Page 39 - The Law of Lashes Ultimate Lash Ebook

LASH SHEDDING

Lash growth cycles are affected by many factors, and changes in those can trigger a
change in the lash growth cycle. The most significant annual shift in lash growth
cycles is spring/fall lash shedding, which has been subjected to many lash industry
discussions.

When we enter the cold season, there is not as much Sun as in the summer, so
vitamin D levels drop significantly in our bodies. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to hair
loss as sunlight is the primary determinant of our bodies’ vitamin D status. This is
much more noticeable in areas where the changes in seasons are more significant,
so the latitude where you live plays a big part in whether you are likely to encounter
these seasonal changes or not. This is very important to remember because if you
live in an area with lots of Sun throughout the year you are not likely to notice a
significant change in your customers’ lash cycle.

If you look at the location of lash artists who argue against seasonal shedding, you
will see that the majority live in sunny areas. Since they haven’t encountered these
changes, they believe that it does not exist.

For example, where I live – in Tallinn, Estonia (59.4370° N) doctors recommend taking
high levels of extra vitamin D from September to April due to the lack of sunshine
and, therefore, vitamin D levels in our bodies.

Studies conducted on model animals show that the vitamin D receptor plays a
significant role in the hair follicle cycle, especially in anagen initiation. The first study
performed systematically in a representative number of women was conducted over
the course of six years to test the hypothesis that periodicity in hair shedding reflects
seasonal changes in human hair growth. The study concluded in 2009 and confirmed
the findings of former authors that seasonality DOES affect hair growth and
shedding.