Men Are Shaving Off Eyelashes in a New Viral Trend. What Are They Trying to Prove?
TikTok has a strange new beauty practice: men asking barbers to shave off their eyelashes. It started as a single viral video and has turned into a talking point across platforms, where men are in barber chairs with clippers or scissors dangerously close to their eyes.
The idea is that short eyelashes supposedly make a man look tougher.
How the Viral Trend Began
The first clip that drew attention reached more than 30 million views and set off a wave of imitators. In it, a barber pressed a buzzing clipper across a man’s eyelid and shaved his lashes down while captions explained that long eyelashes look too feminine. The man in the chair didn’t flinch, which only amplified the idea that enduring the razor so close to the eye was a sign of toughness.
Soon, other clips surfaced with barbers using scissors to achieve the same effect, sometimes filmed with captions mocking men who wanted to appear less “girly.” The framing in these posts tied the practice to proving masculinity, which helped the content spread far beyond its original audience.
Cultural Beliefs About Lashes
Despite the perception that eyelashes mark femininity, biology does not support that claim. Eyelash length, curl, and thickness come down to genetics, not gender. Most people have 100 to 150 lashes on the upper eyelid and about half of that on the lower.
Culture, however, has long tied long lashes to beauty. Paintings, literature, and even animated characters exaggerate lashes on women while leaving men without them. This has fed the belief that men should downplay or eliminate their lashes to appear more masculine.
How People Are Reacting
Social media audiences have not been kind to this trend. Many argue that men are throwing away one of their top attractive features. On the other hand, there are some that are quick to remind men that lashes exist to protect eyes, not just to decorate faces.
The jokes and critical comments often outnumber any praise for the look. So far, eyelash shaving is functioning as a viral stunt rather than a common grooming habit.
What Doctors Say About Risks
Image via Getty Images/BartekSzewczyk
Medical experts have raised strong concerns about this trend. Ophthalmologists explain that eyelashes shield the eyes against dust, bacteria, and chemicals while controlling airflow to keep moisture in place. They reduce glare and trigger the blink reflex when touched.
This is why cutting or shaving them removes this protective barrier and can leave sharp stubs rubbing against the cornea. Patients risk eye infections such as conjunctivitis or blepharitis, along with irritation and dryness.
One person who tried the trend described constant discharge and a feeling of near-blindness. Lashes can regrow at about 0.12 millimeters a day, usually returning to normal length in three to four months, but the discomfort during that period can be severe.