Several years ago, almost all of my eyelashes suddenly fell out. Worried, I sought out Dr Mike Ryan, a trichologist also known as the Dubai Hair Doctor. He ordered a long list of blood tests and, after making sure there was nothing physically wrong, asked a few gentle questions about my stress levels and suggested I make what ever changes seemed necessary.

He also advised getting more iron in my diet and prescribed Latisse, the only lash-growth serum that he endorses.

“Eyelash loss isn’t life-threatening in any way, but it is very frustrating and distressing," he wrote to me, post-treatment. “Adding to the frustration is that there is no one cause of madarosis and so no one solution."

Ryan does not see many people with this condition, a few a year, and says never to ignore lashes falling out.

“Your health is the most important thing, and if what you’re dealing with is chronic eyelash loss, that’s your body telling you to see your doctor and get things checked out," he says.

Other reasons that lashes fall out, he says, can include: ophthalmic conditions, such as inflammation of the eyelid; dermatologic conditions including eczema, psoriasis, and post-menopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia; a reduction in oestrogen levels due to menopause; autoimmune and endocrine disorders; and side effects from various medications.

Putting growth serums to the test

The best: Latisse

I tried this after losing most of my lashes due to stress (see story). Within days of applying the serum nightly, just as you would a liquid eyeliner, my lashes were filling in again. Weeks later, they were so long they brushed against my eyeglasses and a friend called them “ridic". The small print for Latisse, which famously began as a treatment for glaucoma, warns about possible side effects including ingrowns, itching, inflammation and irritation of the eyelid and eyeball – even changing eye colour.

Also good: LiLash

One of an increasing number of over-the-counter growth serums available, I’d call this “Latisse Lite". My lashes were longer, but nowhere near Latisse lengths – and the prices are almost identical.

AQ Skin Solutions Lash Enhancement System

This serum comes via Emirati immunologist Ahmed Al Qahtani and his patented ingredient: growth-­factor technology developed using donated human tissue. It works, too: my lashes are longer, if not much fuller, after a month of use. Two complaints: The watery serum soaks the soft end of the provided applicator and ends up in my eye, stinging terribly, if only for a second or two. Dh598, available at Dermalase Clinic in Dubai and Al Mazroui Pharmacy in Abu Dhabi.

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