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I pull out my eyelashes
Dec 30, 2007
need help
I'm 20 years old and I pull out my eyelashes, I've been doing this for a couple of years now and I need help and I've finally realized I can't do it alone. Anyone with the same problem, please friend me. I'm tried of this horrible habit and starting today I'm done pulling them out.
Post a Comment
, Dec 30, 2007
I do that too from time to time, mostly because I feel irritation as if they are growing into my eyes. It seems the more I try to remove the problem lash, the worse it gets. Then I'll let them grow out until I get irritated. I'm trying to see if washing my face or applying eyedrops helps with the irritation.
, Jan 01, 2008
this is a form of anxiety- have you ever seeked medical advice? There is medication to help you. I had eyelash pulling since I was 5 years old (over 50 now) and still find myself pulling hair when I am stressed. There is something comforting with the little bit of pain associated with the hair coming out- takes ones mind off all the other **** flying around in your head.
I commend you for trying to stop this on your own. You do need to trade off this emotional pain outlet for something else or you will never stop. I copied this paragraph below from the Dr. Phil's site:
The way to break an old habit is to replace it with a new behavior. You need to develop a new thought pattern, a new behavioral pattern, and you need to have the maturity to grab hold of it and stick with it. You just have to be willing to say, I am not going to indulge myself in this way, and I am going to learn new coping skills to replace those with. "Things often start for one reason and continue for another. This may have started with anxiety; it has now become an addiction. And you don't break addictions; you replace them with a new, incompatible behavior that you are mature enough to stick with.
Good luck, keep your fingernails cut very short and get a 'worry ball' or something to keep your hands busy.
, Jan 17, 2008
hi i have been pulling my eyelashes out since last summer and i am being bullied about it at school and as i am in my last year this was all i needed with big exams coming up
, Feb 16, 2008
Im 12 and i've been pulling my eyelashes out since i was 3 =(
2 People in my class at highschoool have noticed and they're joking about it i cover it up with eyeliner but it just irritates me that i have this ''Probem'' :|
And i have a fe wleft on each eyelid and they just go straigjt down not curved up so they stick 2 my bottom ones (which i never pull out?)
Because of the eyeliner
I stoppeed for a couple of years because i got setteled after moving
But then we moved again and ive started
I NEED to stop but i cant i duno how to.
One year i puled every single eyelash out
My dad went mental >:S
But i gotb through it.
Does anyone have any like things to do when i feel the urge to pull them out.
, May 09, 2008
Due to anxiety and stress over many personal issues last year, I pulled all my upper eye lashes and eye brow hairs out. After reading all the comments posted here, there are many of us with bald eyes out there. Other than therapy, which I'm currently in to address my behavioral problems, has anyone found something to use to camoflage the baldness until the eyelashes grow back in...that looks natural. I look like a freak!
, May 17, 2008
I've been doing pretty good with not pulling and about half my eyelashes are grown in and I can now use mascara again, which for me helps not to pull them out. But before that I found this clear mascara that has vitamin E in it, (at CVS) which helps keep the lashes strong. This is a wicked hard addiction, but I realized that I'm just tired of hiding it from everyone. I use eyeliner and no one knew about this, and I've dealt with it for years, that I didn't have eyelashes. I've dated and have had many boyfriends for long periods of time, even my boyfriend now who I've been with for 2 years doesn't know I have this problem. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm very good at hiding it and covering it up and hiding it from him and I don't want to have to tell him about it until I have all my eyelashes and am over this addiction. Even though I am ashamed to talk about it, my mom has been a big help with talking to me about it and everything and also my best friend who I've told. But I'm just tired of it. So whenever I find myself feeling my eyelashes I just tell myself no and paint my nails or just busy myself. Also I found whenever I read a book, I'm more prone to pull because I have nothing to do with my hands. If I physically keep myself busy then I don't pull. So as scary and embarrassing as it is, talk to your closest friends and parents about it. They should understand and help you. Hope this helps and write back, keep in touch! We can help each other get through this. This site as also helped me in more ways than I could ever have known because I now know that they're are many people out there with this same problem. Goodluck!
, Jul 09, 2008
Pulling out your eyelashes is a coping mechanism that you use to not have to deal with thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing. Some people choose alcohol, some choose exercise, some choose drugs, cooking, knitting, reading.....You have just chosen something that is harmful instead of something like knitting that keeps your hands busy, but after doing it for an hour, wont leave your eyelids bald, and it also wont leave you with the shame and embarassment you feel until they grow back in.
I'm 22 years old and Ive been pulling for about 2 years now, and recently pulled every single eyelash out and I currently have none. Its hard to not be able to go to the beach with friends because I dont want them to find out when my eyeliner could wash off in the water, or spend the night with my boyfriend because my eyeliner could rub off in the night and he could see in the morning. It really pushes you away from doing things you love which makes you feel worse, which depresses you, which makes you pull more. Its a vicious cycle, and its very hard to stop the cycle. Also, I've tried quitting and I move to something like picking at my cuticles, lips, face, arms, and legs.
It has become a habit to pick, and it feels good to do it. If you ask yourself if you really want to give up that feeling, the answer is probably no. And thats okay! You have used it as a crutch for so long that it is actually scary to give it up.
If anyone would like to talk or have a support buddy (this really helps) let me know and I would be happy to try to quit together!
, Jul 10, 2008
i'm 33 and i have being pulling hair from my eyelashes, eye brows, and scalp on and off for at least 9 years. I just thought my eyes or skin was irritated and look for symptoms. i also thought it was because i wore contacts. then i thought my eye lashes were growing the wrong way(hmmm...) then one day my friend saw that i had hardly any eyelashes and laughed so hard i felt ashamed and she reminded me a few time afterward of what happened. i, too wore eyeliner cover the bald areas. i have been through some really hard times and i start to realize when i was mosst likely to pull my eyelashes out. i have successful career, a wonderful daughter, some really good friends but none of them know about my problem. i began looking for more information on eyelashes and thought it had to do with my thyroid or something. yes i am more prone to pulling when i am in bed or early in the morning. i use my nails some times or if i find tweezers i'm in big trouble. trying to look au naturel is so hard(Hmmm...) i ask my self why and there is no answer that has helped my stop this behavior for very long. now, i am aware that i am not the only one and this makes me feel better. i will try to document if i pull every day and see how that correlates with my circumstances at that time. i am going to try to let all my lashes grow back in. I never had to use makeup until i had to cover the bald areas. it is tough to keep everything in order.
tired of towing the line
, Jul 11, 2008
I see that a lot of girls admit that they pull but what about guys? Is it a majority of women who do this or are men just not researching and admitting what they do?
, Jul 16, 2008
I have had this problem since i was seven years old and im now 26. I t makes me really mad and frustrated because i know that when i have grown them all in i know eventually they will all be out again, and then its followed by about 8 weeks of embarressment and hiding my face from people which then also makes me very deppressed. I had up until yesterday two beautiful eyes with full long lashes on both wich i was so so proud off, loved making them look pretty tring out different makeup etc, and because of some stresses in my life i sat and pulled out every last one of my top lid yesterday. I feel physically sick that i have done this yet again and have already been avoiding seeing people, im going to have to miss special social events because of it, and i have realised that i can no longer fight this problem on my own. My biggest fear is that eventualy they will stop growing back altogether, i have been so lucky up till now cos they have always grown back beautifully thick and long, i suppose now again its just a waiting game, and im going to have to find the strength to to get throughthe next 8 weeks without them. If any body has any advice in getting help with this disorder or any ideas on how to help them grow through quicker i would really appreciate any comments, well all have to help each other x
, Oct 28, 2008
you all are not alone. i pulled out all of my eyelashes till everyoe in my school found out. now i have big eyelashes like i did. You just have to grow them out and not pull at them. I know how youall feel .once you start, its hard to stop.
, Nov 06, 2008
i have this problem too, im 17. its so hard to stop, i have been growing them out for two weeks, and they were just starting to look normal, then just today i was studying for a major exam and i got very nervous, and with out even realizing i pulled out some of my brows and lashes. i guess i just feel like my brows are in my way bc they are very long, i remember i had long lashes and thick brows when i was little, everyone would compliment me on them. then just this year i began to pull, it started with my eyebrows, then idk how it got to lashes. i started brows because i had a ingrown hair in one of the brows, so i plucked it, and then i just kept picking at it, until all the hairs were gone, afterwards i cried so much, i think the advice everyone has given is good, it gives me encouragement to let them grow out. im sick of being embarassed about this, i wear these really real looking fake eyelashes, but no one knows how bad it really is, i have told my boyfriend, who ive been dating for about a year. but he dosent know how bad it is. i never want him to know until they are normal again. :(
does anyone know if their is any meds i could take to help me calm down and not be so nervous?
, Nov 09, 2008
hi guys. i've never went through this kind of problem, so i can't fully understand you. for me it's just another kind of dependece, like biting your nails. in this second situation the best solution is to cut your nails every time that it gets long enough for you to bite them. so when you are selfconfident enough to not bite your nails you can let them grow. maybe you can do the same thing with your eyelashes. so instead of letting yourself pulling them out, just cut them. cutting your eyelashes is far away better than pulling them out, because they WILL SURELLY grow again and even stronger and longer. meanwhile you can stick with false lashes and when you are confident enough that you won't pull them anymore you can just let them grow.
if you don't want to cut them just shift to your arm hair. if you don't have any armhair nobody would say anything.
maybe i've just said a bunch of ****, but i really hope i helped.
, Nov 23, 2008
for as long as i can remember i have pulled my eyelashes out, if its not my eyelashes its my eyebrows or my hair. i'm 16 now and i remember the first time my bestfriend noticed it, i was so ashamed when she asked why i didn't have any, i was about 6 and jst said that i rubbed my eyes and they just came out. i have been through a difficult childhood, from bullying, to my parents divorcing, then a friend with cancer moving in with us. i found that these were the times when it was at its worse. of course school pressure also added to this. i would tell myself i would never do it again, but then i would have a bad day and i would find myself pullin them out again, i feel sick and am so worried that someone will notice. i try wearing thick mascara on the ones i have left and i have a fringe which covers up my eyes most of the time. i don't look at people in the eyes which i know looks rude but i am embarressed. The thing is, i am starting up modeling and acting and i need to stop coz i can't have photos with me and bald eyes. i don't know if i can tell anyone, ive tried to stop but then something just goes wrong again. please help
, Feb 27, 2009
Hiding my addiction by drawing my eyes on was my wake-up call.
I have been pulling my eyelashes for most of my life. I did not even realize I had a problem until I was 23 and confessed to my obsession with my eyelashes. A childhood friend of mine said, "Oh yeah, I remember you doing that when we were in 3rd grade." I thought I was completely alone in my compulsion. But I suffered through the shame of coming clean about my disorder.
I was diagnosed with Trichotillomania. It is a type of OCD. After I accepted this as my problem I looked at other areas in my life, OCD was everywhere. I was not just pulling my eyelashes out, I also had obsessions with picking. I would pick at any skin imperfection and my poor eyelashes, if one did not lay right - out it went. There was also the eyebrows. I was gently tug at them for any loose hairs and I would constantly groom them, tweezing, shaping, trimming ... I am surprised I still have them.
Eye makeup is a catalyst for my pulling. I don't know what it is about gently rolling my mascara covered eyelashes between my fingers that is so gratifying. I will roll them until all the mascara has come off, my eyeliner is all over my face, and my fingers are black from makeup. Any time my hands are not busy, I FIGHT the urge to mess with my eyes.
I started to speak out about my Trichotillomania, my compulsions, and I quickly learned that I am not alone! There are many other women who suffer as much as I do if not worse. My friend Steph, she once had no eyelashes and I was the only one to notice. We share our stories and I am happy to say, she is growing them back. My friend Mini, she's overcome her eyelashes and brows. Together we also tackled some of her OCD. It is amazing what you can find in a friend.
I have not yet won the battle with my OCD. But I have made leaps and bounds over some of my compulsions. I am now 27 and have come to terms with my lash pulling. Sometimes it is really bad and other times I can go days or even weeks without a single pull. But I am determined to beat this thing.
, Mar 02, 2009
Hi Im 17 and this is really weird for me to admit this but I pull my eyelashes out all the time! Ive been doing it since I was 15. But this yr I keep picking my eyelashes non stop. I think it started out as stressed related but now it has just become a terrible habit. I just cant help it. I mean, I told myself many times to stop but I find myself doing it again and again. Today, I just plucked more eyelashes out and now both my eyes have missing eyelashes! It really ***** and makes me depressed and then that sometimes causes me to pull out even more! I look like a moron now.... ughhhh:( But I do have some great tips for you guys. I have been getting these packs of individual lashes at Target but you can also get them at a beauty supply store. They are perfect for gaps. They look very natural if you glue them in correctly. I also get clear lash glue. The black glue didnt really work for me. Well, I hope these tips might help you guys. They help me! I just cant wait till I finally grow my eyelashes out! If anyone has any tips for me to stop pulling them out, that would be great:)
, Mar 14, 2009
im 26 ive been pickin my lashes since i was 15 it is addicting and i do believe its related to nerves i think that changing habbits is a start to living healthy. there is some good advise in this forum i waill try some of it. i need help.
