On this blog I often talk about pulling out head hair – it is what I do – but did you know that eyelash pulling is also a form of trichotillomania? In fact, trichotillomania can include pulling hair from any place on the body. Sufferers won’t usually pull from all places, but it is common to pull the hair from more than one place.
I’m not sure whether eyelash pulling is as common as pulling hair from the head, but I have come across a number of people who do this. Whilst I do not do it myself, it is perfectly understandable and comparable to the feeling of pulling hair from anywhere else on the body.
People who pull their eyelashes will sometimes pull out whole sets. Not only this, but the skin around the eyelashes can become swollen and sore. Eyelash pulling often creates painful emotions in those who do it, down to the fact that missing sets of eyelashes are often noticeable – as in the case of bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows.
How to Stop Eyelash Pulling?
Even though I don’t have experience of it myself, the single most common home treatment I have heard is to put vaseline on the eyelashes to make it harder to get a hold of them and pull them out.
If you pull your eyelashes, what do you do to make yourself stop or to reduce the effects?
Ive never picked my eye brows but had trichotillomania when I was younger. its horrible
I picked my eyebrows but not eyelashes. Everyone is different, but I think no matter where we pull from we can all get support from eachother.
I pull my eyelashes. Pulling eyelashes is definitely emotionally painful. We go through the same cycle of anxiety, pulling, relief, remorse that other pullers do.
To stop pulling eyelashes, i’ve been told to tape my fingers together or wear a pair of gloves (like when reading).
I think it seems the same, just a different area of the body. Do you ever find that those tips work? Because they could work to stop me pulling from my head too but I don’t like taping my fingers.
my mother had trich when she was very young. she told everyone that she was allergic to mascara. i developed it when i was 7. i went to a phycologist for some answers. what he told me didn’t settle in me. he said it was obsessive compulsive disorder. i have learned within the past year that if i recognize the “Itch”, and about 99% of the time i can, then gently patting the area until the sensation is gone, has a great outcome. sensation is alleviated and no loss of hair. it has never not worked for me. also cool water to the “itch” works as well. good luck and best wishes.
Karen – Thanks this is a great tip!
I don’t really use them, which is a shame. But if you have the strong will to put them on before a possible pulling situation…I think it could work.
I know what you mean – it really does take some will power to even use these techniques to stop pulling!
I haven been pulling my eyelashes and eyebrows since I was 12 years old. I was seen by several doctors when they noticed the missing lashes and it was seen as a medical issue but they never once asked if I pulled them out, and secretly I wished they would. I am now almost 24 and my family knows I pull them, but its always been blamed on the mysterious condition that made them fall out, but the truth is they never just fell out. I remember the first pull, it was in 6th grade and I don’t know why but I saw a girl pull out one of her lashes, then I tried it and have not been able to stop since. I have heard that its related to stress and my childhood was filled with it, but why still? I am married, have a beautiful child, and other than a little debt I am happy. I want to stop, long beautiful lashes are beautiful, but I just can’t. I do accept it, but every time I have tried to stop I’ll do really well for a week or so, then when there is just a hint of stress I pull them all out. My other fear is that I begin to pull from my head. My long naturally blond hair has been my identity. Is ttm a progressive thing? This is the first time I have reached out to anyone, and openly admitted my TTM. My daughter is one and a half, and starting to notice what I am doing, and I really don’t want to spread to her. if you have any advise please let me know
Thanks so much for leaving your comment. Reaching out for the first time is definitely hard! I am afraid I don’t have all the answers for you, but I’ll definitely try.
Firstly, I know that people who pull their hair come from a wide range of backgrounds. Many are successful and have families and happy lives, just like you. It is a mystery as to why we still want to do it.
I don’t think that TTM is progressive. It seems to be an ongoing battle, with ups and downs. I’m the same as you when it comes to having a good week then going back to pulling again. I wish I could offer advice, but going pull free for a week is still something to be proud of!
The only thing I know about hair pulling in children is the good news that if they do it young they will usually grow out of it. But there is a chance your daughter will never even do it at all. I’d say by keeping an eye on her you should be fine
I hope you don’t start pulling from your head hair, but I’m sure you won’t. Many people just stick to one place – I just pull from head. Good luck with everything. if you want to talk anymore then please just email me
Lyndsey, (I’m a guy BTW), I only pull out my upper eyelashes during times of stress and cannot stop, even when they’re all out. I think you are confirming for me the reason why I pull out my own eyelashes, same as you I had a very stressful childhood (still do in adulthood), and during relaxing times, especially doing work in front of the computer monitor, I immediately start pulling. Do try to keep your eyelash pulling a secret from your daughter, or else she will mimic you!!! I have three wonderful children whom I try not to let see what I’m doing. I have got over the embarrassment part of pulling eyelashes a long time ago and have accepted this as a routine thing I do.
i know exactly how you feel, lyndsey.. i’m 16 now and i just cannot stop pulling my eyelashes! I love the way long eye lashes feel, but my main target is when I put mascara on.. It makes them really touchable and when I’m nervous I just pull them out.. I barely have any now and it just stinks when someone comments about them.. doctors have asked if I pull but I just say no and I hate myself for it.. Any tips here?
Hello,
I also have this condition, I’ve been pulling at my eyelashes and eyebrows since I was a child, and recently it has gotten worse. It seems like there is a really, really sore eyelash there and I just can’t stop picking at it to try and pull it out, and every time I blink it hurts when one is sore. I end up pulling out almost all of my lashes or eyebrows sometimes before the sore one is gone. Mostly I end up with bald patches. It is really embarrassing being a teenager and all, and recently I’ve noticed that a few of my eyelashes bleed a bit where they’ve been plucked and I’m starting to become alarmed. I’d really love to stop as I’m getting worried.
Does anyone know if my eyelashes will stop growing back? I’m really worried about this, especially since the last bald patch I plucked grew in really strange. About five of them are pointed down instead of up…
As a side note, I dont pull them out regularly, it is usually only if I have been stressed out (Which I have) or if I have nothing to do. I’d say I pluck patches out probably once every three months or so, unless I’m really under a lot of pressure.
Also (Sorry about my rambling) I tend to pick at my skin- if I have chapped lips I peel the skin off all the time, I pick at blackheads and if there are any ingrown hairs I HAVE to pluck them out. Does anyone else do this too?
Thanks
Thanks for visiting and sharing your story. I’m glad you don’t pull constantly, which I’m sure must help with the regrowth of eyelashes. I’m afraid I’m not sure whether they can stop growing. I think some people do damage hairs permanently, but in many cases they will still grow back.
I do the same thing with chapped lips. It really annoys me because it hurts! Also yes I always pick my blackheads. All very annoying! I guess it is part of the way we are though, and it does seem connected to trich.
