As far as the human body goes, eyelashes appear to be a rather simple component of the whole; however, they are far more complex than many imagine. Here are 5 weird facts about them.

Number 5. Itsy bitsy mites call them home. Lashes are on the front lines of protecting our eyes and accomplishing that feat sometimes requires reinforcements. Little bugs called Demodex help keep the lash area free of dirt and irritants.

Number 4. Their lives are short. Once fully grown, a lash only survives for about 90 days. It then falls away, making room for a new lash to sprout and flourish.

Number 3. Eyelashes are packed with protein. Keratin, building block of skin and hair, accounts for 97% of their composition. The remaining 3% is water.

Number 2. Eyelash transplants are a thing. Loss due to any number of reasons can be restored with a surgical procedure. If hair from the patient’s head is used to repopulate the lash line, regular lash trims may become necessary. Even though the strands have been relocated, they retain their old growth habits.

Number 1. On average, people have 200 lashes per upper lid. That population generally outnumbers its lower lid counterpart by 2 to 1.

Which odd fact about eyelashes do you find most interesting?

Other facts about eyelashes. Decide whether they are true or false.

1. They fall out daily.

2. They are the same length.

3. The average eyelash length is about 10 millimeters.

4. The longest eyelash on record was 10 centimetres long.

5. We’ve been styling them since 4000 BC.

6. The first mascara was a mixture of coal and Vaseline.

Key

1. true – From one to five will drop out each day.

2. false – They vary in length. The middle lashes are generally much longer than the sides.

3. true

4. false – It was 6.99 centimeters to be exact. And believe it or not, a guy holds this record.

5. true – Early eyelash tools have been found in Ancient Egypt.

6. true – It was a Maybelline product.