, Mar 15, 2009
i pull out my eyelashes too. im 14 years old, i started when ii was really young. and would stop and start up again. I wouldt stop for a few years, and they would all grow back, then i would start to pull them again, im glad im not the only one. and its hard because both of my best friends have amazing long and thick eyelashes, but i cant do anything about it, but good thing my mom called the doctor.
, Mar 20, 2009
I am 14 and i have been pulling my eyelashes out for five years.
I have some to terms that i have the disorder Trichotillomania.
I hate it. I feel so weird and i know nobody who does it. I feel so alone.
And the weird thing is, i don't know why i do it?
I'm one of the happiest people you could ever meat, and i find myself doing this constantly.
when i was about like 12, it was the worst, i pulled out my whole bottom and all my top lashes, EVERYSINGLE ONE.
I looked like a freak, and i didn't really think about it.
But now, I've gotten way better, all of my bottom lashes are fully grown back and I've kept it that way, and
there are also some on the sides of my top. I also think about it a lot more than i used too.
But in the middle of my top eyelids pretty much the whole top they are gone.
I do put a motherload of mascara on whatever eyelashes i do have.
And when i feel them starting to grow back, i totally flip and start pulling them out. And when I'm pulling them it feels great, but afterward i regret it so bad. I could be sitting on the couch watching TV, or in bed or just whenever! I could be in the happiest mood ever, like i normally am, or i could be angry, or frustrated, it doesn't matter. I just do it.
Sometimes i stop myself, but it is so hard too. It's like a habit, like biting your nails?
I feel so retarded, like a mental case, and i wonder whats wrong with me.
I try and cover it up too. I wear a lot of eyemakeup, and it works sometime. But then some people say
"why is your makeup so dark?"
"why so much eyeliner!?"
Having natural makeup with my disorder is hard to do.
I wish i could, i love natural looking makeup.
But if i don't pound it on, i will look so freakish, and people will think it's disturbing.
But when people notice it at school... Awh man, school, School is the worst.. i don't know what to say. Sometimes i lie about it, and say its heredity or
something dumb. Other times I've fussed up and told the truth, and also i couldn't even say anything sometime i just ignore the person. It's so embracing, and i know people joke about me.
and one time when someone found out they like blurted it in class and it was so horrible, People were like WTF? I wanted to vanish in thin air. I already have a low self esteem enough as it is. But I'm NOT like some dumb emo kid TRUST ME, or some wannabe. This is real, and i don't understand it all. I have a hard time talking about it because nobody understands.
I struggle with it almost every other day, i can go weeks sometimes without pulling, One time i went like a month,
and i was so happy, i was like "I CAN DO THIS!"
But then spontaneously i fell and pulled again.
I feel like a failure.
I find myself always asking why me? why why why why. Out of everybody ME?
I want to be a girl with pretty full eyelashes, and the one who can buy the new totally tripped out mascara.
What really makes me mad are all those mascara commercials on TV, Those make me want to die.
It's like torture, like they are spitting in my face. Like I'm some worthless piece of ****.
I want to be a girl with pretty full eyelashes, and the one who can buy the new totally tripped out mascara, and get the comments, and just look NORMAL, and feel normal.
I never talk about this, i try to avoid it at all costs.
I don't want to keep living like this till I'm 50.
I want to meet someone who has the same issue,
i need a friend, someone just like this.
I pray to God about it.
I know i can beat this
I know it.
I need to have a friend to help me get through it when times are tough
And the thing is... nobody can make me quit with this.
Its all up to myself.
I have to find the strength within.
- Julia M.
, Mar 24, 2009
Wow i never realized how many people went through this. I'm 18 years old and started pulling out my eyelashes when i was probably 12 or 13. It's definitely a nervous habbit and i notice i do it a lot when i'm stressed out or bored. I go through cycles with it...periods with no desire to mess with my lashes and they get strong and long and healthy, and then all of a sudden when they're finally looking good again, i start pulling them out. I don't know how much or what you can do to stop this, but it's comforting knowing i'm not the only one with this problem.
, Mar 24, 2009
Wow i never realized how many people went through this. I'm 18 years old and started pulling out my eyelashes when i was probably 12 or 13. It's definitely a nervous habbit and i notice i do it a lot when i'm stressed out or bored. I go through cycles with it...periods with no desire to mess with my lashes and they get strong and long and healthy, and then all of a sudden when they're finally looking good again, i start pulling them out. I don't know how much or what you can do to stop this, but it's comforting knowing i'm not the only one with this problem.
, Mar 29, 2009
Is it possible that this isn't always coping mechanism. Could this be that this is healthy to do on an occasional basis? I lightly tug on mine, and they come out without any effort or resistance. Perhaps I'm just helping the exfoliation process along.
If you didn't brush your hair, wouldn't you have a buildup of dead hair and skin, like a dog that hasn't been brushed for a while sheds?
, Apr 07, 2009
Hey your not alone. Ive been pulling out my eyelashes for many years. I know Im doing it, but have a strong urge to do so. I feel that I have an eyelash that hurts like an ingrown one maybe and before I know it I have pulled most of them out in one eye. In fact, I just had an episode doing this. What is my problem? I also bite my fingernails. Have for about 30 years. Does anyone out there share this problem?
, May 16, 2009
i thought i was the only one, a freek, im 21 i have been pulling out my top eyelashes (never the bottom- not sure why) and eyebrows for 7 years and have only just admitted to myself that i have a problem and need help.when i was 13 i had no top eyelashes what so ever! amd i also used to bite my arm hair.
i got teased at school by everyone, kids would come right up to me and point and laugh and shout "its true she hasnt got a single eyelash" somehow i delt with it, but now i smoke and bite my nails all the time. Now my eyelashes are noticable, but there are still gaps i have never completly stopped for more than a few weeks, and now they are thin and short where as they used to be long and thick. i hate myself for doing it but really cant help it or explain it,
in my family grey hair very young is in the family, and i also cant stand my grey hairs i will sit there for hours with a mirror and tweezers and pick each grey hair its very painful but i get a kick from it too.kind of like self harm, i used to do this also and i used to make myself sick after each meal.
I told my mom but she didnt understand, dont think she wanted to hear it, also my parents are divorced and my brother suffers from hairloss,(alopecia) i think there may be a connection there.
...i also have a high pressured job which doesnt help i have a lot of deadlines to meet, but it keeps my hands busy, but as soon as im home i start, if one feels out if place, its gotta go, or if im tired i will twist them and pick off makeup. (i also chew on them! which i read is quite common.).then it gets itchy and the next one goes and so on. i tend to keep the end ones so that you dont really notice, but you can see the gaps from the side view.
i also avoid eye contact and always stare at the floor if people are talking to me, i sleep with my back to my boyfriend so he never sees the gaps when my eyes are shut. i have tried to make him understand but he doesnt say anything to me just changes the subject. i have a thick fringe that covers my eyes and also wear massive sunglasses even if it isnt sunny because im so self consious.
I have been obsessed with eyelashes for a long time now i always look at other peoples eyelashes to see how long they are or to check if they have some missing but have never seen anyone else with the same problem. im sick of it, i look like an alien sometimes and have noticed that over time, re-growth slows down alot so the longer i carry on with this the more time it will take to come back, im afraid that one day they will never come back. i have tried false eyelashes but even they irritate me.and i pull them off as soon as ive put them on.
now i have done some reseach i have found that there are alot of strange habbits i have got.. for example i crave carbohydrates,( but only potatoes- and any form, mash, chips, crisps, roast as long as its from a potato) then theres my constant lists writing of everything, pointless things, like what i wanna watch on tv or things i want to buy, or i will even go through the argos book and write the order codes and names of things that i want and total up the cost, and go through it again to check that i didnt miss anything and keep on checking it! i spend so hours doing this pointless task, but i also enjoy it for some reason?! it sounds crazy! i will make a list then write it again because i dont like my hand writting and then i store the lists! when i should throw them away- i have drawers full of bts of paper and notebooks completely full of lists re-written a million times! also this is very strange but i have to cut egg boxes- if its a box of six and i use 2 i have to cut off the empty egg compartments. and so on until theres just one egg left and no extra cardboard around it... cant explain that one- does any body else do that?! and i will lock things and unlock things incase i didnt lock them, like the front door, i will lock it then walk to the end of the street then have to come back to check if its locked, this often makes me late for work.
i evenwake up every hour on the hour but this only happens about 1-3 times a week. its mentally draining. does this happen to any of you guys?
thanks for reading i feel better now its off my chest ( i dont mean chest hair! dont have any of that and if i did, well you know what id do!) its also kept my hands busy for a while, saving many of my precious lashes!
good luck everyone!
: )
, May 19, 2009
I started pulling my eyelashes in grade school after i saw someone else do it. Ever since i have been doing it. It got worse as i started 7th grade. (i am now out of school, and 20). I was always bullied and stressed because of it. I got bad grades also. I didn't have many friends. To this day I still have little confidence. I am depressed with low seld esteem. I have an addictive personality and suffer from ocd. I hadn't pulled my eyelashes out (all of them) in a couple years. But all of the sudden i snapped and did again. This is the second or so time i have had no eyelashes at all. I usually would have gaps of eyelashes missing and that was it. I used to bite my nails all the time, but havent done that in over a year. I wish i could end all my bad habits. There was a time i over plucked my eyebrows too. Once my friend let me pluck hers and i overdid it. I have done many strange things to my body hair. I once took a shavor and shaved off some peach fuzz on my forehead and went to far and got my hairline and it looked terrible. Once i took scissors and cut a chunk of my hair out. I had to have shorter hair for a while. I have went as far as plucking my pubic hairs (painful) but true. Its like anytime i would pluck out a hair and see it i felt a relief. I never understood it. I find my addiction gross. I no longer do anything but pull eyelashes. I would pull on out and rub the end of it on my lips. I used to shave my pubic hair a lot like almost every day. Now i dont. Only when i feel like it. I dont have a bf or i would keep things tidy. Usually if i am not depressed i will shave my legs, arm pits each day. I sometimes shave my arms so they are nice and smooth. I also on occasion use my electric mini razor for nose hair. I wish i didnt have body hair (but i do want eyelashes). I want to have no arm hair, pit hair, bikini hair, peach fuzz. Other obsessions i have are food obsessions, using the internet (my email, myspace), wearing lipgloss, making lists (and throwing them away). I don't smoke, drink, do drugs, crack my knuckles, or any thing. I just pick at my body. Like scabs and pimples. I once went so far that i picked a huge scab open that i had after a surgery. I am not kind to my body. I don't cut. But eye lash pulling and picking is not good and i want to stop. I feel ugly and like a freak because of it.
, May 28, 2009
I never knew anyone else shared this problem, like most of everyone else I thought I was alone in all this. I am 20 years old and currently have no top eyelashed, and I am, curious as to why I feel no urge to touch the bottom ones. I started pulling them out when I was like 14 or so. I could never tell anyone why they were really gone, not even my parent. I remember when my mom noticed she asked me and I played dumb, so she and doctors were convinced I had alepecia. I never imagined it was some kind of OCD thing and I am comforted in the fact that there is a logicall reason for why im doing it. Its caused a lot of embarresment and grief in my life. High school was hell when anyone would noticed, but I also wore eyeliner and for the most part no one even knew. I cant seem stop, and like an addiction I tell myself I wont but without realizing it im doing it again. Ive gotten a lot better at looking people in the eyes,and forgetting they are even gone but im too self concious to not wear makeup infront of people. After reading everyones stories I have decided that I am going to try to have more will power and use different techniques to try and stop. Does anyone know of any medical cream or something that might speed up the process. Also I have not let them grow since the first time I plucked them ALL out, so will they all grow back still? Im so glad to know there are people to talk to!
, Jun 13, 2009
Wow. Okay, I am 20 years old. I have been pulling out my eyelashes for a very long time. I'm not sure exactly when it started, but I couldn't have been older than 8. I only pull out my top eyelashes as well.
I remember how it started: There was this little girl that was the daughter of one of my mom's friends. One time I overheard her mother and my mother talking. The lady was telling my mom that her daughter had pulled out all of her eyelashes. I was curious, so I tried. I don't remember what I felt when I did it or if it started right then...but that is the first time I remember pulling.
I have kept this a secret to absolutely everyone. Not one of my friends ever knew, and no one in my family knows. I have gone to great extent to keep this a secret. I have told everyone that they fall out on their own. This has become a lie that even I had begun to believe when I told it. I learned to put on my makeup AFTER i started doing this, so i'm a pro at making it so that no one really notices unless they are either right in my face or if I don't have on makeup. I am open with those that are close to me about not having the eyelashes...the only thing I keep a secret from them is that I am the reason I don't have them. Even when my own sister did research for me, she told me about this disorder where people pull out their eyelashes...I denied it. She wasn't accusing me, she was just telling me about it. It was a great chance to tell someone and have someone to help, but it was just too embarrassing. I didn't tell her.
It is 4:00 in the morning right now, and I was just laying in bed trying to go to sleep. I was messing with the tiny stubs that barely pass as eyelashes...I don't know why. It's like I cant keep my hands off of them. Even when I pause from typing, my hands go right up to my eyes. So I grabbed my laptop and decided to do some research of my own.
I googled the phrase "I pull out my eyelashes". This site came up. I began reading all these comments and stories and to my surprise, I started crying. I created an account here and I'm not sure what I expect to get out of this. Maybe it just helps to talk to people who are going through the exact same thing that are my age and understand. I can finally tell someone.