Hi, i have been pulling my eye lashes seriously for about 10 years. Im 29 and i started when I was 20 and I had a burn out cause of work and other stressfull things.(I did it as a child but just a few occasionnally) I pulled ALL of it a few times and looked like a lezard. It was very embarassing. I notice now that the roots are alot weaker and lashes come out very easly. I read that the roots get shorter and weaker and it could eventually not grow back. By personnal experience, it can take about 6 weeks for it to grow back and YES, the roots are not very strong. But it always grows back so far.
I just want to stop. I tried to wear glasses and wear bandaids on my fingers but nothing works. Anybody as a magic trick?
Canadia – So sorry to hear about that. I never pulled my eyelashes so I don’t have specific advice for you. All I can say is to keep busy in other ways. Get some beads or some squishy toy to play with in your hands, or keep busy so you don’t even think about pulling. Good luck!
Hi! I’m a 19 year old female, I thought I was alone also! What I do is very similar to you, I’ve only just discovered it’s a disorder.
My boyfriend is starting to notice because it has gotten to the point where I’ve started having “urges” to pull out his ingrown hairs.
He thinks I have OCD.
I only pull from the top row of eye lashes and mainly on one eye, I’ve tried changing mascaras because I thought I just liked to pull the dried up mascara off my lashes but even with no make up I still do it.
It doesn’t feel good, it’s just a habit that I seem to only do when I’m watching tv or lounging around. I have chunks of hair missing and it’s so horrible
I also have to pull out any in grown hairs (including my partners) and I’m the same with black heads and pimples. I also pluck my eyebrows regulary and have tried growing them back but I just can’t stop.
I’m glad I’m not alone
I pull out my eyelashes, but not intentionally. Whenever Im reading a book, taking a test, or trying to work out a problem I pull out my eyelashes. First of all I have OCD which is horrible because if my eyelash is just a little bit diifferent from the others, then I tend to pull it. Lets say its curly or crooked or long or short or sticks out it gets pulled. I dont know why I inflict pain on my self like this, but I think its because my nerves are super bad. I try to stop but its so hard. It all started when my sister told me about her friend who used to do it, and I dont know why I decided to do it, I guess it was just out of curiosity. But anyway this has been going on pretty much all my life, and Im 14 now. So if anyone has any tips for me on how to stop (HOME REMEDIES
only-my mom doesnt really wont me to do any mascara stuff untill recomended, because she believes I can stop) please contact me at my email alex_curtis26 [at] yahoo [dot] com Please and Thank you!!!
EDITED BY RUTH: I just changed the format of typing out the email so you don’t get sent loads of spam!
Hi i’ve been pulling out eyelashes when i was 10!
I’m 13 and found about trich yesterday.
I can’t stop
i felt mmore secure when I found out a lot of people have this same problem as me..
Thanks for leaving your comment Liz, I’m glad it helps to find out there are other people doing it. I felt the same. I am going to send you an email
hey well i never knew of this. I tought it was OCD. i pull my lashes eyebrows &hair i bite it or just put it in my muth. I dont understand why it makes me feel really shitty [sorry] when i do. . im 20 i think ive done it since i was 13 the lashes was just recent like 2 yrs ago …
So sorry to have never replied to your comment sooner. I understand your feeling. It’s so weird, because at the time it feels good, but then it feels very bad to do it too. I hope you find ways to help yourself manage to control it.
~Penny
yeah i just spent 2 hours pulling out my eye lashes while watching t.V. it was just suppose to be one, but the others didn’t feel right and so i had to pull some more out too. now my eye lid hurts. it’s been awhile since i’ve pulled out so many at once, but i do pull out about 2 or 3 a day. i’ve been doing this since i was 12 now i’m 15. just found out some weeks ago what this was.sort of happy that i found an answer.
I’m glad you found out what it was. It can be hard when you don’t know what it is. Many people have the same feelings as you, where the hairs just don’t feel right. I have it on my head hair too.
~penny
I have a 5 year old goddaughter who pulls her eyelashes. Her mother keeps giving her eye drops for treating pink eye. She knows her daughter pulls her eye lashes but says that she ‘just needs to stop doing it’. I feel like crying when I see my goddaughter’s eyes swollen and red. I know it is a cry for help and that she does it as a result of anxiety and nervousness. What can I do to help her since her mother is in denial and will probably not let me see her again if I keep mentioning the problem? Is there anything I can do to help my goddaughter stop pulling her eyelashes?
This is such a tough situation. Firstly, I just want to say you are doing a good thing by looking into it and trying to help. I can understand why the mother doesn’t want to accept what’s going on. In all honesty I don’t know what you can do about that. Hopefully in time she will understand.
The best way to help your goddaughter is probably to just hold her hand, or keep her hands busy to stop her from pulling. There can be many causes for it, but you might be pleased to hear that young children often grow out of it. I am not an expert, but when I pulled hair as a child many people would just tell me to stop. That was probably the worst thing they could do.
I’m sorry I couldn’t help more, but I hope it’s helped you a little.
Hi,
I have suffered from this trich thing since I was ten years old. I’m in my second year of college now and its acting up again. I’ve been to a psychiatrist and I refuse to go back. I want to talk to someone about this. I’m alone.
Please help,
Mandi
The underlying cause of this condition is stress and the inability to handle ones stress. My daugther is 9 and has been doing this for 8months now. She just started going to psychologist in order to find the underlying cause of her stess. I’ve heard that this is treatable with therapy. So don’t give up on the therapy.
Therapy does help with the constant urge to pull one’s hair out. I have a friend who also took up meditation and this seemed to help as well. I believe it starts as a relief for stress in a person’s life and then later just turns into a habit.
Patrick
Patrick – Thanks for your comment, I also think meditation is a very good practice and something I want to try more of.
