Loss of eyelashes

[catwalker]

My mum has recently lost her eyelashes. Does anyone think there's anything significant in this? She's 87 and the hair on her head has thinned over recent years, but not drastically so. She still has eyebrows as well. I don't want to alarm her but I'm wondering if I ought to get her to speak to the doctor. Anybody got any experience of this?

It is worth checking out.

Assuming that it's even across both eyes, and they're no obvioulsy red or sore, which is how I read your post then there are few things which need to be ruled out.
Not urgently but not ignorable either.

Hypo/hyperthyroidism.
Certain auto-immune disease.
Adverse reaction from certain drugs.

Most likely other things would be going wrong as well but my understanding is that eyelash change (madarosis) can be the first one.

I know auto-immune can also effect head hair.

Hope that helps.

Possibly alopecia
Worth having thyroid checked

It may just be a very common eye condition called blepharitis. she'll get free eye exams as over 60 - get her to se a local optician and they can rule it out.

Iron deficiency can also cause hair loss

Thanks all. She does have macular degeneration so I wonder if it might be linked to that. There's no itchiness or redness so I'd be surprised if it was blepharitis. Also, there hasn't really been any hair loss anywhere else other than the gradual thinning, over a period of years of the hair on her head which you would associate with old age (she still has quite a lot though). Her eyelashes just suddenly disappeared!

I'll just ask her to mention it to the doctor next time she speaks to him.