All I know is that I want to stop. I have told myself many many times "this is the day that I stop"...and occasionally I can go a couple of weeks without pulling...but I always go right back. I have noticed that I do it more when I am stressed. I'm tired of being envious of the girls in mascara commercials or my friends who have luxurious eyelashes. I have tried coaching myself. I have tried grabbing the tweezers and plucking my eyebrows instead...I just wind up attacking my eyelashes with the tweezers. Disgusted with myself all the while doing it. As silly as it sounds, I have tried slapping my own hand very hard when I realize I'm doing it. I'm so tired of feeling like I am not as beautiful as I could be just because I don't have eyelashes, Look, if anyone wants, add me as a friend and maybe we can help each other out. If that's the way this works. I don't know, I didn't even take the time to figure this thing out before I came to talk to you guys.
, Jun 14, 2009
I am amazed! I had no idea this many people went through this. I just wish there was another explaination besides having OCD. I just looked up symptoms -you know- eyelash (or lid) infections, and there was this lid abnormality about the misdirection of eyelashes, although I really wanted that to be my problem I knew it wasn't correct. I wanted to have an excuse to do this. Like a valid reason. And I wanted a treatment.
I hate it when I do it but it's becoming so common (and I KNOW this is bad) I just shrug my shoulders because I have my eyeliner. People have told me their eyelashes have fallen out when they left mascara on through the night so I told myself that was it; I wore mascara today, must be irritating me. Deep down, I knew that wasn't it..
Right now, I have a large bald gap on my eyelashes. And I keep scratching at it, playing with it, and eventually I'll make the gap larger. I simply can't help it. It was just today I noticed how thick and pretty my eyelashes were. Then one little tug in the right spot and then I yanked one out... Oh it's not that bad... Just one more... Maybe I should get the tweezers and pluck the right one out... Atleast I have those three left there... Aw, hell, it's just three... I'll just put some eyeliner on it... There's alot here, wouldn't hurt to pluck a few... That's what runs through my head FYI.
I also pluck my eyebrows excessively. I check them every day. I remember when my mother threatened to hide every pair of tweezers in the house. I knew I had my secret pair so I was fine. I was prepared for this because of how much she bitched at me for plucking them. She said "Whenever your eyebrows look like they need plucked... I'LL do it."
I was wondering... Can OCD be inherited? Because my mother has to have atleast ONE form of it.
I bite/pick my nails, I tend to pick at scabs(but I'm getting alot less knee injurys with age( ;), and I sort my food out, like I eat all the skittles beside the red ones because I save those for last and I line up my french fries and eat them starting with the smallest. Now that I'm typing this all out I feel even weirder. I just read over this and had an urge to pluck when I read how I described it.
Here is more important info on what might help the "diagnosis" I suppose :
I started at 11.
I don't wear alot of eye make-up, unless it's covering up a previous eyelash loss.
My eyelashes do tend to get tender when I tug at them, urging me to pluck another to subside the tenderness.
I have many friend and wonderful best friends, but a few troubles at home. (if that helps?)
I chew gum ALOT; VERY frequently. And if I don't have gum to chew on or get tired of it, I gnaw at my lip or snack.
When I sit or rest, I HAVE to be moving something (usually my leg/foot), I'm lying on my bed right now tapping my feet together.
Oh, and I'm very bad about "popping?" my fingers (I pull them upward untill they make a satisfying pop.) I do it unconsiously almost. I crunch my toes too. (I push my curled toes against the back of my heel til they crunch)
There's probably more but it's not coming to mind. Please, feel free to e-mail me (freak to freak) at email@example.com. I'd love to chat with someone I could relate to, or if your just bored like me.
I respect you all and have plenty of gratitude towards each of you for being able to admit this and make me tear up.
, Jun 16, 2009
Hi guys i have the same problem and i really want to stop pulling my eyelashes because everytime i let my eyelashes regrow i always seem to pulled them off without noticing and i really regret it badly. I've been having this problem since 10 years old and now im 14 and its kinda embaraccing or however was spelt like and i really wanna know how to get them to regrow faster and is it true if i dont touch them they'd have regrown after 8 weeks?
, Jul 12, 2009
Hi I'm 17 and I have been pulling my eyelashes out for years and I wish I could stop... I hv stopped for weeks b4 but the I started. When people in school started noticing and asking questions I would lie to them... That was wen I realised I had a problem but it didn't stop doing it... It's really hard to stop... If I am busy I won't do it but if I'm bored or tired I would do it I find it comforting. I didn't think so many people were going thru the same thing.
, Jul 18, 2009
OMG Ladies their are many of us out there with the same problem. Well I pull out my lashes of course!Not so often now cant even notice that much. I started about 3 months after i got pregnant with my 1st child, i was 18 yeah a little too soon I know now i'm 25. I was very stressed and stayed home all the time. I started pulling a few at first but then I could not stop!! i have pics from my baby shower and i had no lashes!! i did not even wear that much make up to cover it up idk why?? Later I did start putting a lot of mascara on and my husband noticed about 2 yrs later. i catch my self pulling when I'm very stressed or when i'm watching a movie... i need to keep my hands busy. i learned to control myself a little. i have my lashes ok now. You know what I do when I catch myself pulling my lashes, I instead pull on the clear hairs on my face or the very small mustache hairs. i just need to pull and the small pain that pulling brings i just like. I try to stay away from my eyes and i been doing good hopefully I keep it up. it's scary and depressing cause once u pull almost all of them out man! theirs no going back only wait to see if they grow. i started using Billion Dollar Brow products for my eyebrows & lashes. I dont pull my eye brows but they are a lil thin. Product did work!!! i was so amazed but i ended up pulling most of my beautiful long lashes out! Ladies take a pic of yourself with out make up and keep it in a safe place. When you want to start pulling just look at ur pic & see how ugly it looks. Try BillionDollarBrows.com or Osmotics.com or lilash.com (lilash is more expensive but really works) like I said i also tried billiondollarbrows which it also worked but took a little longer 2-4 weeks (cheaper) I think i pull most cause my eyes get itchy. i been using the aplicator for the eyelash product i bought i'ts like a mscara brush just more gentle to my eyes. I use that just like if i was apllying mascara until the urge goes away. Good luck to everyone and hopefully every single one of you overcome this.... trust me you are not alone. Someone should step up and bring some awareness to this problem because I'm sure theirs more ppl then us out their that are unable to share their problem. We should not be ashamed! no it is not our fault we just got to step up to the plate and fight! It's your body & mind and you need to learn to control. God bless!
, Jul 22, 2009
wow, i thought i was the only person in the world with this problem. i had no idea it actually had a medical name. i'm 19 and have been plucking my eyelashes since i was 7 or 8. i don't even know how it started. everything in my life was ok at the time. the first day i did it i remember i had gotten up early and was watching cartoons in the living room. once my parents got up they immediately noticed and got onto me for it and wanted to know why i did it. i never thought much about it but i continued to struggle with it throughout my childhood. eventually i began plucking my eyebrows too. i guess i ran out of lashes so i had to pluck something. everytime i did it i was alone, usually in bed. i've tried to stop many times and it upset my mother so much that it made me stop but eventually i'd just forget and start again. it's always been this huge cycle of plucking, being found out by my mom, stopping, and starting all over again. for a while i just walked around looking like a freak until i started wearing makeup at 14. in the past few years i've learned that i could hide it with eyeliner. i also have bangs so you can't tell i have no brows. but this has created many problems for me. everyone has always told me how beautiful my blue eyes are and knowing this you would think i would stop. eyeliner covers up the missing lashes from the front, but when u look at me from the side u can totally tell they're gone. and my bangs cover my lack of brows but on windy days everyone can see. i've used massive amounts of hairspray attempting to keep my bangs from moving. i don't get my hair wet in the pool or around people. i've come up with many ways to hide my problem as best i can but i know people notice. my parents and grandparents know about it but it's a secret to everyone else, even my closest friend. but i know they can still see it. i just wish i could stop! over the past few years i've experienced alot of stress and this just seems to be my "escape". when i pluck i'm not thinking about anything else. i usually do it while i'm "trying to fall alseep" but i have begun to do it as i sit around. i immediately feel total guilt for what i have done but that never seems motivation enough. i want to be able to stop worrying about people finding out and live my life. i'm so withdrawn b/c of this problem. but everytime i'll say i'm gonna stop i eventually start back. i don't know what to do. it helps knowing i'm not alone but that will not stop it. if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. if u share this problem, add me as a friend and we can talk about it. often times talking about things helps me, but since i do not talk about this it just gets worse.
, Jul 24, 2009
Hey guys, I don't know if any of you still keep up with this post or not, but I do. I have been doing tons of research and I would like to share some things with you. Even if you guys don't still check up on this post, at least new people that go through and read every single comment like I did when I first realized that I wasn't the only one will read this and have a few questions answered if they haven't already. Just know that everything I am about to tell you I am getting from other websites. I'll post links to the websites if you guys want to follow them further.
When you pull out your eyelashes obsessively, it is called trichotillomania. It is considered an impulse control disorder, but there are still questions on how it should be classified. Wikipedia.
Our hair-pulling problem is often classified right along with obsessive skin picking. For some people, it is mild and can be controlled with a little concentration and awareness. For others -- as it seems most of us who have written about it on this site -- the urge can be so strong that it makes thinking of anything else nearly impossible. www.trich.org
Trichotillomania IS a psychological condition. It does affect many more females than males. Doctors used to believe that this condition was extremely rare, but more and more people are coming forward for help now. Most people develop it during adolescence, but it can start in children as young as 1 year old. Some people play with the hair that they pull out, and about half of the people who have the condition, put the hair in their mouths after pulling it out. Some are very aware of their pulling, and some seem to do it without noticing. This condition MAY be genetic (meaning sometimes it MIGHT run in the family.) Having this disorder affects how most of us feel about ourselves. It makes us less confident about making new friends and even dating. It can make us feel powerless because we can't stop. Some experts believe that it could be caused by an imbalance in the brain's chemistry. When something interferes with the brain's neurotransmitters, it can cause problems like OCD or repetitive behaviors. Any relief that comes with hair pulling usually only lasts for a moment. The urge almost always returns. That's because when the mind becomes used to giving in to the powerful urges that go with compulsive behaviors, the behavior is reinforced, and then becomes a habit. The mind gets trapped in a cycle of expecting to have the urge satisfied. The longer this goes on, the harder it can become to resist the urge. http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/trichotillomania.html#
One of the symptoms of trichotillomania is rubbing the hair that you have pulled out over your lips or face. (I rub them over my lips sometimes and I know i read somewhere up there that someone else did it too and thought it was weird. It's okay babe...you're not some sort of freak). http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trichotillomania
trichotillomania has no certain cause. There may be a combination of factors in different individuals such as a cough can be caused by many different things. OCD behavior is common in people with trichotillomania, such as compulsive counting, washing, or checking. Depression is also frequently associated with trichotillomania, although this could mean that depression could cause trich OR trich could cause depression...or both....or even neither. http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/trichotillomania
Children often recover completely from trich, however, the condition seems to be chronic and harder to treat in adults. www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/trichotillomania
In adults, focused pulling (when you are aware that you are pulling your hair out, and it gives sort of pleasure when you do...what I do MOST of the time) is more common than non-focused pulling (when you do it subconsciously, I do this only sometimes), although most patients tend to range between the two (completely me and probably most of you). http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071854-overview
Every single site that I have read has said that people with this disorder hide it from as many people as they can. We know more than anyone that it is embarrassing and that you feel like no one else would understand. DON'T FEEL BAD FOR NOT TELLING ANYONE.
I did come out and tell my boyfriend, who has been very open and understanding about it. He has tried to help me in every way. he actually came across an article that I am still searching to find again that actually said that they had done tests on an over-the-counter drug that may help us stop pulling (but it is not an anti-depressant). The article stated that only 50% of the people who tried the drug were helped by it, but it's worth a try. If i can find the article again, I will post a link to it.
, Aug 14, 2009
Well as everyone else I have the same problem. I did this when i was about 10. for about a year. then i stopped. I was probably stressed about the fact my mother is a drug addict and there was alot going on in my life atm. After I stopped they all grew back. now I am 19. Ive been doing this again for over a year. I started back when i started wearing my contacts. I was always trying to get that one eye lash that felt like it was hurting. and even after I got it id keep going. Its sad going through your senior year with no eye lashes and too embarrassed about it. I was a big part in my schools band and they wanted to cover my face with makeup and i didnt want anyone to put any on me. I didnt even buy senior portraits or go to prom bc you could see it, and the eyeliner didnt help very much. I have had alot of stress, and i think thats what I tend to do now when I am. I used to do it when it was close to my period and I was emotional and thats how i took out my anger. Now over the summer some how ive grown them back. I used something called lilash which REALLY does help. They have got so long, at one point I had to trim them. If your willing to not touch your eyes and want something to boost the growth, I recommend that to help. Right now tho I've kinda started back. KIND of. Ive been sitting here crying bc im upset about some family issues. My sister had a baby 3 months ago, and I love her with all my heart and she may get taken away bc her mom is too dumb to wanna stop doing drugs to care for her child. I pick at my eyes when im upset. I pulled a few out tonight and I wish i wouldnt have. Im wanting to know what I can do to not take my frustration out on my eyes. If anyone has any tips please let me know.