Hi, i’m 12 years old, gonna be 13 in march. I’ve been pulling out my eye lashes for about 7 years now. Since i was 6. It started right after my grand father has died. Sure i miss him a lot, but i don’t think that’s the problem. My mom knows and she checks my eyes a lot and if she notices I’ve been plucking them out more, she yells at me and threatens to ground me or to make me go live with my dad. But she also told me she wants to book me and appointment to the doctors or therapy. I really really wanna get help but i’m afraid to go there and to talk to them about it. I’ve never really talked to anyone about it except for my mom. Everyone at school doesn’t notice but they noticed i don’t like to make eye contact with them. Each year to get my pictures taken i had eye lashes, but just for that. I would let them grow 1 month before the pictures so i would have them for the pictures to be taken so that my mom could hang them up. In grade 5, 6 and 7 she couldn’t. I honestly feel horrible and tried to stop so many times but when i do it, i pick out a certain one then pull it out, then go for others, It doesn’t bleed or hurt just when i do it, its like i suddenly black out from all the stress and everything is gone. I have tried putting band-aides on my fingers but it didn’t work. I was so eager to get them off that i ripped the band-aides off. I wear eye liner to cover it up, but i still feel utterly horrible about myself and i just can’t except it. Whenever people call me “beautiful” or “gorgeous” or even “pretty” i feel so ashamed because they don’t know what i really look like, but it also makes me soo soo sooo happy at the same time. I just found out about this disorder and started to cry….I find im the ugliest person out there and each time i do it, it gets worse. My mom doesn’t make me feel much better either. My dad doesn’t talk about it, but when he found out he was disapionted. I could understand why. He didn’t yell or holler at me, just talked to me calmly and asked why i did it. the problem was, i didn’t know why i did it. i put so much pressure on myself to find out why i was doing it but everything just came up blank. I have a great life at school, a lot of friends, good grades, just a little bit of drama but it doesn’t harm me. I think its more of a family concern. I’ve always wanted my parents to get back to gather but my mom has a boyfriend named tom who also knows about it. My sister Aleesha does too. Whenever we get into fights she smacks this in my face “at least i have eye lashes”. It hurts a lot when she says it, but i knew that wasn’t what caused it. I’m not self confident at all. It frightens me that some day i won’t have any eye lashes… i need help but i’m afraid to talk to anyone else. It was hard enough for my grand mother to find out. Every day i look in the mirror with make or with out, and tell myself i’m ugly… I just need to stop immediately. I too also thought i was the only person who did it and longed for me to meet someone else who did it. The only other person i knew who did it was my cousin Kate. She has no eye lashes or eye brows. She started when she was 11 or 12 and now shes 23. They stopped growing, and she needed glass’s- still does. I’m not sure if i got it from her, watching her do it or something but i’m afraid. I’ve tried to cut my nails but some how i managed to still do it. Its so hard for me to type this, its gonna be even harder for me to click the “Submit comment” button. I want medication so i won’t have to talk to anyone about it. Every time i see a Mascara commercial i think about how much plucking my eye lashes out really affect on a person, or so me. Do you know where to get medication? I live in Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax. Or just a website will do. Please help me.
hey GUys!
I give credit to those that have families and that are dealing wtih this! I wish I could stop 
I haev tried hats, gloves tape but I end up playing a game with myself and pull. My eyelashes r growing back and I am so happy I can put mascara on and they flip up, not to much and only in certain spotslol. Eyeliner has become a best friend lol. I pull from stress and the way it feels, i think that if I can go pull free today and tomorrow I can continue something I hope will be the rest of my life ugh!!!
I am 20 years old, and have been pulling my hair and eyelashes since the 5th grade. Recently this has been the worst though I noticed I pull when I am bored or not doing anything or when I am stressed out, and being a college student I def have a bald spot that I cover with other hair. Its terrible because I cannot put my hair up. After finding this site I am willing to stop pulling. I just think about my future as a mother, getting married or goin into the work force. How would I explain this to my children to make them understand? or walkin down the asile with a huge bald spot? The more & more i think of this I feel as though I can use this so when I have a family I can be pull free
Its good to knwo you guys are out there
Good luck!!
I have been pulling out my eyelashes since I was 7 yrs old. I am 31 now. I use to pull them out all the time. Now, it seems to come and go. My parents took me to doctors when I was young. All they did was want to put me on medication that did not seem to help but make things worse. It changed my personality which my parents decided was not a good thing. My parents tried to reward me for stopping with things like buying me a cat. They also tried punishing me which they realized quickly was not the right answer to the problem. Life was already hard enough on me because I had to go to school like this and everyone knew. I was picked on and of course all the cute boys that I had crushes on did not like me and picked on me also. There have been periods of time when I have stopped. I am not sure why I start again. It’s an urge that I cannot fulfill until I do it. I didn’t even know the name of this problem until about a year ago when I started to look online. I don’t think I ever wanted to know. My parents decided not to make it an issue anymore and have been supportive for many years. I have a child and have been married for almost 8 years now. My husband is aware but doesn’t make it an issue. He loves me no matter what!
I read the other comments above and I can relate to so many of you. I definitely feel much like Briana who wrote that her lashes are sore and that makes her want to pull them out. I have never heard anyone explain it like that and that’s exactly how I feel. I know when I do it. I will actually do it in front of the mirror. If a lash is sore then I especially want to pull it out because I can’t stand to feel it. Then I wind up pulling others out also. I want to stop because I have been doing it for so long and they eventually won’t grow back. I have been doing this for 24 years and I have lashes in spots that don’t grow back anymore and many of my lashes now grow back in all different directions which I can’t stand. My lashes are much, much thinner. I also, have lashes that once I pull them, the spot bleeds. I want to stop for good because I don’t want to be like this for the rest of my life. I am running out of time because if I don’t stop soon then I think the ability for my lashes to even grow back will stop soon.
I have not had any luck with medications that seem to make me feel worse. I have tried counseling and it does help some but doesn’t fix the problem completely. I do feel that this is related to my OCD behavior and issues with anxiety. I just can’t seem to find a good release for the anxiety that I feel.
I have never wrote about this or shared with anyone else but my family and counselors. It does make me feel better to know there are others out there like me.
Has anyone found something that seems to help them? I read an article about vitamin difficiencies and how this may be one of the many causes. I take many vitamin supplements and that doesn’t seem to help. Anyone else found something, even if you think it’s crazy, that helps you deal with this? I would love to know. Thanks for listening.
this is so crazy! I too have been pulling my eyelashes out since I was in Kindergarten. I am 34 years old and as I sit here writing this my left eye has a bare spot right in the middle. I never knew this was a condition. I always thought of it as a weird self destruction mode I go into. When I am stressed, bored or angry I really pull them out. The whole time I am doing it I want to stop. It feels so good when I am doing it.. I rub them really hard.. to the point where it makes my eyes water but I keep doing it until I finally grab them one by one and pull them out. I also would rub them on my lower lip to ensure that I got the root. I thought I was weird. As I am reading these posts I realize the little corky things I do others are doing the same. I wish I could stop.. as I do it I want to stop but I just cant. As soon as I do stop I immediately run into the bathroom to look in the mirror at the damage and then I freak out. The urge is so strong that I cannot control it.
I responded to your post because you have been doing it for quite a while like me. I always thought I was a freak! Not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I thought I was just doing it to do it.. but now I realize its a real problem with an actual diagnosis! Wow.. I really am not alone.
