Baby eyelashes are often short, fine, and barely visible, and that’s completely normal. Eyelash follicles continue developing well into toddlerhood, so the lashes your baby has now are not the lashes they’ll have at age three or four. There is no safe product or technique that will make a baby’s eyelashes grow longer, and most attempts to speed things up carry real risks to your child’s eyes.
Why Baby Eyelashes Look So Short
Babies are born with eyelashes, but they’re often wispy, light-colored, and hard to see. Like scalp hair, eyelashes go through growth cycles. Each lash grows for a set period, rests, falls out, and is replaced. In infants, these cycles are still maturing. The follicles produce finer, shorter hairs than they will later on.
Eyelash length is largely genetic. If one or both parents have shorter lashes, their baby likely will too, at least for a while. Lash color also plays a role in perception: fair-haired babies can appear to have almost no lashes at all, even when the lashes are a normal length for their age. As pigment develops over the first year or two, lashes often become more visible without actually changing in length.
Eyelash Serums Are Not Safe for Babies
Prescription eyelash growth treatments like bimatoprost (the active ingredient in Latisse) are not approved for anyone under 18. These drugs work by extending the growth phase of the lash cycle, and they come with side effects even in adults, including eye irritation, darkening of the iris, and changes in eyelid skin color. No pediatrician would prescribe one for a baby.
Over-the-counter lash serums are even riskier. Many contain a compound called isopropyl cloprostenate, which has not been tested or approved by the FDA. Their safety and effects are unknown in adults, let alone infants. A baby’s skin is thinner, more permeable, and far more sensitive than an adult’s, making any untested chemical near the eyes a serious concern.
Why Home Remedies Like Castor Oil Are Risky
Castor oil, coconut oil, and olive oil are popular online suggestions for lash growth, but none of them have been proven to lengthen eyelashes in clinical studies. More importantly, the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that castor oil applied near the eyes can irritate and damage the cornea. Because these oils are not sterile, they also raise the risk of eye infection.
Eyelid skin is the thinnest skin on the body, and in babies it’s even thinner. Essential oils, petroleum jelly, and other home remedies can cause redness, irritation, and surface abrasions on the delicate tissue around the eye. Babies rub their faces constantly, which means anything applied to their lash line is likely to end up directly in the eye. The potential for harm far outweighs any cosmetic benefit, especially when no benefit has been demonstrated in the first place.
Gentle Eye Care That Supports Healthy Lashes
The best thing you can do for your baby’s eyelashes is keep the area clean and leave them alone. The NHS recommends wiping gently around each eye with a piece of damp cotton wool, moving from the inner corner (near the nose) outward. Use a fresh piece for each eye to avoid transferring any irritation or infection between them. This is the full extent of infant eyelash “care” that’s needed.
Good nutrition supports healthy hair growth across the body, including eyelashes. If your baby is breastfeeding or formula-feeding on a normal schedule, they’re getting the nutrients their follicles need. As they transition to solid foods, a diet that includes healthy fats, protein, and vitamins A and E will continue to support normal hair development. No supplement will make lashes grow faster than their natural rate, but adequate nutrition ensures they aren’t held back by a deficiency.
When Sparse Lashes Could Signal Something Else
In rare cases, very sparse or absent eyelashes in a baby can be associated with genetic conditions. Several inherited syndromes involve sparse scalp hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes together. These include various forms of hypotrichosis (conditions that cause unusually thin hair), ectodermal dysplasias (which affect hair, skin, teeth, and nails), and a handful of other rare disorders. In nearly all of these, missing or sparse lashes are one feature among many, not the only sign. You’d typically also notice unusual skin texture, missing teeth as the child grows, or other developmental differences.
If your baby has virtually no visible eyelashes by six to nine months and you also notice sparse scalp hair, missing eyebrows, or frequent eye irritation like redness and tearing, it’s worth bringing up with your pediatrician. Isolated short lashes on an otherwise healthy baby are not a medical concern.
What to Realistically Expect
Most parents notice a visible change in their child’s eyelashes between 12 and 24 months. Lashes tend to get longer, thicker, and darker as toddlerhood progresses. Some children don’t develop their “full” lashes until age three or even later. The timeline is driven almost entirely by genetics and individual development, not by anything you apply or do.
It can be hard to resist the urge to help things along, especially when social media is full of before-and-after lash photos and miracle remedies. But the safest, most effective approach for a baby is patience. Their lashes are growing exactly as they should.