, Aug 17, 2009
Hi...im 25 and i pull out my eye lashes too for about 2 years... and it hurts and at the same time its good...i realized what makes me that anxiety...i drink alot of coffee!!!!!!!!!if i stop...i can control that anxiety...but when i drink that coffee its like i dont care... my fingers just want to pull em till im bald clean....so if its affecting your life in some way its better to get the help so you wont deal with it for ever...some day it has got to stop....hope this message work for everyone
, Aug 17, 2009
everyone should check out www.*************.org. It's online support groups and they have it for trichotillomania (hair pulling). It has helped me a lot!
, Aug 19, 2009
i have the same problem, and i always feel like it's soo noticeable. im tired of doing it. i need help.
, Sep 02, 2009
I have been pulling my eyelashes out ever since I can remember. A student teacher commented in the 3rd grade that I had no eyelashes on my top lids, my senior prom in highschool half of my eyelashes were out so I wore falsies. I'm 25 now. I find myself pulling whenever i'm bored or watching tv, on the computer, or under stress. Sometimes It starts off with just twirling all the mascara of my eyelashes then plucking one, then two, then i get a bald spot. It's embarassing and I use black eyeliner and the "smoky eye" look to cover it up. Whatever eyelashes I do have left I load them up with mascara. I never pull the bottom ones. Once my lashes do grow back I wear less make up and I feel a lot prettier and for whatever reason out of habit I start pulling again. Has anyone ever heard of that new drug latisse to help grow lashes? Has anyone tried it?
, Sep 12, 2009
I know I'm not supposed to say this cuz it's the opposite of what this whole entry is about I think...
But here goes...
I started pulling eyebrows and lashes when I was 7 years old. I think it was the only thing that got rid of the stress my mom put on me as a child. First, I got mad at her because she would only compliment me on the physical. Then it seemed like everyone always told me how beautiful I was because I had such amazing eyes with the longest lashes they had ever seen.
One day I saw a woman walk out of the post office with drawn eyebrows and I thought she looked so sophisticated and artsy. But I wondered what she looked like without the makeup. Then I wondered if people would still notice me if it wasn't for my eyelashes...
It was almost liberating to take control at such a young age in an act of defiance like that! But when my friends started to talk behind my back I felt really weird about it. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea... But by that time I'd already perfected pulling them so they didn't hurt anymore. It was like a cool release with every lash. I was addicted.
I too had major self-confidence issues til my aunt taught me how to do fake eyelashes. By the time I was 14 I was wearing black liner smudged with black eyeshadow so you couldn't tell the bottom ones were gone and fake lashes on top. As I started hanging out with the punk rocker kids I realized they didn't look at me like everyone else did. I actually prided myself on buying the craziest fake eyelashes I could. It became my signature. I remember my senior year one guy actually walked up to me and flicked my green false lashes and said, "How did you get ALL your lashes THAT green?" I smiled and said, "Well, I don't have any so that's why the crazy colors look super cool on me and no one else."
The point is I think the shame from doing it comes from society's perspective of what everyone should look like. No one should judge you because you have a bad habit. And yes it took me FOREVER to be able to look people in the eyes and I still struggle with it a bit when I feel like they're wondering why I don't have any. And I wear hats in the day so nobody really notices my eyes. I do feel weird without eye makeup though. But the bright side is when you get older people don't even really notice or care that much anymore. When people ask why I always say, "I just don't have them. Everyone has their flaws, right?" If you show confidence in yourself, keep the reason short, without the drama of EXACTLY why, then people don't think it's a big deal. When I realized that I had a lot more confidence.
I've tried to quit but my nerves are just too bad. I'm not saying I'm a victim and to feel sorry for me for not being able to quit, but you have 2 solutions...
1.) Quit however you can.
2.) Learn to love yourself with picking flaws and others will love you just the way you are, lashes, hair, or none.
My whole take on this thing is I think it's a sign of someone who is being abused. If you are fortunate enough to start doing this later on in life, look at your situation closely and you find you have stressors or even one HUGE one that prevents you from focusing on normal healthy outlets.
And to people who are comparing it to nail biting...
There are 2 kinds of people who nail bite.
-The kind that absentmindedly just fidget and do it when stressed.
-Then there's the kind that do it to a compulsion til the nail bleeds.
There are 2 kinds of lash pullers as well.
-The kind that just pick at mascara globs til they realize they are pulling lashes out too.
-Then there's the kind that can't stop til every lash is gone and the painful ones are the most addictive.
The point is to try and stop before it evolves into stage 2. People are fragile and can only handle so much stress, so once it builds if you can find a way to release it you will never pull another lash again. I stopped for 6 months actually because I found snowboarding was that outlet. Too bad it didn't last into the summer... My undoing was wearing mascara for the very first time. Removing it basically started it all over again. It's so engrained I do it sometimes without realizing it. I think if I got fake nails it would help. Too bad I play guitar... Sorry so long, but hope it helps someone. :)
, Sep 27, 2009
I do the same thing and I need help to. I started when I was 14 15 years old. I am now 20 and I want to stop. Its embarrussing and It makes me sad and depressed. Ive come to realize anything I try to stop it doesn't work. Its hard to see these girls who have long beautiful eyelashes and I have none. I need some encourgement. Its hard and I want to stop. Please comment me back and help me. please.
, Oct 15, 2009
hey i cant belive how many people goe throught the same habit as me well im 13 years old and i have a habit of picking off my eye lashes it all started wen i was in year 5 i was in class bored and the teacher was talking and then i was touching my face then went on to my eyes and then i started doin it . Every day in school i look at all of my girl mates and look at there eye lashes and my 2 best friends have lush long eye lashes and i want long eye lashes im new to this site firsty i typed in google what happens if you pulled your eye lashes outtt ?? this video came up and this women was talking how to stop i started crying then i found this site and seen all of these comments soo i joined and was hoping if any one would like to help me try and stop and i will help you aswell. Anyways when i go into school im always worried if one of my friends ask me why havnt i got any eye lashes well 4 of my friends ask me and i made up a lie in the morning when i wake up do my hair etc i look at my eyes and i say to my self im not going to do it and some times it works but then i do it then after i wants to cry my heart out till i die i hate the feeling after when i do it
That is why i want it to STOP NOW so any one who wants help add me as a friend and we will get pass this horrible habbit .
Jade xx
, Oct 18, 2009
heey my name is ashley and i have the same prob as you and i started pulling my eyelashes because Trichotillomania thats what my doctor told me and its so hard for me to go to school seeing everyone has nice long eyelashesn my friends start to notice i have none and the guy i like thinks it weird but i cant help it i always say i will stop and i will wait till my eyelashes grow back and i do it again n my friends say it would be easy if i just stop pulling them but it is so hard i tryed false eyelashes but they look to fake on me and eyeling but im not a big fan of makeup so i guess i have to deal with it
, Nov 12, 2009
hey im sixteen and have been pulling my eyelashes out for about a year and a half. i use to pull both my eyebrows and my eyelashes but now i just resort to my eyelashes. im extremely self conscious as it is and this makes it 100 times worse. i let them grow out and i loved them but then i was stressed and caught myslef doing it..now there all gone i cant talk to my parentsabout it cause they think im stupid. and im friends with my dr. daughter so i would feel weird telling her my probkem but i need to fix thiss!!!!!.
, Nov 14, 2009
i have the same problem. i have been pulling out my eyelashes for 6 years now. I've been doing it ever since i was 6 years old:-( i pulled them out for a long time until i was 10..then i didn't pull them out for a long time until i started to pull them out again when i was 12. i don't why i stopped for such a long time then started doing it again. it's weird. i started wearing eyeliner when i was 11 so people already knew i wore it. but then when i started pulling them out again i just covered it up with eyeliner so nobody ever realized anything was up. i really want this problem to stop but when i tell people i have this problem i feel embarrassed. so i don't really want to tell a doctor about it just cause it's so embarrassing but maybe i should. i never thought so many have the same problem as i do.
, Nov 25, 2009
I have the same problem. I started when I was in the fith grade... Now I'm 13. And I can't stop it I'm like addicted to it. Now my eyelashes look like crap, there broken I have voids in em. And they jus look messed up I catch kids staring at me at school but they don't ever say anything about it. But I can kinda control it I only do it cause it feels good but can anyone tell me how to make my eyelashes go back to normal looking... I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this problem.. I used to wear eyeliner( yes I'm a guy) and this one kid noticed on the bus and he told his friend so I just beat the crap out of him now we r best friends. But my mane concern is how to get them looking like normal again. Please help me!!!
, Nov 27, 2009
Im 15 year old, male. Had similar issue for nearly 7 years. Considered suicide 2 years ago because I had no eyelashes and bald spots all over my head. I was bullied on the bus and in school. My mom got all of those motherfuckers in trouble but today I cannot even look them in the eye. Even though I grew everything in except the top row, I live a lonely life and I dont ride the bus. I have few friends(the 2 I do have think i am messed up in the brain and belong on the Funny Farm) and i rarely go out. So, if anyone reading this contemplate suicide, I tell you it is not worth it. If someone is bullying you, you **** them up and make an example and I garuntee any future bully problems will be a fail.
At least I have good hand eye coordination? id like to see you pull them short ones out? ;-)
, Dec 10, 2009
Hey All,
So I see we all have something in common! I recently started picking my eyelashes...a few months ago actually. And it was not out of stress, but boredom! I find myself sitting in class and just picking the inner part of my eyelashes. And after I look in the mirror and see half my eyelashes gone and I just want to cry. People in my school have noticed, especially my boyfriend. All the time he says..."omg have you picked them again??!!!" and it makes me feel so horrible. I really need to stop because I do it so often I'm afraid they won't grow back again! I can hardly wear mascara.
Does anyone know if they will grow back, even if I've been picking them for a few months till the inner part of my lash is completely gone? Is there any medicine I can take? Its so embaressing for me and causing a stress to my life! But I'm glad I'm not alone :)
, Dec 18, 2009
Wow... There's alot of us hu.... I have been doing this from age 12 or 13 and am now 37.. No, the hair will not grow back after a while, it gets really thin and won't grow as fast. I also will rub them on my lip... I have gone as far as tattooing brows and eyeliner. For a while after doing the eyeliner I didn't touch them.. That was great.. I thought its over, and then I started eating ice... I didn't realize it until I read these testimonials, but I think the ice was my substitute for the pulling my lashes and brows.
For me it's Stress, when money gets tight or I just don't want to deal with something. I have to stop thought; I am a healthy person take very good care of my self have no self esteem issues. I don't know why I do this. I think its from stress as a child. I won't take meds. I am going to start looking for a natural way to bet this. I will stay in touch If anyone has found a natural way please share!!!
, Dec 21, 2009
hey. I'm 18 and have been pulling my top eyelashes for the past two years. there are a little bit of eylashes growing but not much
i started seeing a psychologist and taking meds but i still feel the bad habit to pull on whatever little eyelashes i have left
actually trying a medication called latisse...i mean I'm starting it...so hopefully it'll have more eyelash growth, and i was wondering if there were any suggestions to keep me
from pulling my eyelashes?
please and thanks!
, Dec 21, 2009
I'm 15 and I've been doing that for two years. What has been helping me is I would look at the girls in my school and wish that I have eyelashes like theres. It's the hardest thing in the word, but all I've been doing is preying and using the secret. I know if I take one out I have to take another. The only person that will help you is yourself, and hope that your not the person that still dose this in there 50s. If I put all the eyelashes that I took out I would have the a jar full of eyelashes it's scary. And I thouht that I was the only person in the world that dose this and I'm glad that I'm not. Good thing I finilly Googled this for help.
, Dec 23, 2009
I am 15 years old. So, today, just now, I Google'd this. I've been pulling my eye lashes out for a few months now. And I just had a feeling that I wasn't just doing this. I do it everyday. Constantly almost. I cannot stop myself. I LOVE it. My fingers are black from the access of my mascara clumps that I rip off as well. I have a sore on one eye from accidentally scraping it with my fingernail while pulling an eye lash out. Pieces of my make up fall on my face at school and all my make up is like completely gone by the end of the day, and I hate it. People always ask me if I've been crying wiping make up off of my face when they have no idea what it is I've been doing. Only two people noticed, until I told my mom and found out that I had a problem.
Any advice on how to quit?
And for all you others, thank you so much for coming out and sharing you're feelings. I thought I was alone.
This is really emotional for me,
but if any of you would like to talk personally and give me more information or just want to talk,
my email is,
Thank you guys so much!
, Dec 24, 2009
ihave the same problem, &i'm gonna fight it until it's over.
any encouragement from anybody would be a great amount of help<3
let me know if youu wanna talk &stop this tick together.
, Dec 29, 2009
Hey I never knew how many people did this I thought I was alone. I had a ? For those people that have talked to like a family member. I just wanted to know how to start the conversation. I'm 19 and I have been pulling secretly for many years as far as I can remember. I'm just afraid to talk to someone about it. Can you help me?
, Jan 06, 2010
Ive been pulling my eyelashes out for about 2 years, I'm 18 now. I used to have long beautiful lashes. I had to lie to my friends and tell them stupid stories to cover for the fact i pulled them out. It's weird because I liked to stick the lashes on a white surface to see how it looked. I like the feeling and the process. I just wish I could get help to stop, I have no confidence at all. My mom and my brothers know but no one else. I feel trapped, I cant stop and i wear so much eyeliner its sick.