Hi, i’m 12 years old, gonna be 13 in march. I’ve been pulling out my eye lashes for about 7 years now. Since i was 6. It started right after my grand father has died. Sure i miss him a lot, but i don’t think that’s the problem. My mom knows and she checks my eyes a lot and if she notices I’ve been plucking them out more, she yells at me and threatens to ground me or to make me go live with my dad. But she also told me she wants to book me and appointment to the doctors or therapy. I really really wanna get help but i’m afraid to go there and to talk to them about it. I’ve never really talked to anyone about it except for my mom. Everyone at school doesn’t notice but they noticed i don’t like to make eye contact with them. Each year to get my pictures taken i had eye lashes, but just for that. I would let them grow 1 month before the pictures so i would have them for the pictures to be taken so that my mom could hang them up. In grade 5, 6 and 7 she couldn’t. I honestly feel horrible and tried to stop so many times but when i do it, i pick out a certain one then pull it out, then go for others, It doesn’t bleed or hurt just when i do it, its like i suddenly black out from all the stress and everything is gone. I have tried putting band-aides on my fingers but it didn’t work. I was so eager to get them off that i ripped the band-aides off. I wear eye liner to cover it up, but i still feel utterly horrible about myself and i just can’t except it. Whenever people call me “beautiful” or “gorgeous” or even “pretty” i feel so ashamed because they don’t know what i really look like, but it also makes me soo soo sooo happy at the same time. I just found out about this disorder and started to cry….I find im the ugliest person out there and each time i do it, it gets worse. My mom doesn’t make me feel much better either. My dad doesn’t talk about it, but when he found out he was disapionted. I could understand why. He didn’t yell or holler at me, just talked to me calmly and asked why i did it. the problem was, i didn’t know why i did it. i put so much pressure on myself to find out why i was doing it but everything just came up blank. I have a great life at school, a lot of friends, good grades, just a little bit of drama but it doesn’t harm me. I think its more of a family concern. I’ve always wanted my parents to get back to gather but my mom has a boyfriend named tom who also knows about it. My sister Aleesha does too. Whenever we get into fights she smacks this in my face “at least i have eye lashes”. It hurts a lot when she says it, but i knew that wasn’t what caused it. I’m not self confident at all. It frightens me that some day i won’t have any eye lashes… i need help but i’m afraid to talk to anyone else. It was hard enough for my grand mother to find out. Every day i look in the mirror with make or with out, and tell myself i’m ugly… I just need to stop immediately. I too also thought i was the only person who did it and longed for me to meet someone else who did it. The only other person i knew who did it was my cousin Kate. She has no eye lashes or eye brows. She started when she was 11 or 12 and now shes 23. They stopped growing, and she needed glass’s- still does. I’m not sure if i got it from her, watching her do it or something but i’m afraid. I’ve tried to cut my nails but some how i managed to still do it. Its so hard for me to type this, its gonna be even harder for me to click the “Submit comment” button. I want medication so i won’t have to talk to anyone about it. Every time i see a Mascara commercial i think about how much plucking my eye lashes out really affect on a person, or so me. Do you know where to get medication? I live in Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax. Or just a website will do. Please help me.
I have been exploring a few blogs of people who are eyelash pullers (I have definitely found more head-hair pullers than eyelash pullers). I find it so interesting, and comforting at the same time, that I can relate almost 100%. What I can’t relate with is seeing a Dr. about it. I am NOT about to be put on anti depressants. I am such a “normal” 26 yr old girl and I am not going to let trich throw me into that category.
I truly believe, for me, this problem started when I developed allergies when I was young. My eyes would always itch, and my eye lids would get puffy and red… pulling at my lashes relieved the itch, and therefore lashes came out. As I plucked them out, it gave me such a good sensation. But now I can’t use my allergies as an excuse.. I will pull at my eyes at night while I watch tv, or surf on facebook, reading, all while my husband is asleep next to me. It is the only time I do it, when I’m alone and my mind is on “relax mode.” I have been so successful at staying pull-free just by avoiding the “night time curse.” It is possible… and I hate to hear people with trich think they have a mental disorder! It is not. If people who pull out their eyelashes/brows/hair needs to be put on happy pills, then SO DO FINGER NAIL BITTERS! Here are some things that have helped me avoid the urge to pull my lashes out: 1) Talk to someone who you love about it. My husband encourages me to keep my beautiful lashes. To see him hurt and disappointed when I have bald spots on my lids is encouraging and extremely motivating for me. 2) The second you feel an urge to pull, go take a shower! I dont care if you’ve showered three other times that day, take a shower, and imagine your habit washing down the drain. Weird, but works for me! 3) Use redness-reliever eye drops when you feel itchy lashes 4) Pinpoint exactly WHEN you tend to pull out lashes. Is it when you’re watching tv? Reading? Surfing Facebook? When you are alone? At Nighttime? All these are true for me, SO I AV5OID THEM! 5) Get a hobby. I started to make girls’ hair-bows during the evenings. It helps take my mind off touching my lashes. 6) Get out of a stressful job. Stress is no good for our minds and bodies… find a job you enjoy. 7) Keep a tally next to your bed of every successful day you go without pulling. If I pull out one eyelash, I make myself start over. If I go a month without pulling one eyelash out, I’ll treat myself to something!
Pray. Our Heavenly Father knows we are hurting inside with this habit, so ask God for help! Growing spiritually has helped for me.
If you haven’t heard anything I’ve suggested so far, hear this: You do NOT need anti-depressants! This is just a bad habit, just as nail-bitting. I don’t think a doctor would ever give a person Prozac for biting their nails. Please have hope. I do.
This is a great letter for me! I found the advice really helpful.
I have never been to a doctors about this. I’m lucky, my close friends just laugh it off, saying I wont always do it. I’m ok with that, and my huband is not repulsed, yet! I have been doing it many, many years. I don’t feel alienated just foolish, but can’t help it.
I have found that wearing eyeliner on the inside and on top of were my lashes are/were and smudging slightly, defines my eyes when the bald times come. At least this makes me look marginally less like frog eyes!
All your other advice is good and am going to take it on board.
Many thanks
Your post had the most helpful advice. I have had many diferent reasons for pulling, and each seams to need its own method for stopping. Unlike many others I was not a child when I first pulled. I was 38, and had been on a crying jag (end of a relationship). My eyelids were puffy and itchy. Pulling seemed to relieve it, but before long I had a few bare patches. I changed how I wore my mascara to disguise it, and did not pull again for quite a few years. Reasons have been myriad–tired, stressed, bored. It is very hard to stop when the compulsion hits, tho right now there is no satisfaction as there are none left to pull out. So I start again to find things to keep my hands from wandering to my eyes. I agree with you that it should not need medication. It could be related to OCD, but mine is so mild I usually only need to recognize it to stop certain behaviors. The eyelashes have been the hardest to stop. I need to find something to do with my hands while reading, watching TV, or driving on long trips. Thanks for your input.
K Nanny- Trich is not a “bad habit”. Its thinking like that that drove me even deeper into the stress and pulling as a child. I started before I could remember- at least 3. I would pull the hair on my arms, then it progressed to hair on my head, then eyelashes, then eyebrows…even hair on my legs. To this day, I still pull. I’ve tried every trick in the book to crack this “bad habit,” as my mother called it. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that this is Trichotillomania, a type of impulse control disorder fueled by some traumatic or stressful event in life. The more stress heaped on me, the more I pulled. I did medication, I did pastoral counseling. Its not a bad habit. Smoking is a bad habit and I kicked that cold turkey. Trich is much deeper than a bad habit. Telling me to go take a shower and envision my bad habit going down the drain is just as harmful as laughing at me. It shows lack of understanding, to be honest.
