Suddenly, "Real Men Have No Eyelashes"... Why Is the Eyelash-Cutting Trend Emerging?

UK Professor: "As Society Becomes More Conservative, Pressure to Distinguish Genders Increases"
"Eyelashes Can Become a Powerful Dichotomous Marker"

A man is cutting his eyelashes with scissors. Instagram capture.

A trend of men cutting their eyelashes short to emphasize masculinity is spreading among men overseas. Some analysts suggest that this may be an attempt to display excessive masculinity in response to the growing backlash against the advancement of women's rights.

According to reports from CNN in the United States and The Times in the United Kingdom on April 30 (local time), videos of men cutting their eyelashes short have recently become popular on social networking services (SNS). In these videos, men are seen removing their eyelashes with clippers or razors, or cutting them with scissors.

This trend reportedly began when a barber in T?rkiye posted a video that went viral, garnering tens of millions of views. Since then, similar content has been flooding social media in Europe, North America, New Zealand, and other regions.

However, experts warn that cutting eyelashes is not hygienic. Eyelashes serve to protect the eyes, and the cut edges of improperly trimmed eyelashes can come into contact with the eyeball and cause unnecessary irritation. There is also a risk that the tools used to cut eyelashes could injure the eye.

Nevertheless, some analysts believe that the popularity of eyelash cutting is closely linked to the atmosphere of excessive masculinity being promoted in male-centric online spaces known as the 'Manosphere,' as a reaction against feminism. Since long and thick eyelashes have long been regarded as a symbol of feminine beauty, deliberately rejecting them is being associated with masculine appeal.

CNN explained, "In today's increasingly masculinity-focused political climate, it is not difficult to understand why some men, fueled by prominent figures in the Manosphere and 'Big Tech bros' like Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, are trying to suppress aspects of their appearance that could be perceived as feminine."

Meredith Jones, honorary professor of gender studies at Brunel University in the United Kingdom, told CNN, "As society becomes more conservative and regressive, the pressure to make the two genders appear more different increases," adding, "Eyelashes can become a powerful dichotomous marker."