Batting a thousand

How Grows It?

A quickie lesson on lashes: Most people have 100 to 150 individual lashes per upper lid, at any given time. Similar to the hair on your head, lash growth is staggered; when some follicles are at rest, others are hard at work. About 40 percent of your upper lashes are in the growth phase, while the others are either in the resting phase (on your lid, but no longer growing), or gearing up for the next cycle. If you're worried that your lashes don't measure up, or if age and wear and tear have diminished your fringe, then there's at least two relatively new medical fixes to consider.

Using Your Head

Disclaimer: This is not for the squeamish. A new outpatient procedure, eyelash transplantation, is helping the sparsely lashed achieve fuller fringe. During the procedure, a thin strip of hair is taken from the back of the scalp, says Alan J. Bauman, M.D., a board-certified hair restoration physician. The individual strands of hair, with follicles intact, are threaded along your lash line. Lids are fully anesthetized during the procedure, so the most you're likely to feel is a slight tugging. Results are permanent, though new lashes grow like scalp hair and need occasional trimming.

The Rx Factor

At $3,500 per eye, lash transplantation doesn't come cheap and is only offered by a handful of MDs. By far the most popular lash solution of late is Latisse, about $120 for 30 days. The only FDA-approved lash enhancer, Latisse contains a prostaglandin analog, an ingredient that stimulates lash follicles. The catch? Skin around the eyes may darken. But at least one user has found a fix: "I had used Latisse at night, but because you're more prone to rolling around then, I was getting dark circles. Now, I use it in the morning to avoid the problem," says NYC dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D.

Counter Intel

Most over-the-counter lash serums help moisturize, but they're not going to affect growth, says Jaliman. While a few OTC products contain prostaglandin analogs, similar to the lash-enhancing ingredient in Latisse, some controversy surrounds them. According to the FDA, these products should be classified as drugs and regulated as such. Warnings have been sent to two brands, but one product that has avoided scrutiny is Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die for Platinum, $125, which contains a prostaglandin analog. In September, the brand will launch a prostaglandin-free Lashes to Die for Liner, $48.

Stuck On You

In addition to lash enhancers, there's LashDip, a new, semi-permanent fix lasting up to eight weeks. "This is a super-mascara with a gel additive that lengthens the duration of the effect of the mascara," says Robert T. Grant, M.D., plastic surgeon-in-chief at NY Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical. Although "dipped" lashes may not feel as natural as something like lash extensions, LashDip wins on price, costing $100 to $200, compared to up to $600 for extensions. If you do either, just be wary of picking at lashes, which could eventually lead to permanent lash loss, says Bauman.

Lighten Up

Of course, if you're lusting after fuller lashes, you can always get them the old-fashioned way: with mascara. Glo testers tried out the latest products, including Dolce & Gabbana Secret Eyes, $29, which promises lightweight, long lashes, and LashControl Pink Squeeze, $20, with a squeezable tube to remove excess mascara from your brush.

According to Glo's tester, Secret Eyes delivered clump-free fringe for a natural look. And our LashControl sleuth had this to say: "It was really light and almost seemed like I wasn't wearing anything at all."

Brush With Greatness

Glo recruits also tried a few power brush products. From left, Benefit They're Real, $22, won rave reviews for separating and extending lashes, though our tester would have liked a bit more fullness.

Thanks to the Millionizer brush in L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes, $9, another tester said her lashes never clumped, even with multiple coats.

The big hit? Maybelline Falsies Flared, $6. "It never felt thick or heavy. Plus, the brush had the perfect amount of mascara every time," said our tester.

Be A Doll

With doll-like, slightly piece-y lashes set to be a major fall trend, we had two testers try out Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes, $25, and Hourglass Film Noir Macara with top coat Lash Lacquer, each $28.

Of Hypnôse, our tester said, "After two coats, my lashes were darker and fuller. By the third or fourth coat, I started to get that doll effect."

As for Film Noir's tester, she liked the mascara but admits to being iffy on the lacquer: "It's really thick and made my lashes too clumpy and sticky."