Jenn – I understand what you mean about the problem of calling it a bad habit. I had the same issue with my parents just telling me to stop, it didn’t help! I had a habit of sucking my fingers up to my early teenage years. I managed to kick that habit but not the trich.
Problem is, trich is not recognized the way habits such as nail biting are. Nail biting can be a habit but it can also be very damaging in the same way that trich can. We need to differentiate trich from other things but at the same time get the word out so that people know they aren’t weird for having it.
I forgot to add to my list of helpful hints. Find something else to pull out that doesn’t matter! NOSE HAIRS! Get a tweezers and pluck those babies out
I had trich of the eyelashes.. I started at the end of 4th grade and I wasn’t “clean” until the end of 7th really. It started as a result of boredom, I think.. pulling while playing a game on the computer, reading, watching TV.. my eyes were bare and looked so odd and bare against my dark blonde hair. People made fun of me and would say things like “Wow.. do you have any eyelashes?” Or the more embarassing, “Let me look! You have no eyelashes! Oh my gosh!” and I was also given the gift of a friend who threatened to tell everyone I had no eyelashes if I didn’t do what she said..
Anyways, my main point was I actually did stop. I’m not clean, Sometimes I’ll take out an eyelash and marvel at the black tip and how it gets lighter until it touches the sticky root.. but what helped me was being around people. I think being happy helps hair grow, and I didn’t want to pull when others were around. We had to go on a week long school trip and that helped me boost. After that I didn’t want to pull because I wanted long lashes so I fought the urge. In my middle year of 8th grade now, I have almost regular lashes. They aren’t as full as the other girl’s, and my bottom lashes are very sparse, but I am proud that I could overcome trich, and I know everyone has the strength inside of them to do so.
I started pulling my eyelashes out when I was in 8th grade. I had recently moved schools and my mother was getting remarried and having a baby. I’m almost 21 now and I think all the stress with what was going on and happening so fast made me do it. I still do it and want to stop SO BAD! I’ve let them grow back before but then after 3 months i started pulling them again..and now its my eye brows too. It hurts too. I’ll get headaches, and sometimes i do it too much and my eyes will hurt. I want to stop..this is the first time I’ve actually told anyone, even though i know everyone in my family knows. I have a 1 year old daughter and I try not to let her see me do it. I know my fiancee knows i do it too but i haven’t told him. It’s hard to admit because it is embarrassing for me but it’s so hard to stop, its like a bad habit. I was very surprised to see so many people with the same problem…its comforting knowing i’m not the only person in the world who does it and wants to stop. I used to do it all the time, but lately its been more my eyebrows than my eyelashes. and i try to hide it, but it’s hard..does anyone have any advice? anything to keep my mind off of it?
Brittney – Thanks for coming here and sharing your story. I know it’s hard, but I hope just writing it helped in some way.
About telling your fiancee, I understand how hard that is. It took me a lot of guts to tell my boyfriend but actually I was pleasantly surprised by how understanding he was. I still don’t talk to him much about it, but it helps to know he’s there. If you can tell him, I’m sure it would rally help you too.
The main way I keep my mind off it is just to stay busy, and keep my hands busy. I also found that writing about it in this blog really helped me to come to terms with it. Good luck!
I have been pulling since I was eight. I don’t honestly think that it was stress related. I come from a happy home and was a happy, energetic kid. I’m in tenth grade now, and most people don’t notice. Thank god for eyeliner. A comment from a friend made me realize that I had to stop. Actually, I’ve been trying since the beginning, but nothing’s work. My parents took me to a dermotolagist as a kid, but I denied it, probably due to embarrasment. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata, but I know it’s not true. I also pull out the hair in my legs. I don’t know what to do at all. Maybe I’ll try the Vaseline thing I read about above. It’s been really difficult, and I decided I can’t be pretty without eyelashes. I don’t want to be considered a freak. Another thing that put it into perspective was in my Bio 20 class, we were talking about various skin disorders, and trichotillomania was mentioned. It brought me an overwhelming feeling of shame. I’m serious about stopping, and I’ll try.
Alexis – Oh I’m so sorry to hear about the shame you felt when trichotillomania was mentioned. I understand, though writing this blog has helped me a lot to feel less shameful. I also feel the same, that mine didn’t develop from stress. Makes you wonder just why it does develop in cases like ours? Please let us know how you are doing, if you managed to stop at all if only for a few days, and what you find helps. I don’t pull my eyelashes, but pull from the scalp.
I’ve known that I’ve had this for years, I just didn’t know it was so common. Reading everyone’s comments also helped me notice things about myself. Like my lashes or brows feeling sore rigth before I get the urge to pull, or that I do it when I go into “relax-mode”. At times I also catch myself doing it without even realizing what I’m doing till my eyes hurt. Its never something I’ve been embarassed of so to say, but having bald spots in your eyelashes and eyebrows is a bit of a number on self-confidance. Is picking at your skin also a part of trichotillomania? & by picking I mean any little blemish till its gone or bleeding.
Sam – Yes you’re right, skin picking is similar in its nature to pulling hair. I noticed my friend picks his skin, but weirdly enough I didn’t even relate it to the way I pull my hair until I really thought carefully about it. If you go into relax mode when pulling, maybe you need to try and replace it with something else? Like other ways to relax that don’t involve pulling? I have just started yoga and I believe it would really help. I don’t know though, just an idea.
I answered my own question, picking of the skin is dermatillomania. Both of with are considered impulse control disorders.
i’ve been pulling my lashes since i was in the 11th grade at least. i remember being in 6th grade and saw someone touch their eyelashes and i was mortified by the thought of touching them for some reason. Somehow, i’ve gotten to where i am now, in which i do it everyday. I often get caught in a trance. Not pulling right away, but playing with my eyelashes on my fingertips. They make my hands feel relaxed. Lately i can feel the tension build up in my arms if i try to stop. I do it a lot in school and when i’m trying to do homework. (i’m in my senior year of college now). Even though i can see people looking at me doing it, the feeling at the time overrides the embarrassment and i can’t stop until the feeling of relief is present which is after i pull.
Ironically, when i moved in with some roommates in college, i noticed that one of my roommates had very short hair on the top of her head and never let it down. After months of watching her go into trances just like myself, i confronted her and told her i had tric, she then came out about it too. We tell each other to stop when we’re around and try to help eachother out, however we’re both still battling with the issue, hers a little more visible than mine.
I’ve gone to a therapist, which i felt she didn’t understand and kinda found my situation silly so i stopped going, however i did try accupuncture for a couple months which seemed relaxing, but i still continued to pull so i gave up. It takes me double the amount of time to get any work done because when i’m trying to read and write is when i pull most. It makes learning very frustrating. I taught myself how to knit, which keeps me occupied somewhat if i’m watching tv, but in situations like school when i’m on my own, i kinda just have to look out for myself. Guess in that case i’m my own worst enemy.
