A new men’s grooming trend that involved trimming down the eyelashes is seemingly growing ever more popular — but doctors say it might not be healthy.

New videos filmed in barbershops have been circulating on TikTok that feature men showing off their shaved lashes. Barbers can be seen using clippers, electric razors and other tools to trim the men’s lashes down, claiming that it looks more masculine.

One video, shared to a barber’s TikTok account in January, showed a client trimming down his lashes nearly to the skin.

“I personally witnessed a walk-in client who asked a barber to shave off his eyelashes. He said he didn’t like how long they were and that his wife criticized them for looking too feminine. He was even willing to pay extra,” the caption of the video read.

“But my question to all barbers out there is: Is this service really feasible? Should it be allowed in barbershops? Would you do it if a client asked?” the caption added. “And the million dollar question: Is it more manly to shave off your eyelashes?”

Dr. Nicole Bajic, a comprehensive ophthalmologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, tells PEOPLE the most important thing to remember about eyelashes is that they serve a specific purpose: helping eyes stay healthy by keeping debris out.

“People can certainly trim their lashes, and sometimes we even permanently remove some of them for select patients (when the lashes grow in strange directions and poke at their eyes), but I wouldn’t recommend trimming or removing them unless it’s causing significant issues,” she tells PEOPLE.

“It’s important to remember that eyelashes serve a purpose in protecting our eyes,” Bajic adds. “Eyelashes acts like a protective shade, keeping away debris, allergens, and other pollutants in the air away from our eyes.”

According to Bajic, eyelashes also act as sensors for the eye to help prevent trauma, as lashes activate a person’s blink reflex when they sense an incoming object.

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“There’s also a thought that they can help prevent dry eye by keeping the tear film from evaporating too quickly,” the doctor adds.

Bajic also shared advice for those TikTokers who might have already hopped on to this trend.

If you’ve already trimmed your lashes, they will grow back,” she says, noting that the natural growth cycle for lashes is around 6-10 weeks. “But you may want to wear sunglasses more frequently to keep debris and other material away from your eyes.”

As for social media, many users online believe that the eyelash-trimming trend isn’t the best idea in the first place.

“Are we forgetting that we need our eyelashes to keep debris out of our eyes?” one commenter wrote on a TikTok that featured the eyelash-shaving process.

“What is masculine about shaving eyelashes?” another questioned.