, Jan 07, 2010
My daughter is 16 months old and at night while laying in her crib, she pulls at her eyelashes. Sometimes she rubs her fingers by her lips and i wonder (after reading some posts) if she is rubbing the hair on her lips after pulling it out. She only does it at night...any thoughts??
, Jan 13, 2010
Hi guys.
Only today i thought i would look this up and omg how many people are like myself and i always thought i was the odd weird one who pulls all her eyelashes, eyebrows out. I have been doing this since i was 13 i am now 29 and i cant seem to stop its starting to drive me mad! i hate going out because i dont like ppl talking to me side on so they notice that theres no eyelashes at all , i have worn eyeliner every day since i was 13 to hide the baldness or to atleast try look abit normal. I have drawn my eyebrows on every morning since i was 13 to and 16 years on which scares me im still doing it 365 days a year. The only way i can describe doing it when i tell my husband its like an irritating itch u just need to do it especially if im stressed or anxious about something which is usualy my day to day life stress stress n more of it and that little bit of pain when pulling them out makes me feel happier, my husband is very understand and says *pull mine out if it saves u doing it to yours* id love to lol but within 5 mins he would be completly bold and i wont get the same pleasure like i do with my own :) u guys will understand what i mean because you are all going through it to.
I tried to grow them back because im sick of make up and drawing on eyebrows every morning and to try see myself without makeup just natural for once, all the side of my lashes grew nicely i could look in the mirror and see them starting to curl the middle section was taking a lil longer but i was made up non the less, my husband was really proud even tho i kept still plucking at me eyebrows i thought one step at a time, then the urge came in because of a lil bit of stress all gone in a matter of minutes! bare i felt like psyically kicking myself i was so annoyed with myself so im back at square one such a vicous circle we go through.
So i am actually glad ive come across this section today and totaly know what u lovely people are going through and im over the moon that im not the only one and as my husband says ur not a freak ur unique and special!
we will get through it at some point and i wish u all the very best of luck and sucess x x
, Jan 13, 2010
My daugter is 8 and just started this behavior a couple of months ago. She said she started the day she was in the spelling bee and now she cannot stop. She is on ADD meds so I am going to talk to the Psych. about it. I have been reading this site for the last hour and crying so many tears. I do not want her to suffer like you all have. It is so painful to see your child going through this. However, reading these stories will make me much more sympathetic and I will let her know she can always talk to me about it and not to hide it from me. I hope that if I stop or change her meds it will go away, but I do not think so. She also picks her lips until they sometimes bleed and has picked scabs until the leave scars, even on her beautiful face. I fell so badly that she is having to deal with this at such a young age. She is so so happy. She was even jumping up and down and dancing last night after gymnastics and went into the bathroom to shower and I was going to help her get ready for bed and walked in on her picking her eyelashes. She is not stressed she says she does not know what she does it and when she is doing it she is telling herself to stop but she cannot. She is so cunfused as to why she is doing this. Hard for her to get her 8 year old brain around it. I cannot even get my 39 year old brain around it. I feel really sick about it. I just want to help her and by the sounds of it there is not much I can do for her. Any parents out there find any success with this or have a child that was on ADD meds that took them off and the behavior stopped? I need any advice. I am going to talk to her teachers about it so that they can help keep her hands busy while at school. She said she does it during reading time. If her hands are still then she is going to do it. She thinks that being able to color when she is done with her work will help. I hope that they are willing to work with me and will never make her feel weird. She is just the sweetest happiest most social and involved child that this is so unbelievealbe to me. I am just a mom that will do anything to help her daughter from going through this. Thanks for your posts SOOO Helpful!
, Jan 26, 2010
I've been pulling out my eye lashes since 5th grade... I've stopped a couple of times but always start agian...
its only the top ones.. i do it soo bad... I cover it up with TONS of eyeliner.. Like i fix it every hour.. An my best friend figured out what i was doing.. It was soo embrassing..
I wanna stop... But i dont know how... Any help?
, Jan 28, 2010
omg i swear i thought i was the only "weird" person with this problem haha.. wow, does anyone know of anything that makes them grow my mom once told me fish oil?? idk i used to have such long thick eyelashes now i get so depressed bc there short and thin i need some help plz
, Jan 31, 2010
im 11 now and i've been picking my eyelashes for almost the whole of my life. After i pick them i feel so ashamed and it makes me feel sick having to look at myself in the mirror after ive done it. For some reason this is one of my biggest habbits and i hate having to do it. I can go a long time without picking at them but after that i just cant help but do it again and again and again! I also hate having to cover the bald bits up with mascara or black eyeshadow. I hate going to school incase people noticed. People have noticed and i just have to turn around from them and feel so embarresed . My mum and dad and brother know about this problem but sometimes i just cant face up to tell them . Its just not so simple and i really hope i can overcome this terrible problem and return to my normal life again :(
, Jan 31, 2010
my friend started pulling her eyelashes this year and ive never judged her for it but we never really talk about it. i know it makes her uneasy when i look her in the eyes. and on top of it all, we might be ready to take our relationship to anouther level soon. i cant be with a girl who dosnt let me even look into her eyes. maybe theres someway i can help but i dont want to make her weirded out. what shall i do???
, Jan 31, 2010
I have this problem too. I get very self councious, if anyone is looking up close at me. I started this when I had to move half way across the country because of my mom and dads divorce. I still do it sometimes but I try really hard not to. I'm getting better at it to! Something that help me not pull out my lashes anymore was if you feel the urge, walk into a different room with people in it. When your around someone you don't wanna pull out your lashes, EMBARRASING! Chewing a piece of gum always works, too! I luv wearing mascara to, so once your lashes finally start growing back put on some mascara or reward your self in some way. I have never pulled out all my lashes. I'm horrifed when I pull out 1! There almost all grown back now. And i feel much more confident.
, Jan 31, 2010
I've been pulling out my eyelashes since I was about eight years old. I was able to stop for a few months... but then one day I felt that tingling on my eyelid and I pulled out just one, thinking it wouldn't be any big deal. But now I'm completely hooked again. It's just the most amazing feeling. I love that *pop* feeling I get when I pull out an eyelash by the root. My boyfriend has tried to help me... but the urge is too strong for me to resist, and sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. I really do want to stop. Reading these posts has helped me though...
, Feb 18, 2010
I've been pulling out my eyelashes for the past couple of years now, i thought i was alone in this and its reassuring to see i'm not! But it does make you feel like a freak as you don't know why you do it. I think mine is stress related. I haven't pulled out any for 10 months and had concentrated on being a mum to my daughter. lately though i've been under immense stress with personal problems and have slipped back into my old ways. I'm gutted cos i have lovely long lashes when they're there but now i look weird without them. I don't wear makeup except mascara and blusher so if i started wearing anything heavy people would notice more. Its really depressing but you just can't seem to stop yourself when you're doing it. My eyelashes seem to take a good 3 months to restore to the full length, i dunno what to do. thank you for your posts, i know i'm not aloone but we need a cure!
, Mar 03, 2010
Im 16 its about 1009 pm and i was just texting my boyfriend, he was freaking out about something i had said earlyer. when i realized that inbetween text i was pulling out my eyelashes. after i would pull one out i would look at it and think why the heck did i just do that. But i would just go back to doing it. and another one would come out and i would look at it. and do it agian. Then i looked at my finger and it was all black from my masquera so i tryed to pull all the masquera out of my eye lashes... neways i do this alot. like every night b4 i sleep, when i wake up, and after school.. i still have eye lashes but there not s hink and pretty as they used to be. i didnt know that they grew back,,.. i guess thats a good thing.. but i thought i would look it up to see if anyone else pulled out there eyelashes and i guess you guys do!... not that thats good i just feel like im not alone. neways typing is keeping my fingers from pulling out my lashes! lol. umm so.. i guess ill go now. Bye!
, Mar 12, 2010
Hi im 30 ans ive been pulling mine out for 4 years now. I need some type of treatment for this. Is this a nerver problem or what. I see my friends with beautiful and long eyelashes and mine are horribale. Is there help out there? If so please let me know. I cant afford the high cost of treatments. Please Help!!!!!
, Mar 16, 2010
hey Im 36 and I use to pull out my lashes and brows and how weird is this the hair behind my ear. Well I was in the seventh grade when I first did it because I was allerfic to mascarra. But then I also noticed that I had a friend that would put me down a lot and I guess that is why I did it. Maybe my nerves. But when I start to do it now I go put vasoline on my lashes and I can not get a grip and really it helps my lashes to grow thicker and longer. I just massage it in and it helps with wrinkles too. You are doing something with your hands so you do not really have to pull them out anymore. But I have noticed something my son is starting to cut clumps out of his hair with scissors, clippers, knife anything he can find to cut you dont really notice it but I have seen him do it. So it could be that he got it from me. I dont understand it but I know it has gotten better.
, Mar 18, 2010
Ghee, can't believe there is people with the same problem as mine! I've been pulling my eye-lashes for almost 9 years now! And it is sooo terrible. Been on anxiety medication, but NOTHING works. It is a continued bad habit / addiction that goes on every day! Its soo bad that my eyes are red and sore at the end of a day. I am so scared that my eye-lids are going to hang over my eyes when I am older. I wanna stop, have tried everything but it don't work! If anyone ever find something that helps to stop PLEASE post it!
, Mar 19, 2010
me too i started 6 months ago and when i look at myself i cry, i dont know what i can do, its so addicting, should i call a doctor?
, Mar 22, 2010
I started pulling my eyebrows out about 8 years ago, I am 26 now. It's a disorder that we suffer from called Trich. I finally started getting a hang on my eyebrows and letting them grow in. To break the habit from pulling my eyebrows I started wearing fake nails *which is really hard to pull with fake nails on* Then i went to my eyelashes and it ***** to not have any and when they start growing in I can feel them and it itches so I go back to pulling them, But today is the day I stop pulling my eyelashes. So who wants to hope on the train with me and we update day to day for 30 dyas about our progress....
and we help each other cope with it
, Mar 23, 2010
I am sooo amazed that there are sooo many ppl like me. I have been picking my eyebrows and eyelashes for about 10 years and its the one thing i can't seem to control. I not ony pull them, i put them in my eye and later pull the eyelash out of my eyeball. I first started wit tweezers and i later discovered that i can do this with my fingernails. I tried wearing fake nails and that enabled me for a while but i found a way around that. Its so embarassing when someone new notices it!!! My family and friends are aware of my terrible habit and they have been nothing but supportive. My prayers go out to you all as well as myself. I have total faith in GOD that he will deliever you all as well as myself from this terrible habit. You are not a freak you are just misunderstood. Ppl have different ways in relieving stress and this is ours. I wish it was something that i could stop on my on but its not, it takes courage and faith to overcome this battle. This battle is not ours and through christ we can overcome anything. I glad that i found real people like myself so i wouldn't feel so alone. ENCOURAGING WORDS: GOD GRANT ME SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CAN NOT CHANGE, THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!!!!
, Mar 24, 2010
I'm one of few males that pull out my eyelashes..please help me PLEASE!
I had Eyelashes last summer and then i let my guard down and picked them out very slowly.
I now have soulja Boy eyebrows(which is kinda cool lol) and my top eyelashes are starting to come in but on the left eyelid i keep pulling out an eyelash once everyday and its starting to **** me off because I want my eyelashes back. Please help me. I have a trick whenever i feel the urge to put my had up and take out my eyelashes I tell myself, No!! it will make me look like a freak and i dont want to look like one as you all dont want to also.
That method worked for about 4 months then i let my guard down and pulled them out again now im on a quest to get them back and This Time I Wont Let MY GUARD DOWN!!!!!!!!
, Mar 27, 2010
I pull out my eyelashes when im stressed but I find if I wear false eyelashes that prevents me from pulling out my own eyelashes... when I do this it seems that the more eyelashes I remove the more I pull out, quite often I have to do something else to prevent me from continuing this... but when I know im going to do this i wear the falsies and that keeps it under wraps... try it, it helps.
, Apr 12, 2010
I'm 58 and have been pulling my eyelashes since I was 8. I thought for years I was a freak. I was so embarrased. when I was 17 I started using eyeliner and then used false eyelashes until I was 50. now I just use liner. I hate the way I look.
but I still can not stop. At the same time I was doing this to myself my brother was picking his arms and legs till they were a mass of sores. He died 2 years ago and was still picking. I often feel like something bad happened in our childhood but I have little memory of my childhood. Asking my family never helped. so here I am still a mess. I hope some of you will have better luck. or help would be a better word.
, Apr 14, 2010
im 14, 2 years ago i was watching the lion king and playing with my eyelashes,
i was wearing mascara and i tried to pull off the clumps
but i ended up pulling off some of my eyelashes, and then i just kept pulling and pulling
until all of them were gone, when ever they grew back i would pull them out, but i hated not having eyelashes and i thought it was a really stupid habbit, so i moved onto my eyebrows and had none of them left, and then last year i started pulling out the hairs on my scalpt because i was sick of pulling out my eyebrows, and i pulled out clumps of hair just to look at the roots, it wasnt because of stress, i would find myself doing it watching movies and shows and i wouldnt even notice i was doing it, my hair got so thin and gross, i starightened it everyday so it was really dead too, i was soo angry at myself i never thought it would get this far, i had bald spots everywhere and i would have to get people to help me cover them up because i couldnt see them, i stopped just before christmas holidays and i had to get a short haircut so my hair would be able to grow back, i think i learned how to stop pulling out my hair by seeing the result and especially by my head hair i looked horrible, my hair is only on its way now, im doing everything i can to try to get it to grow back, i know hoiw it feels to pull out eyelashes and eyebrows but i just kept moving on to the next habbitand now i have started biting my nails because that is much better than pulling out my hair.