Helen
Helen – Wow, I can’t believe that one of your roommates also has it, it must be so good to be able to talk to someone about it and also lend support not just to stop pulling but also just to make it easier to deal with. And I completely understand about getting work done – this is exactly how I felt when I was at university. And still now since I work at the computer all day, I notice a small pile of hairs everyday which I have to pick up and throw away :S Good on you for learning to knit, and I hope you can learn to deal with those urges when you’re at school!
My daughter who is 8 years old just started pulling out her eyebrows. She had bald spots on both sides- she says nobody notices, because she wears glasses. Well the other day a boy noticed and he asked her what happened and she told him she pulls them out. She also started pulling out her eyelashes. The used to be thick and long and now she has maybe 10 on each eye left.
She picks at school and at home. She told me she lays in bed and night and picks till her hand gets tired. She used to have lots of eyelashes and brows, but they seem to be disappearing. The eyebrows were growing back, but when I looked tonight they are back to patchy bald spots.
Do gloves work at night? What about while she is at school. Do I let her teacher know, so when she see’s her picking she can tell her to stop? Does the Vaseline help?
Do the lashes grow back?
Disappearingbrow – I think gloves would be worth a try, just remember not to punish her but support her, which it sounds like you are doing a good job of already
I pulled one of my eyebrows bald when I was younger, but I stopped for some reason (people say that young children can just suddenly stop – I did, but carried on pulling at my scalp) and my eyebrows grew back 100% perfectly again. About the teacher – my teacher used to tell me to stop. It kind of helps when the child does it without knowing, but at the same time you need to be careful that the teacher understands rather than just tells her off. Canadia left a comment showing her experience of how the lashes grow back, so hopefully that gives you some comfort. And yes I would try vaseline, and anything you can do to keep her hands busy. Good luck!
I have been pulling my eyelashes out for more then forty years now. I started in 2ND grade when I believe something bad had happen to me,however I don’t know what. Now in my late 40s I still have lashes and some bald spots kind of weird this long and still pulling. But they grow back then a stressful thing in life happens and I am back to doing it again. I am sure I cant quite this late in the game but you learn to deal and move on I suppose. They have always grew back not as long now or as dark but they are there. I remember takeing a piece of tape and tapeing them all together and ripping them all out at once,good thing thoughs days are over. Rest asure its gets better with time and stay busy is the key psiyacal activeity is the main key (to tired to pull). Best of luck and God bless.
Keith – Thanks for sharing your comment here (sorry i’ve been slow at replying). I’m so glad to hear that they always grow back – thank you for the positive message.
To deter me from pulling on my eyelashes, I wear pretty eye makeup. This keeps me from touching my eyes so much because the makeup will get smeared and look awful. This also helps me out in the Spring when I have terrible eye allergies and pull out most of my lashes from the terrible itching.
Lana – Thanks for coming here and sharing your tip, so glad to hear that it helps you!
I’m 15 years old now I started pulling when I was in grade 5 I first blamed it on getting to close to a camp fire. Then I started pulling more and I let my parents believe it was bc j was allergic to perfume I pull bc I’m worried stressed or bored so I got myself diagnosed and they said it was alopecia and I stick to that but I really truly know it’s Trichotillomania and I’m scared to tell my parents bc I just entered highschool and I really don’t want to be a freak alopecia is a easier thing to say and explain. And I’m sick of it and I’m hoping I can concure it with tips and doing it alone I’m hopin I’ll grow out of it bc I do feel like my eye itches and I got to pull to stop the pain causing more pain yeah dumb I know but I’m ready to stop
I have been pulling out my eyelashes now since about 4th grad, I am now 40! I too go through phases where I do not touch them at all for long periods and they completely grow back. Then just when I start to realize that they are full again…and I say to my self…”I’ll never pull them out again, I have this beat”…for no reason I start the cycle all over again.
As I look back, it seems that when I had a clear goals…and a reason to have full eyelashes…it helped. Such as upcoming Christmas or holidays where I knew pictures would be taken.. That is the worst to see yourself in photos. Or an upcoming dental appt. or vision.. I couldn’t stand the embarrassment knowing they were looking and wondering.
Dating also seemed to help…as this was a goal…to stop pulling…. but in the end…after the goal was met…I would pull again. I 100% agree it is stress related and becomes a habit…sometimes I don’t even realize my fingers are at my eyes..until a few seconds go by..
I find that if I force myself to stop looking in the mirror at the status or progress of regrowth…this helps..as if I see one eyelash out of place…it will be gone…as well as all those surrounding it. I also feel I go through cycles…crop rotation, as previously noted. I use to grow a goatee, but found myself pulling it out…but I wouldn’t touch my eyelashes at the time….or my eyebrows…
At this point in my age, I still want this to stop, but have come to accept it… so the things that have helped me in the past…were…set a clear date or significant event as a goal…stop looking at them in the mirror…I notice when I am on vacation and or occupied I don’t do it…I like the allergy eye drops for the itching.
I started pulling my eyebrows when I was in 3rd grade. The year when the taas test played its role in my education. (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) After eyebrows were gone I started on my eyelashes. I would go into trances while reading, homework, watching tv. Over 17 years of waking up, drawing brows, and putting dark eyeliner on. Years of frearing sleep overs and swimming afraid the my makeup would come off. I know everyone feels the same way and maybe even worse. God. elementary and middle school was a nightmare of namecallings and beeing an outcast. My biggest fear was my little sister following my bad habits. heh when I caught her trying i got on her case so bad.. High school was better. Make up was better. lol Iam now 23 and still pull. I still use pencial and eyeliner and am so tired of it. XP I have thought about tattoos..but I dont like the fake look to them. But, i kid you not, I found an amazing site. (http://3deyebrow.com/services.htm) Iam still not 100% sure about trying this. Like 93ish%. But I havent felt this hopeful in having eyebrows in like..sophmore year. I have tried to stop, made and broke alot of promises, wished on stars and candels.Its hard, its a habit.
I’ve had trich since i was 12-13 years old. I’m 22 now and it hasnt stopped. I pull from my eyes, eyebrows, head, and other areas. I hate it and it seems to be getting worse for me.
I don’t pull my eyelashes out, but I constantly stroke them and crunch them with my fingertips. My parents say I was born doing this because they can’t remember when I didn’t do this. I do this when I am bored and tired. It is very soothing and relaxing, but when my friends and family try to imitate me, they can’t understand how it is soothing.
I started when I was in grade 2 and and 34 years old now. By grade 3 I had the inner upper eyelids completely devoid of eyelashes and it just seemed to be those areas until about junior high school when I started pulling all of them out. By the time I was 18 years old I was wearing thick black eyeliner to try and disguise it but it was blatantly obvious. One day a friend of mine just came out and asked my point blank if I have any eyelashes and wondered why I pulled the out and I really couldn`t find a good answer for her. She encouraged me to stop and by about the time I was 21 I had started to cut m y fingernails as short as they could be cut because it`s having longer fingernails that enables you to pull them out = try doing it with super short nails…it`s next to impossible. I don`t pull them out as much now and I actually have very nice eyelashes…when I do pull them out it`s never more than 2 or 3 and I always let those ones grow back before I pull them out again. Now I just touch them with my fingertips and move them around a bit.
