100 Lashes

Internet image.

 Until two days ago, I wasn't aware there was such a thing as National Lash Day.  Apparently those short hairs around our eyes need recognition and proper care, which is the goal of the 'holiday.'

 Functionally speaking, lashes protect eyes from dirt, germs, foreign objects, and prevent the moisture in oure eyes from evaporating.

Since the day I started wearing contacts during my first year of college, the time I noticed lashes the most is when one got caught between a lens and my eye.  It felt horrible, causing my eye to tear and get red until it was removed. 

My eyelids are unlikely to become bald, however, as sources I've read indicate there are 200 to 300 eyelashes above the eye and 100 below.  I am surprised that lashes are made of 97% keratin, the same thing that makes our finger and toe nails!  In animals, keratin is the building block for feathers, horns, and claws.

That's the kind of fact that could cause some folks to bat an eye, which seems fitting on National Lash Day.