, Apr 27, 2010
Okay so here is my story. I started pulling at age 14. It started with my eyelashes, and then my eyebrows. I used makeup to cover it up. Around age 19 i stopped pulling my eyebrows, but had some permanent damage. I am lucky that enough have grown back that i look somewhat normal. I still pulled my eyelashes out. For years I would let them grow back and then i would pull them out again when i got stressed out. I am now 29. I have not pulled for a month and a half. I dont know if this will work for everyone, but i got eyelash, and eyebrow conditioners. I started using Ardel lash and brow growth accelorator. It stopped the irritation. I use that at night, and during the day i use a mixture that i made. It consists of Vasiline, Castor oil, Almond oil, and Aloevera gel. there is a video on youtube on how to make it. I use that one during the day a few times a day. The use of this stuff on them seems to be working for me. I actually just bought lilash and librow, i am hoping that these 2 bring back some of what im still missing from my brows and lash line. I really hope this helps others with trich
, Apr 27, 2010
OH one more thing. I saw in one of the posts someone asked about an over the counter drug that may help. I actually take it daily. Its called N-Acetyl Cystesine. it is totally natural. you can buy it at gnc or anywhere online that sells herbal meds. if you look up this product one of the POSSIBLE treatments is for trichotillomania, and also depression. i am not sure what stopped me from pulling but i am not going to stop using any of the eyelash treatments or the N-Acetyl Cystesine.
, May 06, 2010
I do it too. And I don't know why, but im 12 years old. My parents ask me why but I dont know....I just want to be a "normal" person again! And feel confident about myself...Thankfully I wear eyeglasses that somewhat cover them up. Its so nice knowing Im not the only one who does this..But i still hate the fact that I do. I feel embarssed or ashamed of myself. I pull the ones that are short and pointy like. I put them on my finger or white surfaces to look at them, and i put them in my mouth. I think Im going to try puting Vaseline like one lady said so it will be hard for me to grip them. Another thing I am going to start doing is putting tape on my pointing finger, and thum (since those are the fingers I use to pull them out) I may try to talk to my guidance councler as well! I am so glad to know im not alone, but I am like the only person who does this at my school. And you know how 6th graders are soo mean and would make fun of anyone they could! But I am going to try to overcome this becuz its really screwing up my 6th grade year, and I don't want to graduate from my eyebrows and eyelashes and start pulling out my hair! So I will keep all of ya'll in my prayers! God Bless and thanks for reading, i hope this changed someone!
, May 09, 2010
PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU GET SQUEAMISH ABOUT BLOOD. Wow,everyone here is so loving and supportive. That warms my heart. Ok,this is hard for me,but here goes: When I was a little girl,probably about 9 years old, I somehow decided that my eyelashes looked really gross. I mean like I looked at myself in the mirror,and I was somehow disgusted by the tiny holes I saw my eyelashes growing out of (from my eyelid,weird I know.) At this time,my parents were going through legal battles after divorce, I was wetting the bed and so ashamed of it,and I hated myself,and my life. On top of that,I thought my eyelashes were gross,so I would pull them out,but it was not always physically easy. The eyelashes seemed to want to hold on. I would pull so hard, I would have little dots of blood on my eyelids. A teacher at school would even give me a hard time about all my missing eyelashes,and she laughed at me (GEEZ) . Sorry,not to give you my life story,but I was so self -conscious about the noticeable row of missing eyelashes,yet I would keep pulling them out. Ok,well to this day,I am 33, almost 34 years old and I no longer PULL them out. But,I touch them SO MUCH. And I am constantly poking them with the tips pf my fingers. So I still get the chunks of missing eyelashes. I feel so funny saying this out loud,but I like the way it feels to touch my eyelashes. I don't know why,but it just feels comforting to touch them . I also like to hear the kind of crunching sound that the eyelashes make against my fingers. I wish I could stop,but I am driven to touch my eyelashes almost all the time. I do it most at home though,not so much in public. It is like a fixation I have,almost like an addiction. I wear eyeliner,and this helps to hide the chunks of missing lashes,but I hate that they are missing. not htat anyone asked,but I stopped wetting the bed at about 11 years old (old,I know). But I just can't shake this eyelash picking habit. My eyelids sometimes get sore and a little swollen even, from the constant touching/picking of my eyelashes.
, May 09, 2010
sorry,I didn't mean to say that I NOW pick my eyalashes, I mean I POKE at them with the tips of my fingers. Just trying to clarify. I don't PULL/PICK. I just POKE at them,but this still makes them fall out. I simply CAN'T stop poking at them! I wish I could! Peace and love to all on this board. Love,Hippylady
, May 09, 2010
Oh,also does anyone else do this: I lay in bed with my face in my pillow and I open and close my eyes against the pillow,and I can hear that crunchy sound that I like (weird,I know) My eyelashes also fall out from this too. For some reason, I also like to feel my fingernail pressing into my eyelid. Especially if one of my fingernails is slightly jagged/sharp. I hope I am not freaking anybody out on here. I am just being honest. It *****,because I really hate the way my eyelashes look. I have these gaps/chunks of missing eyelashes,yet I still want to and do constantly touch/poke my eyelashes. Also, I like to take a finger and bend my eyelashes upwards into my eyelid (not into my actual eye,but into my eyelid). All of these things wreak havoc on my eyelashes,and they fall out. I also have A LOT of OCD issues,hand washing,fear of contamination,weird thoughts pop in my head,then I am somehow convinced that someone is hurt just because of some dumb thought I had in my head. Like I will be sitting and reading,then I accidentally think to myself that the lady next door is loud,that I wish she would stop yelling (she's always freaking yelling!Like SCREAMING too) Then this stupid thought comes into my head that this means I think she deserves to die. Then I will start crying because I will be convinced I have somehow killed her just by having these stupid thoughts. I have never even been in a fist fight FOR GOD'S SAKE! I don't even want to harm this woman. These thoughts that pop in my head get me so upset that i won't even want to leave my apartment. I really feel like a bad person. I feel really ashamed and it is very hard for me to say these things out loud. I hope this will help someone else. I really am a very loving person. I am really into animal rights and human rights,and women's rights (I know women are humans too,but just trying to be specific here) I am not violent, I just have really weird thoughts.
, May 11, 2010
I also put my face in the pillow to here the crunchy sound.. I just wish i could get this over with and be "normal" again.... :\
, May 12, 2010
I am 42 yrs old and have been pulling out my eyelashes since I was 6 years old.. After 40, I wore false ones on my job .then let mine grow for a few months. then it happened. I pulled the **** out of them..... please HELP!!! am I mental? WTF!!!!! i need someone to talk to.............
, May 12, 2010
i have had this problem since i was 11 and im 13 now..its really hard especially when your my age because you are starting middle school and everything...well i hate it and it all started one day when i was just sitting on the couch doin my homework and the like itched so i tried to get one then the next thing i new they were all gone. my doctor and my mom kept jumping to conclusions and saying i wasnt aware when i was doing it and i tried telling them tht i was totally aware i just couldnt contoll it i also did my eyebrows but then i stopped thjose and kept on with my eyelashes i can tell ya i have tried every single method online and nothing has helped me !!!!!! i have like stopped and they grow back but then i pull them out again . it *****! now i never like to looked anyone in the eye cause i was scared they would notice i wear like loads of eyeliner and i hate it i wont go out with out it on i really need help and i have never been stressed or anxios i'm pretty sure i have OCD because i have other obssesions like i have to sit on the certian side of the car or something like tht. i really need help like seriously i have tried like every method and no matter how much i yell at my self and like scream at myself to start my hand just keeps going back to my eye and when i do it i get like a tickley sensation in my stomach until i get it PLEASE HELP ME LIKE SERIOUSLY I M DESPRAT IM ONLY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND STARTING HIGH SCHOOL SOON AND I DONT WANT TO BE KNOWN AS THE GIRL WITH NO EYELASHES THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!! btw i just have non inn the middle its liekee there only a certian spot where i will do it other wise when i get towards the corners of my eye i stop. :(
, May 12, 2010
and yes i would scream at myself to stop sometimes i would even slap myself on the hand to see if maybe my hand hurt i wouldnt want to pull also i got acrylic nails and tht helped cause i couldnt grab the lashes but then i finally found a way around tht also sometimes cutting your nail really helps if you are used to long nails
, May 15, 2010
Its good to know that I'm not the only one doing this. I'm 30 and a guy but I've only started pulling my eyelashes out this year. I figured it was related to some kind of anxiety I have in my life. Because my life right now is super stressful anyway. Mine does seem to go in patterns. Mostly on Friday nights, when I'm watching tv I will start to pull on my eyelid. So at first I thought it was my contacts bothering me but that wasn't it. Then after a while of pulling on my eyelid, I will start pulling on the eye lashes. Not always one at a time either. It does hurt so I dont know why I keep doing it. Sometimes during a commercial break I will go get some tweezers and a mirror and start pulling that way. Last night I pulled every single one out of the top of my left eye. This isnt the first time I've done this. And even after they are all gone, I am still trying to pull them out. For some reason only pulling them from my top left eye gives me the "satisfaction" and pulling from the bottom or my right eye does nothing for me. In the past I have pulled hairs from my beard, but now it seems this has moved to my eyelashes. And its really bad when they grow back because they are short and spikey and I have to pull them out all over again. One at a time with tweezers and a mirror. Its so weird I can't describe the sensation I get from pulling them out, but it is definitely an addiction. And my life is so stressful right now, I could care less if people are staring at my bald top left eyelid. I usually wink at them because I appreciate them looking at me.
, May 19, 2010
im in the same boat as all of yall on here, except that im a man, got a pretty good life goin right now not stressed about anything, for as long as i can remember ive been pulling my eyelashes out. just recently i started growing a goatee and now im pulling those hairs out of my chin, not sure why???? and im a 27 yr old male that pulls out my face hair, i like having the goatee but after a few weeks of having it i have to shave it off cause there are bald spots.
, Jun 02, 2010
i started picking when i was 7 i saw my mom doing it so i started doing it right away. after people started noticing i stopped for like a year then did it on and off trying not to pull to many out so you couldnt tell. i didnt do it in high school my first year because everyone else had long pretty eyelashes it sucked. i got acrilik nails that helped me alot i didnt evn touch them and they got so long. then i picked em back out it ***** having bald spots makes you feel so ugly. i jus want a way to stopp.
, Jun 06, 2010
I started picking my eyelashes when i was in the first grade. My mother noticed almost immediately and thought it was the same as any other habit (like sucking your thumb). She started grounding me whenever she noticed a gap in my eyelashes. During that time my pulling episodes were pretty far apart, but had gradually satrted to get closer together. One day when i was in middle school, my mom saw a lady without hardly any hair on her head of face on Good Morning America. They said that she had trichotillomania and it all started when she started pulling out her eyelashes at a young age. My mom stared trying to help me with this disorder, and we thought it had gotten better but then i began pulling more. Every time the symptoms ease up, they come back even worse than they were before.now i currently have absoulutly no eyelashes and very thin eyebrows. At this piont i have begun to lose hope. I have looked for succes stories but they are very feeble. I know all of the people who share my disoder will agree with me in saying i wish there was a reliable cure for trichotillomania!
, Jun 17, 2010
Ok i know that this is going to sound extremely depressing but it is good to know that there are others out there with this problem. I have had it off and on for many years, I just graduated Highschool and really dont wanna take this problem to college with me. I have not tried Latisse but the thought has crossed my mind. I almost feel like I dont do it when im stressed anymore, mostly when im bored and alone with no one watching. Like in front of the tv or computer or whatever, it is indeed so so EMBARRASSING! Espec when cute guys notice, or friends notice but dont wanna say anything, but you can tell they are looking at it. I am sad to say im pretty good at hiding it, can only really tell when i turn my head sideways and theres nothing there. I have pretty much stopped lashes for the summer, which is a huge step for me! But moved to eyebrows, and now there is a lack thereof. All i can say is be strong to all who have this problem, I dont have an answer yet, but I do know that its WAY BETTER when i keep busy, and i dont pull them out in front of anyone, so maybe keep people around you? Wear mittens when you're alone. We can fight this, i know it. I'll try to grow them in the next few months and keep you posted, anyone wanna talk or have advice please comment! For all you lashless beauties out there, remember God loves us no matter what we look like, and i think life could be worse! Good luck and God Bless <3
, Jul 07, 2010
I just recently turned 13 and I too pull out my lashes. It took a few years but I finally quit. Only when I am intensly worried or stressed do I proceed to...well....pull them out. For those still battling with this burden, I found that cold water has a soothing effect and of course occupying yourself with an activity that requires both hands helps too. I think what helped me most was, having a reason to stop (new year of scoop ect.) I wish the best of luck to those trying to quit, it is frusturatingly difficult, but I'm sure, in the end you will tryumph.