I am 45. I started pulling my eyelashes when I was 16. I think mine was inherited. I did not have a stressed out family life and loved school and my friends. I will stand in the mirror every morning and pluck them out with a tweezer. Still do. However, I have managed to stop for 3 years because of hypnosis. But that eventually wore off, I guess because I am back to pulling. I don’t feel embarrassed anymore since fake eyelashes are “in”. They are fun. But, the reason I am here is, I would like to know if anyone has taken Fluoxetine (prozac) and has had luck with that? I am researching it and it has mentioned to be used for OCD and TTM. What do you think? I am considering it. Thank you.
Im 14 and ive been picking my lashes since i was 5, im lucky enough to have eyelashes still. Its so hard not to stop you have no idea. Its been 8 years and im still trying to stop, but do your lashes grow back?
Its good not being the only one with this disorder. I started pulling out my eyelashes in the 2nd grade. Now I am in 6th grade! One time I pulled out so much that I had NO HAIRS on either of my eyes. My mom was horrified at me. She cried and was very angry. And, this happened on my BIRTHDAY. I felt like dieing. (By the way this happened in 4th grade.) Then in 5th grade I started again because of something that was in my eye. Pulling them out felt so good but so wrong. But knowing that I am not the only one makes me feel a lot better
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OMG sooo gladdd I found this website I have most to say ok when I was 12 years old in 6th grade idk why I did this but I started pulling out my eye lashes and I start crying til now when I think of it I had long full thick lashes out of all my sisters and family I was the only one and they’re gone thnx to me! I really feel like crying then 13 years old all grew back full long and nice alhamdullah but then again I pulled then not just that it lead to my eyebrows I also had thick long eyebrows and pulled them now 14 still pull my eyebrows and eyelashes I put a lot of mascara to make them look long but that’s what makes me pull them out there’s nothing to do to get my lashes to grow back like when I was born :’( HELP
I do the exact same,I do it when im stressed, upset, angry etc. I really am desperate to stop since i am only 18 and I have been doing it since i was about 12/13 Nothing seems to work. When my boyfriend sees me i tell him to slap my hand haha, im going to visit my GP to getit sorted.
All of these comments are amazing! I stumbled upon these comments looking up some other medical info. I’m 52 and have been a “puller” since I was in high school. I used to pull the mascara off the lashes and it eventually progressed into pulling them out completely along with my eyebrows. I can confidently say it is both boredom and stress related. I know when I’m under extreme stress I pull them, pluck them out with tweezers, scratch under the eyelid, scratch my eye, or any number of plucking ways that make me feel better. I can relate to all of the posts…embarrassment, ashamed, guilt and I know there are as many reasons as are people posting….family problems,bills,marital situations, you name it. Boredom also plays a part and I find myself doing both. No real answer hear other than awareness and some very good tips from some of the posts that I’m going to try. It gives me strength to decrease the episodes knowing I’m not alone in doing this!!!! Thanks everyone!
Hi just want to share , just do something else instead something that will relax you and calm you. Keep your hands busy always..
I can’t stop pulling out my eyelashes. I’ve went a month without pulling because I was going to get my senior pictures. But I was told I was going g to get them next month I wanted to continue growing them. I was watching a movie last night and had a sore eyelash and plucked it. Then continued plucking. I pluck from the sides so now I have like 4 eyelashes in the middle I never pluck them completely . And I don’t pluck the bottom ones. I don’t want to talk. To anyone about this because its embarrassing enough when people ask about it. I’ve been. Plucking since. The first grade.. I really need help. I want to be normal like my friends. I need some. Tips please school starts in less then a week and I’m so mad at myself for. Plucking! And. Do feel a little. Bit better for saying all this. Its good to no that there are people out there that had this problem.
I’ve been pulling out my eyelashes since I was about 7. Now at age 25 I’m really scared they’ll never grow back because of years of pulling them out. I’m not really sure why I do it. I thought it was just a habit but after reading all these posts I can see it’s most likely deeper than that. I have a few scattered eyelashes here and there. If I do my best to stop will they ever be a “normal” set of eyelashes?
Thanks for all of your words. I relate to almost all the entries.
-Jenn
wow it’s amazing that so many other people have this problem. I attribute my eyelash pulling to just being allergic to mascara. I seem to only pull on my eyelashes when I have mascara on them. I’m going to try switching to a hypoallergenic one like Almay and see if that helps. it is embarrassing when I have bald patches, but I found eyeliner does wonders to fill in those bald spots. Which might only contribute to my allergy of eye makeup. I don’t think my life is particularly stressful, I am a happy person. I am not about to go on antidepressants. Like another poster said I think it is just a bad habit. The reason I think it’s allergies is because my eyelashes will itch which will trigger my impulse to pull. Once I pull them they don’t itch anymore. But I get a weird sense of satisfaction when I pull and a big chunk comes out. lol
My 14 year old has been pulling since around 9. She got terrified the first time she pulled out most of her eyelashes. I didn’t know it was trich for a couple of years and unfortunately told her off and did all the parent lecturing one does when confronted by a child’s self destructive behaviour.
Once we realised it was a medical condition we took her straight to the doctors and they sent her to an outpatient therapy centre. Unfortunatley we live in CHCH and for over a year have had several huge and devastating earthquakes and this interuppted her therapy. Her decline into pulling has now lasted 7 months without any regrowth. The worst it has ever been.
She is a gifted and talented child and the original triggers were to do with perfectionism and her desire to over achieve at school. Now there seems to be no reason, just an urge. She leaves her eyelids and eyebrows swollen and red. She said it doesn’t hurt to pull, but is hurts in the morning. She is a beautiful caring girl who deserves to live without the shame and sadness and secrecy and lying and hiding this causes. We are going back to the doctors today. She said that she now has no control and for 7 months we have tried to give her space to use the techniques she was given but she is unable to do this.
We have told her that trichotillomania isn’t shameful or naughty or bad. It isn’t a failiure it is a medical condition. What isn’t good is the lying and denial that comes with it. This is what we need to confront. The shame and dishonesty and sneaking so if she is going to pull for the rest of her life, she atleast has a better self esteem and can learn to live along side this condition and not be ruled by it.
As a parent it is my hope she can control these urges because it is sad to see her isolate and hurt herself. But if she can’t, then I will do anything to help live with it. This is just a parent’s point of view. My child often has no facial hair
i’m eighteen and i’ve been pulling my eyelashes out for about 3 years now.. it makes me depressed and insecure. i study beauty therapy at college and having this stupid disorder makes me feel so out of place and ugly. girls notice it and i have to tell them what i do. it’s embarrasing. i go through good stages only to then pluck them out. help me. please.
