involves 60 to 70 hairs per eye, and after removal and a thorough cleaning of the oil on the hair, they are reattached to patient by delicately sewing the lashes back on. Maintenance of the eyelashes is needed thereafter, as the hair continues to grow at the same rate as on other parts of the body.

Procedure

Eyelash transplantation is performed on outpatient basis under local anesthesia and takes two to three hours to complete. The steps involved in the surgery are: Donor area preparation: Firstly donor area – usually back of the scalp – is shaved and cleansed to prepare it for the surgery. Administration of anesthesia: Then local anesthesia is administered in the area around the eyelashes. Hair extraction: After administration of anesthesia, hair follicles are extracted using follicular unit extraction. Grafts with 1 to 4 hair follicles are extracted for eyelash hair transplantation. Recipient area preparation: After extraction of hair, surgeon prepares recipient area by administering local anesthesia and making extremely small incisions for implantation of follicles. While preparing recipient site, direction and angle of eyelashes are kept in mind to produce natural looking results. Graft implantation: After preparing recipient site, surgeon implants 1 to 2 hair follicles at a time in specific directions. Single procedure usually involves implantation of 30 to 40 hair follicles to get desired density of eyelashes.

References

"Love those lashes"
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The Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands division. The newspaper was establis ...

''. December 14. 2006.
"Rare Eyelash Transplant Promises Luscious Lashes"
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WFOR-TV WFOR-TV (channel 4), branded CBS Miami, is a television station in Miami, Florida, United States. It is owned and operated by the CBS television network through its CBS News and Stations division alongside CW affiliate WBFS-TV (channel 33). ...

''. February 26, 2008.
"Teenager has eyelash implant"
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BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

''. August 9, 2009.
"Teenager gets first UK eyelash transplant"
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SKY News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...

''. August 9, 2009.
"Surgical team claims UK's first eyelash transplant"
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The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. August 9, 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eyelash Implants Cosmetic surgery Human eyelashes