, Jul 11, 2010
hey guys...i started having this problem when i was in 5th grade. it started with eyebrows then moved down to eyelashes. i did it until 8th grade then a girl noticed and told the whole school. i got made fun of for the rest of the year. but after that i had the courage and i knew i needed to stop. now i'm going into 11th grade and i haven't pulled since 8th and i feel a lot happier now that i've stopped. it takes time and courage, but trust me, i've gone through the same stuff but you CAN do it. God bless you all
, Jul 13, 2010
i will be honest im a rare guy who suffered through this disease to pull out my eyelashes. Im currently 22 years old i pulled out all my top eyelashes on both eyes when i was about 17. I went through a really tough time finding out who i was and who i wanted to be and in reality i should have just been myself because i was a unique person and i tried to satisfy other people and this led to me tearing out my eyelashes and now i regret it every single day my eyelashes grew back in all different directions and im a good looking guy but this disease destroyed my confidence and has made me have low self esteem. I REGRET THIS SO MUCH and wish i could go back and change it but unfortunately i cant. Luckily i have stopped but now the damage is done. People still talk to me normally but i cant even look them in the eye and be myself because im so embarassed of what i did to myself. Most of you people are girls and can easily use makeup and different products to hide it im a guy who used to get compliments all the time when i was younger for nice eyelashes and now i just have the ugliest ones known to man PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE
, Jul 14, 2010
I have been picking my eyelashes out compulsively since around 1992!! I cannot stop and it drives me nuts! I have to spend extra time trying to make my eyes look like I have eyelashes and I hate it. I notice I most often do it while watching tv or reading. Everyone says, "why can't you just stop" I don't know why I can't stop. I can go about a month and then I start feeling them again and if one feels loose, I pluck it--then I can't stop. I run my fingertips over them constantly while watching tv, I have even tried wearing gloves. It obviously is some sort of disorder like ocd and when I do it I know I am doing it but can't stop. 20 years of this is ridiculous.
, Jul 17, 2010
I found this page by shear coincidence. I was on facebook in the Help section trying to find out if people know when you are on their wall or searching for them, and this page came up. the wierdest thing is that i too pull my eyelashes. so is this just a coincidence that this page came up or a sign?
now i feel compelled to share... i have been pulling out my eyelashes since im 15 or 16 and i am now 43. i was molested as a young girl and when my horrible secret got out i started pulling out my eyelashes. i have learned to perfect my makeup and accept the situation. i have no other habits or addictions, so if this is the worst thing, than i can live with it. believe me, i would love to have eyelashes, but at this point in my life, so many other things are important than eyelashes. most of my family and friends know about my disorder. i see my eyes as beautiful and part of what makes me unique. i have tried to grow them in over the years, but they have become deformed as a result of the pulling and grow in straight or curved in towards my eyes, gray and even needle like. so at this point the damage is done. dont get me wrong, it took me a lifetime to get to this acceptance stage, but once you set yourself free and regain your confidence you will feel much better about yourself. just think about people who have no arms or legs or have been burned by fire... think of anything worse than your situation and realize that our disorder, for whatever reason we developed it, is not the worse case scenario or the end of the world.
anyone who suffers from this disorder, i feel your pain!! but trust me when i tell you, their is a brighter side, but its up to you to see that brighter side. i still feel bad when i pluck, but i no longer condem myself and feel embarassed. i wear eyeliner and feel like a million bucks!... and sometimes i dont wear makeup at all and i still love me.
i wish you all peace and happiness ~ xoxo
, Jul 19, 2010
hi. my name is erika and i have the same problem. it used to be way worse tho. i currently only pluck my eyelashes but fortunatly can conceal it with eyeliner. im going on 19 here soon and i have been doing this since i was 10. but back then..i would pluck out my eyelashes and eyebrows. soon after, i plucked out the hairs on the back of my neck, underarm hair, and leg hair alongside the eyelashes and the eyebrows. fortunatly, i only pluck my eyelashes now...well i mean i guess it isnt that good so..but it is like a stress reliever to me...i usually only do it when im stress(which is a lot..cuz i stress easily) so i never have eyelashes.:( i feel bad when ppl notice and sometimes im just like go away or what are you talking about. for girls, i would suggest putting only eyeliner on your top lid and create a thicker line abover where the eyeshes would be and then only use mascara on the bottom lid eyelashes (i only pluck the top eyelashes so..this works for me) and so when you close your eyes, it wont look as noticable. otherwise try fake eyelashes...imma get me some soon..
, Aug 01, 2010
I would pull out my eyelashes when I was younger and then stick the pulled eyelash into the corner of my eye. Sometimes there would be six or seven all in a clump and then I would use my finger or tweezers to fish them out. When I ran out of my own lashes I would look on my parent's pillows and use theirs. One day my mother noticed that I had no lashes and made me feel like such a freak, (she never knew about the sticking them in my eye bit) explained it away with that my lashes probably rubbed against my glasses or whatever. I stopped and have never pulled another lash since that day. I did transfer this compulsion to squeezing my pores and putting sharp pieces of wood into my gums until my teeth came out. I am now 45 and since my teens have picked constantly at my face and for the last 3 years have picked up a new eye related ritual of daily squeezing my eyelids until a bit of white substance comes out. This produces a feeling of having relieved pressure but offers no pain. Even though this new complusion is eye related I have never had the sensation to pick another eyelash. It was horrible trying to hide the fact that I had no lashes and the time I spent in front of the bathroom mirror picking away at my eyes. It's weird how 30 years later I'm still in front of that bathroom mirror picking away....... No one except my parents was ever aware of this but I somehow got the courage to tell my girlfriend ( who became my very understanding wife) and she accepted me. Of course she has no idea why I did this but realize people will accept almost anything and from all these posts it seems we are not alone.
, Aug 13, 2010
My daughter just turned 9, and has watched me pluck my eyebrows and gray hairs, and she immediately became fascinated with plucking. She would get the tweezers and want to pluck my underarms. And I would let her. It seemed to make her happy, after she would sometimes make me bleed, I would make her stop. Eventually she stopped wanting to do it all together. It sounds stupid I know, but I didn't see the road ahead.
Two months or so ago, I noticed she had plucked a lot of her eyelashes out. I told her to stop and didn't think much else about it. Looked at her a couple of weeks later and thought that it looked like she might be doing it again, (she denied it), stressed to her again not to do it. Then 2 weeks ago, I looked at her and she had maybe 5 eyelashes in the center of her eyelid. She denied it until I disciplined her and continued to ask her why? and she finally admitted to it and said she did not know why. I have been checking her each week making sure they were growing and she would confirm to me she wasn't doing it anymore. Then yesterday I looked at her and I could just tell she had started back, the small ones that were growing were now gone and she had left only a few small ones behind and the original 5 long ones where now maybe 3 long ones. I couldn't have imagines
This morning I hopelessly looked this up on the internet to see if there was anyone else experiencing this problem. Now I feel horrible. We have joked around about my daughter having inherited OCD from my husband's mother about cleaning. But we always laughed about it. I really don't know anything about the illness, other than other people have it and if I was ever tempted to develop anything that I could not control, it would become a mind over matter thing and I always had control.
, Aug 15, 2010
I am almost 28 yrs old. I have had trich since I was around 4. I don't know why I pull, everyone says stress, I did have a very stressful childhood, but from what I've found now that I am older, I tend to what to pull when I'm tired. I only pull from my lashes and eyebrows. I have been pull free from my top lashes for a few years now. I find it's easier to pull my lower lashes and be less ashamed than my top lashes and the edges of my brows, maybe because they are easier to color in. This last week I broke down and pulled my entire top lash from my right eye. I am so frustrated with myself, I've done so good for so long and I just can't believe that I broke down. I've had years of counciling, I've tried anxiety medicine, I've given up on all of that because the medicine made me feel weird and the counciling just dug up bad memories that I would rather forget so I try dealing with it myself. I don't want to do behavior therapy. I think a lot of the reason why I stopped pulling is because of my 4 yr old son. I didn't want him growing up seeing me pull and him copying me or seeing me as the mom with no lashes so that's been a huge motivator for me. I am determined to get through this. I would really like to find a good mascarra as certain kind will make clumps of my lashes come out. I read in one comment about some clear mascarra at cvs so I might check that out. I also tried Soft Lashes by Mabeline I think, and thats not to bad. I definetly can not wear waterproof mascarra though. I tend to wear black Unstoppable eyeliner, I think Mabeline or Loreal makes that, it's really great and will hold all day and all night for me....Good luck to everyone. I am surprised that there isn't any more research or knowledge on way around this horrible thing.
, Aug 22, 2010
I am embarresed to say that i have this problem. I am cryng right now because of it. I hate looking like a freak!!!! Helpme.Im13 my birthday is in 10 days and i currently have a little patch f eyelashes gone. SOS someone help me please i want to stop!!!!
, Sep 14, 2010
Yep, I too have been pulling out my eyelashes since I was around 14 and now I am 31. It is devestating living with the feeling that I am not normal and that I can not live normally like everyone else. I constantly avoid people at times, if I don't have my makeup on(which is rare). I would rather have my makeup on 24/7 to hide my problem, but if I don't wash off my face at night I get acne or styes real easy. I have worked at mastering the art of hiding my flaws. I too look like an alien without my makeup on. I have kept the fake eyelash company in business for years now. I mostly Just pull out my top eye lashes , but every once in a while the bottom ones dissappear too. I find that I tend to do this about once a month right before the onset of my cycle or at other times when stress is hightened. Also when I stay up late to do homework and feel tired or when I have too much caffein. Or sometimes I will do it when my eyes are itchy or irritated or when I feel like there is an infected folicle. I rarely stop at just one or a few... most of the time after a day or two it bugs me that just a few are gone and then they all have to go. In my mind I rationalize it saying to myself they all need to go so that they all grow back in together at the same time. It bugs me if just a few are left and what ever I pull out on one eye has to match the other eye. I hate when one eye has more than the other. When they start to grow back it makes me angry when areas are staggered out from pulling areas at different times so my eyelashes grow back uneven in spots or don't grow back in other spots, probably due to folicle damage. I am scared that one day none of them will grow back, but I have pretty much accepted that fact that I have to wear fake eyelashes everyday. I just tell myself i am no different then those people that were born without lashes or people that loose them due to chemo or something and that makes me feel a little better. I maticulously put them on everyday. I have managed to master the art of applying my makeup in 45 minutes and on good days it might take a little less time. I constantly check them throughout the day to reapply eyeliner or to make sure the glue is still holding them on. If they come loos for some reason I have to reaply glue. It ***** when my eyes water or when the day is wendy or when my eyes tear up to cry. I have to be careful all the time and it is exhausting. Most people dont' say much and a lot of people don't notice sense I work at making the fake ones look so real. I even go to the lengths of maticulously plucking strand by strand about 2/3rds of the strands in a set of fake lashes if I have to wear them on the bottom ones then I trim them to the right length. I feel so ashamed though when the students that I work with notice and they dont' know any better not to say something. They can't help their curiosity and they just ask or say something. That has only happened to me a couple of times though. Well I wish there was some magic cure. I have even tried to use regrowth prescription drops (Latise) but that doesn't do any good if I can't ever let them actually grow back. I get really bad head aches after I have had a pulling session and just want to take advil to make it all go away, but the next morning waking up to the bald feeling is even more depressing and I just proceed on through the makeup ritual of concealing. I love to hear all the people on hear talkign about their problems too. Knowing that I am not the only one makes me fell a little less weird. However, the overall conseses is that no one seems to know how to end this problem. That is the most devestating realization that there might not ever be a cure and that I might still be doing this when I am 50. That is a horrible thought. I don't really want to think about it anymore. I just want it to go away. I don't want to have to wait for them to slowing grow back. I want them to grow back instantly, but I know that will never happen.
, Oct 18, 2010
I'm 19 years old and cannot remember having eyelashes for any length of time from the time i was 7!!! It started as a little irritation and i began pulling on the eyelashes in the center of my lid. Every time the lash would come out it would feel really good and I'd proceed to pull out more around the area. I soon realized that it was much easier to pull out my lashes with tweezers and that's when the problem became worse. Although I've never completely pulled them out and leave on the corners of my lids it looks really weird. I went to a catholic school where makeup was not allowed and so i couldn't cover up this embarrassing habit for the better part of the 12 years. My eyelashes have grown back on a few occasions but no sooner do i realize that they've grown back, they're gone. I've chastised myself about this problem for years. I'm also a very social person so many people have realized it and I've concocted all kinds of stories to cover it up, from my brothers cutting them out as a mean practical joke(this i used in primary school) to the razor slipping when i was shaping my eyebrows. In recent times I have even started pulling out both the hair on my legs and on my pubic area. Pulling hair from these areas is a lot less embarrassing because i shave every week and i hoped it was stop me from pulling out my eyelashes but it didn't work. I really wish i could stop because my eyelashes are beautiful to the point of looking fake when they are fully grown. I recently found out that this is a disorder called trichotillomania, a form of OCD and it is advised that people who suffer from this should try engaging in activities that occupy both hands, however it is not something that is curable and the onus is on the sufferer to make a concerted effort to try to stop(believe me i know this is much easier said than done). The following are some tips on how to stop eyelash pulling that i just found hope it helps both you and I. http://www.ehow.com/how_2292952_stop-pulling-eyelashes.html (doesn't seem to be highlighted so you'll have to copy and paste!!) Another thing that may scare us into stopping is that pulling of the hairs and damage follicles and therefore they may eventually stop growing back!!!!!