I started pulling when I was 7, but now I’m 14. I pull whenever I am stressed, nervous, or angry. It’s like a distraction. I’m so focused on pulling the eyelash that I am able to not think about what is bothering me. Sometimes I will keep pulling. Even when it hurts. I guess I kinda like the pain. My mom has tried to get help, but she is a high school counselor & she thinks that only therapy will work and I’ve just had really bad experiences with it. Worst if all, my dad acts like norhing is wrong. He fails to even acknowledge that my eyes are bare. The kinda ironic thing is that he seems to be unable to “see” it, but kids just all seem to notice. It’s really hard for me to talk about it, but knowing that everyone who comments is going through the same thing really helps.
Brianna´s last [type] ..Turning OnTrich Into A More Helpful Resource For Trichsters And Family
I’ve been pulling out my eyelashes for 5 years now. I am 15 years old and have depression and anxiety but I am getting help and seeing someone
I started pulling my eyelashes out the year we moved out of my hometown and way before my depression and anixety came out full force. When my mom first noticed I was missing my top eyelashes I made up a story where i burned them off and I kept this up for 5 years and since yesterday I told my story was just a lie because I was embarassed to tell her the truth that I pull my eyelashes out and now that i’m older I am starting to really want eyelashes again because it’s affecting my self-esteem. When I realized I had a problem I have been researching about trich and never realized what it was and now I sorta understand. I always thought that I was alone with trich but I am continuing to know more about it and I was suprised to see some many people go through this as well. I am starting to try and stop pulling but it’s like a stress reliever for me and some tips would be great to help stop the pulling.
Kelli´s last [type] ..Turning OnTrich Into A More Helpful Resource For Trichsters And Family
Hey guys, im 15 and started pulling out my eyelashes when i was 7. I guess it kind of begun when i found i didn’t like the look of them mainly my eyebrows, it seems stupid to me now but i used to like most girls try to base my appearence of magazinses. They all looked so beautiful with lovly thin stylish eyebrows and i begun to think that mine were to thick so i tried to trim the down but accidently took most of it off. This really annoyed me but i tried to do the same to my other brow to even them out and i did the same to my lashes, but more recently it has become about stress or boredom whenever im in an exam or sitting at the computer i just start to do it without realising. When i was younger i tried Therapy but it did not work, he just constantly reminded me of it which really did not help at all. now a days i run my fingers along my lash and cause they’re growing back it feels really stubly and so i pull it out since it doesn’t feel right. When I found this post it really cheered me up, before i felt i was alone with this now i realise that im not, thanks so much!
I was just an ordinary girl. I never thoguht anything bad was going to happen to me. But then, it happened. I don’t know why or how, but I started picking my eyelashes around end of 3rd grade or the begining of 4rth grade. I don’t think i knew what i was doing then, but i know now. My eyelashes are gone, and when small stubs try to form, i pull them out. I have absolutly no control over it. Right now, i’m 13 years old and i’m in 8th grade and the picking has only gotten worse. I want to stop, i just can’t control it. I don’t know anyone with this disorder, which makes it even harder I’ve tried false eyelashes, but i’m not the biggest fan of them. I’m the only person in my whole town with this disorder. At my school, alot of people are into the whole “dating” thing. Sure, i’m friends with alot of the boys in my class, and they always tell me how funny i am and how i’m probably one of the nicest girls in the class. But do you think any of them would even try and ask me to be their girlfriend? Of course not. It’s hard for me to walk around the hallways at school and see everyone with eyelashes and most of the girls wearing mascara or eyeliner. “Why can’t I look like that?” No answer ever seems like a good enough answer. There have been plenty of times where i’ve told myself to stop, or said that I’m going to finally stop. but it never happened. I don’t like the way i look. It bugs me to have no eyelashes, but for whatever reason i still pick them. My grade’s semi formal is coming up in may, and i really want to have eyelashes for it, but I don’t know if i’m gonna have them. And what scares me more is that i’m going to be in high school next year. If i don’t have eyelashes by then, there’s no way i’m going to survive high school! I just don’t know how to stop. I’ve tried just about everything to get myself to stop, but nothing has worked, and who knows if it ever will.
^^
Hey everyone!
I started picking my eyelashes in 4th grade. I don’t remember why, I just remember my hands moving toward my eyes and I remember the “plucking”. For some reason, it just felt good. I’ve noticed over the years that it is mostly in time of stress, and when I was going through my depression. I’ve gone to the doctor and a therapist, for awhile, I’d used the tools that they’d given me, and plucking ceased. However, when I hit about 16, the plucking started up again. I was so afraid of everyone noticing that I made myself stop. However, when I hit 18, and my first year of college, it went back into full swing. Once again, I am putting my tools to use, and I’m seening lashes now come back in. I don’t know if this will work for everyone, but my trick is relativley simple. I keep this 1$ coin in my pocket or near me at all times. Your object wouldn’t have to be a coin, but something relativley small that you can keep with you. At any moment that you find your hands going to pluck, or feel the urge, start rubbing the object between your fingers. I describe it as your training your fingers to do something else, whenever you feel the sensation. I’m not starting my second semester of my second year of college, and surviving with trich. ;]
And to Kate, your only 13. I know you probably won’t believe me, but you can get through it. The younger teenage years are horrible. You’ll get through it though. There is SO much more to life than teeenage boys. Besides, they get even more handsome and sweeter when you get to the end of high school/ the beginning of college. Use these years to find out what you want out of life, and have fun. Don’t worry about the relationship part. Chances of very high none of the relationships formed in junior high are going to last anyway. Work on taking care of yourself first. =]
I wish the best to everyone!
Hello! My son is nine and just started pulling his lashes out in November of 2010. We are at the beginning of this and all this information is so helpful. Thank you very much. I will be trying some of the tips to get him to stop.
I just recently developed this problem, like a few months ago. I pull out my top and bottom eyelashes and sometomes my eyebrows. At first I didn’t understand.. so I looked it up and found out a ton of people do it too. It doesn’t stop me from feeling bad:/ I’m 16, and I tend to basically pluck all of my eyelashes, and then cover it up with tons of eyeliner. And I’m afraid to go to a friends house because I don’t want to wake up, and all my eyeliner is gone and they notice… and when people comment on it or something I feel worse, because I used to have long thick eyelashes, and its obvious I don’t now. I noticed its usually when I’m stressed.. or sad or something, like I have just pulled a ton out, and this past week I’ve been fighting with my boyfriend and had to break up with him. And I feel like that’s why I’m doing this. What I’m trying to do is have a hairtie or rubber band on my wrist all the time, so when I have the urge I play with it or snap it on my wrist, and that kinda gives.me the sensation of pulling hair. Nobody knows I do thus.. but I think I’m going to tell my mom even though its hard. It really helps to know m not alone though.