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鈥淲e鈥檝e seen it from eyelash-shaving to chin and jawline fillers,鈥� Rhea Ashley Hoskin, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Waterloo who studies gender and femininity, told the Star in an email. 鈥淲hile these trends appear varied, they share a common thread: They involve transforming or suppressing traits that are culturally coded as feminine.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 behind these videos 鈥� and why experts warn it鈥檚 problematic.

鈥楥lient wanted to look more masculine鈥�

It鈥檚 not wide enough to call a trend, but the men shaving their eyelashes have certainly caught the attention of TikTok users.

One video, posted in March, has since racked up more than 42,000 comments and 2.2 million likes. Another 鈥� 鈥渃lient wanted to look more masculine by trimming his eyelashes,鈥� it says 鈥� triggered a reaction as well.

鈥淲hyyyyyy???鈥� one user commented. 鈥淚VE HAD ENOUGH,鈥� another wrote.

These videos are the latest in a long line of masculine, looks-oriented trends. Last year, mewing 鈥� a tongue exercise meant to sharpen your jawline 鈥� took over parts of TikTok. Experts warned it fed self-esteem issues and insecurities among young people.

Is it dangerous?

Marisa Sit, a comprehensive ophthalmologist at UHN鈥檚 Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, said no one has come to her clinic with complications from cutting their eyelashes. But the idea gives her pause.

鈥淢y first thought,鈥� she said, 鈥渋s of concern.鈥�

Her primary worry is simply bringing sharp objects close to the eye. In videos, barbers use both electric razors and scissors to trim the eyelashes down to their base. This could lead to inadvertent eye damage, Sit warned.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to damage or cut your eyelid,鈥� she said.

Further, eyelashes serve a purpose. They act as a protective mechanism for your cornea, alerting your body to something nearby and causing your eyelids to slam closed. Eyelashes also catch dust and debris and reduce air flow around the eye, preventing it from drying.

While eyelashes will eventually grow back over weeks and months, Sit said it鈥檚 a bad idea to cut them off.

鈥淢y advice,鈥� she said, 鈥渋s no.鈥�

What is behind these trends?

Available research shows no evidence that differences in eyelash length, density, thickness or curl are linked to sex, although representations in media 鈥� such as Minnie Mouse’s long eyelashes 鈥� often show the opposite.

Hoskin said trends like eyelash shaving and mewing are driven by a 鈥渃ultural discomfort with femininity.鈥�

鈥淧eople of all genders are taught to fear or reject anything that might be seen as 鈥榯oo feminine,鈥欌�� Hoskin said. 鈥淭rends like shaving eyelashes are often framed as 鈥榮elf-improvement鈥� or 鈥榦ptimization,鈥� but they鈥檙e really about disciplining the body to conform to narrow ideals.鈥�

Those ideals mean suppressing traits seen as feminine, like softness, roundness and emotionality, in place of harder and sharper appearances, Hoskin said.

鈥淭hese trends are dangerous because they reinforce the idea that femininity is weak, excessive or undesirable,鈥� Hoskin said.

In recent years, online pockets espousing similar views have grown. The “manosphere” 鈥� an聽informal collection of influencers and online communities promoting male supremacy and misogyny 鈥� is dominated by figures like Andrew Tate, who espouses that a woman’s “value” is dictated by her age, appearance and fertility. He has said women are “barely sentient.”

“If they are removing those eyelashes in an effort to separate themselves from visible markers of femininity, they may also be increasing their likelihood of moving further down a path of feminine rejection and devaluation,” Hoskin said. “It could end in a much more dangerous place, for their own well-being and perhaps even that of others.”