Much of modern fashion and style has a long and interesting history. Makeup, hair care and beauty tricks go back centuries and have been part of society for much longer than most people think. The history of eyelash extensions is especially interesting, and goes back further than most of us believe.
Eyelash extensions in the 19th century
The idea of lengthening lashes as a way to enhance appearance isn't new. Although a technique for doing so hadn't yet been developed at the time, many fashion books and publications in the late 19th century gave advice on how to lengthen lashes. Methods recommended at the time included trimming the ends of the lashes to encourage further growth. Other treatment methods claimed that to improve growth you had to use an ointment and wash the lashes with a mixture of walnut leaves and water. In 1882 it was reported in the press that residents of Paris had begun sewing hairs into their eyelids to create false lashes. This painful precursor to eyelash extensions was also reported in the Scottish press in 1899.
Eyelash extensions in the 20th century
In 1902 a famous hairdresser and inventor named Karl Nessler patented a method in the United Kingdom for weaving artificial lashes and eyebrows. By 1903 he was already selling artificial lashes at his beauty salon in London. In the United States, the patent for false lashes was filed by Canadian Anna Taylor in 1911. However, as with many other things, it would be popular culture that led to a more widespread use of fake eyelash extensions. In 1916 film director D. W. Griffith was working on his film Intolerance and wanted actress Seena Owen to have long lashes to make her eyes stand out. He used false lashes made of human hair woven through a fine gauze material. As false lash techniques improved, they became very popular with the general public in the 1930s and again in the 1960s. The original false lash gave shape to more advanced designs, such as cluster lashes, which were used to thicken specific areas of the lash line. The style of the 1960s was bold and daring, with an exaggerated touch fitting the general style of the era.
Eyelash extensions in the 21st century
In the 21st century, more advanced eyelash extension methods began to be used. Unlike earlier artificial lashes, these are much more precise. They're said to have been developed in Korea in the early 2000s (based on older techniques); these methods became widely used by 2004, being heavily used by celebrities and film stars who helped boost their popularity. Modern eyelash extensions are made up of individual hairs attached to existing lashes with a medical-grade adhesive. These eyelash extensions come in a wide variety of styles, colours and materials. Materials include human hair, synthetic silk, polyester and Siberian mink fur. Today's extensions are lightweight, comfortable and much better than the older methods we saw in the past. As you can see, eyelash extensions have an interesting history. Techniques are used that improve day by day. From the old methods that used very primitive designs, through the more effective but still fake-looking lashes of the 1960s, to the lightweight, stylish lashes of the 21st century. It's a very important part of the fashion industry, one that keeps evolving and growing in popularity.