, Oct 20, 2010
I'm 21 years old and i have been pulling out my eyebrows and eyelashes since i was about 12!!! I dnt even knw how it started.... It really gets me dwn as I really wanna try to stop.... even jst sitting here i find myself rubbin my eyebrows!!! The longest I have gone without pulling is about 3 weeks, my eyebrows and eyelashes were starting to look full again but i den pulled dem all out!! Its really startin to upset me as i feel i will never meet a boy because i am so embarased by my condition. I wear a full fringe and use plenty of eye makeup to disguise my disorder. I really want to stop.... and am so glad to see dat i am not alone!
, Oct 31, 2010
also 20 and sick of the habit but ive been at it since the fourth grade- it might be hopeless
, Nov 21, 2010
Im 16 and ive been pulling strands of hair out of my head for quite a while now. Its got that servere i now have a bald patch. I dont kkow why i have this horrible habit i dont feel stressed :/ it seems i have to be doing something with my hands all the time! Half the time i dont realise i am doing it until i look down and it is asthough i am on an island surrounded by my own hair. Its not only my hair now i have turned to my eyelashes too especif i am wearing mascara. The weird thing os i ferl for bumpy, unstraight hair and once i find one and i pull it out there is like a feeling of relief. I can then sit there for hours feeling this one strand of horrible hair and if i drop it i feel disapointed and upset especially if i cant find it on the floor and if i cant i feel for more in my head. Its like a vicous circle. Whats wrong with me? Do i have a disorder? Is there a treatment for this? Am i weird? :'( :/
, Dec 09, 2010
I am 33 years old, and I can't remember what age I started but I can say how it happened! I use to watch my grandmother pull her eye brows with tweezers when I was young and asked her one day don't that hurt! And she replyed to me that it didn't but I better not do it. So, one day I was in my room being young and bord and curious I took some sissors and cut them off half way thinking noone would notice. But I went to my mom job and everybody started asking me what happened to my eyes. People kept saying there was something different about my eyes. Then my mom and dad looked at me and was pissed at me. So after getting cussed out by everybody that just stressed me out more so from there on I just started gradually pulling them all out due to stress lil by lil, Til they all were gone. That has been my releaver to stress ever since. I don't smoke, do drugs or drink to releave my stress. So please somebody tell me how to stop! I need help I've even prayed to get over this sickness, I was truely surprised that this issue was known I never thought it exsist. Thank you everyone for helping me to realize that Im not the only one!
, Dec 19, 2010
surprised there's so many of us out there.. and predominantly female too. i've never talked to anyone except my mom about this, but i started the same way as many of you here have. i was around 11 years old, and i remember seeing my friend pulling out her eyelashes and i asked her if it hurt and she said no. out of curiosity i tried it and it kind of hurt, so i pulled on my eyebrows instead and found it to be a great stress reliever. by 13 i had pulled my eyebrows pretty thin but not completely out and my 8th grade teacher made a comment about them on picture day and asked if i had shaved my eyebrows and it really embarassed me so i stopped.
of course, as many of you have, i went back to it in adulthood. i was about 19 and going through some stressful changes (got kicked out of my house, was dealing with an abusive boyfriend, started starving myself and lost 60 lbs in 6 months..i was a big girl to begin with so it wasn't too bad, just drastic for the short time period and very unhealthy..also attempted suicide at this point and just a whole mess of issues going on) and started pulling again - this time on my eyelashes. i would rip them out in chunks, if i couldn't get it i would keep trying and trying until my fingertips were sore from pulling. i would get focused on pulling all the ones in the corner out, then when they grew back i'd move to the other corner, strip them out, repeat..
this has continued until now, and I am 24 years old. for the past year or two i've been focused on my inner most corners on my top lid, and I am missing half my eyelashes on both top lids. when they start growing back, i get so excited but can't stop touching the little stubby hairs and eventually pull them out because it agitates me only having a few tiny scarce hairs there so in my mind, they got to go. i know what you all mean about being scared if they won't grow in again.. i'm in that stage right now. the more i'm pulling them out the thinner and shorter and spaced out they are getting. it also is taking months versus weeks for them to start growing back in now. i also have noticed two that have grown in a weird direction (they got pulled of course...) but one was growing straight out and one was growing completely sideways into my eyelid. i have to stop, my lashes are growing back distorted now and it mortifies me. for me, mascara makes it worse, acrylic nails help, sometimes i pull them out without noticing if something upsets me (once i grabbed a huge chunk of them out after receiving some bad news.. i went straight for my eye and grabbed at least 20-25 of them and FREAKED when i looked in the mirror and saw the gap in my lashes).
does anyone else here do any other weird OCD habits like chewing/biting on the insides of their mouths? i do this constantly and have done it my whole life to the point of giving myself ulcers.. luckily i have not done it in about a month, i am trying so hard to stop that too.
and for a little help.. try L'Oreal "Lash Serum" .. it's inexpensive and definitely boosts the process of regrowing them babies back!!!!!
, Jan 02, 2011
I started pulling out my eyelashes when i was really little, like 6-8. I think it started when I heard the superstition that if you find an eyelash on your face, you make a wish. I remember sitting in the back of my van (the 3rd row- my parents couldn't see me over my siblings) and picking at my eyelashes.
It's been going on even since then. I mainly pick at my eyelashes, but I have been known to attack my eyebrows once and a while. It's never the hair on my head, or arm hair (although I do pick at the ones that stick up and stuff), or even my bottom lashes.
I think I've got it diagnosed to OCD. Partially because if I see an eyelash out of place, I'll pick it out. If I see one that's crookedly downwards, i'll try and pick at it. But it'll normally be when I'm watching TV, and bored. I'll just start picking at my eyelashes. And then it gets to the point where the feeling of the eyelashes under my fingernails just feels good, and the tugs when you get the follicle AND the eyelashes out. I haven't gone to a doctor for it.
Every time it does happen though, I end up with a huge gap in my lashes that I conceal with brown eyeliner pencil. But now my right eye's lashes grow back slower because I pick at them so much.
I also cut them once, with nail clippers. I don't know why. Maybe it was the tug of the clippers when they cut? But I stopped doing that quickly- I hated the scratchiness of the lashes.
My mom would notice and ask. I just attributed it to stress to get her to stop bugging me- but I really have no idea why this happens. I know that I mainly do it in fornt of the TV, maybe when i'm bored, and that once I start, I can't stop because I love the feeling...
Any tips?!?
, Jan 05, 2011
i also have a problem with picking my eyelashes..it feels good. i do it especially when i'm not in a good mood. everyone thinks i'm crazy but i can't stop no matter how much i try i still have the erge to pull every single lash to the point i need to cover it up with eyeliner. recently i haven't pulled them because i'm trying to let them all grow back. hopefully when it does i don't pull it out again. i need help..gosh.
, Jan 06, 2011
I'm 32, I have been pulling since about age 11 or 12. I started out pulling the hair out of my head. It hurt but was a pleasurable hurt if that makes sense. I used to find and pull out the thicker coarser hairs and especially wanted to see the white root at the end. I stopped that when my family noticed. I admitted nothing and they all thought my hair just fell out like it was hormonal or something. Then I started pulling out my eyelashes. I spend most of high school with completely bald eyes. I wore eyeliner and tried to always face people front on because its more noticeable from side on. Some people asked me and I would lie and say I had an allergic reaction to mascara. Over the years I have adapted. I only tend to pull from my right eye and only from the middle. My hair is parted to the right so from side on you cant really tell. Sometimes if one eyelash points down it will trigger an all out assault. Its like I get into a trance and I know I'm doing it but I can't stop myself. I call it being "in a pick", I'm stressed, bored, lonely or whatever so I get that urge. Right now I don't have the urge and I am waiting for my lashes to grow back but after pulling for so ong they take ages to come back and they are thinner, more brittle and shorter. My mother does exactly the same thing but we dont have the type of relationship where to talk about anything so its like a secret we all know about. She claims her eye itch but I know its because she has not done the research I have. I have a 3 year old daughter and she watches me do it and I have seen her mock me so I don't do it in front of her in case its learned behaviour. I really want to stop, I feel prohibited in so many ways. I always scan the room, bus, train etc for another person without lashes but I have never seen one. At least here I know I am not the only one. I just want to stop for good.
, Jan 22, 2011
i have been pulling out my eyelashes since i was 9. i am now 27. i dont know how i started or what initially triggered it. i pull them when i am stressed and when i am not stressed. its a coping mechanism and a really bad habit. i wear eyeliner to hide it. the ONLY thing that will keep me from pulling them out is wearing fake nails! i dont know why, but when i have fake nails on, i do not pull my eyelashes AT ALL. i think its hard to grasp them, or maybe my hands feels too nice. i have no idea. lol. but as soon as i get the nails removed without getting the redone right away, its back to the pulling!
, Feb 15, 2011
I am 29 years old and I have been pulling my eyelashes out since I was in middle school. I quit when I was 19 . This is called tricillomania or tricillosis, it is a hair pulling disorder and it is cause by a very tramatic event in your life. I wear fake eyelashes now and you can't tell the difference they are kinda hard to put on but once you get use to doing it it comes easy.. The way I stop was not by and medication I did it by myself. What you have to do is realise when you are doing it and force your self to pull your hand away from your eyes if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me @ ***@**** I will try to help the best I can. Even though I quit I still catch myself from time to time trying to pull you have to be strong and disipline yourself.
, Feb 21, 2011
I'm 28 years old and I started pulling out my eyelashes since I was 8 years old when my dad past away. I find myself doing this whenever I feel anxious, stressed out or guilty because of feelings I shouldn't have. It amazed me to realise that there are heaps of us out there with this problem and I must confess it sort of makes me feel better to know I'm not alone in this. So, I guess thank you all for being so brave and admit your embarrassing and uncomfortable problem whist looking for a way to deal with it! I hope we all succeed :-)
, Feb 27, 2011
i also pick my eyelashes, im 13 now and it started when i was about 7?
sometimes i would even use tweszers it disgusts me but this urge just takes over my body and i just can't stop, ive tried seeing somebody but it just makes me feel worst, most people in my year have noticed but are really nice about it, also ive tried cutting my nails far down and wearing plasters so i can't get at them but it never work, all my bottom lashes are back and i never pick them and a few at the top in the corner, a soon as they grow few i just pick, i get so upset i ignore my family and sometimes bite myself, i really need to stop, half of me wants two, but the other half just won't let me:(
, Mar 06, 2011
Guess what... I also pull my eyelashes out! I also pull my eyebrow, head hair and sometimes pubic hair (I know its gross!) I also started at about 7 and am about 13. I try hard to stop, have seen about three different people about it but I cant seem to do it! I hae just ordered some fake eyelashe because I sometimes get teased at school, not bullying or badly but it makes me a bit annoyed cause I dont want to tell them becasue theyll think I'm a freak! If anyone out there has stopeed, please let me know and email me how you stopped at ***@**** Thank youu <3 x
, Mar 28, 2011
I'm glad i'm not the only one! i've been doing this since i was about 9 or 10. I hid it from my parents until i was at an eyedoctor exam and the doctor noticed and told my mother. They thought it was an infection in my eyelid and i went to many doctors and refused to tell them it was pulling. To this day no one knows. I stopped in 5th or 6th grade and they all were back for awhile. But this year(freshman) when i started wearing a lot of mascara i've started again. Im always pulling at the makeup and eyelashes come out too. It's been getting worse the past few weeks and i'm scared that i'mm go completely bald again. I used to pull out some of my eyebrows too, just different chunks at a time, but not really anymore. I've never touched my head before though and i hope not to! Please share how you stopped without using medication!
, Apr 18, 2011
Hiya I am 11 I have pulled my hair, eye lashes , an eye brows ever since I was 7 because I was falling behind in class an being bulleyd . My mum is the worst she told all the teachers in school and took me to a counciler it was HORRIBLE every week I'd cry not to go then when I finally settled down theyd make me go in a room on my own a talk to a person who had not a clue what was going on and I told my mum that I didn't need help I am fine on my own it's my problem an I'll sort it out but she said you WILL go to counciling so it carried on for about a 9 months an she even made me go on my birthday so for half of the day that's surposed to be good I spent crying asking to go home so do not go to a counnceler because they just talk to you about your feelings and speak to you like your from some different planet. Xx
, Apr 18, 2011
Hiya I am 11 I have pulled my hair, eye lashes , an eye brows ever since I was 7 because I was falling behind in class an being bulleyd . My mum is the worst she told all the teachers in school and took me to a counciler it was HORRIBLE every week I'd cry not to go then when I finally settled down theyd make me go in a room on my own a talk to a person who had not a clue what was going on and I told my mum that I didn't need help I am fine on my own it's my problem an I'll sort it out but she said you WILL go to counciling so it carried on for about a 9 months an she even made me go on my birthday so for half of the day that's surposed to be good I spent crying asking to go home so do not go to a counnceler because they just talk to you about your feelings and speak to you like your from some different planet. Xx
, Apr 18, 2011
Hiya I am 11 I have pulled my hair, eye lashes , an eye brows ever since I was 7 because I was falling behind in class an being bulleyd . My mum is the worst she told all the teachers in school and took me to a counciler it was HORRIBLE every week I'd cry not to go then when I finally settled down theyd make me go in a room on my own a talk to a person who had not a clue what was going on and I told my mum that I didn't need help I am fine on my own it's my problem an I'll sort it out but she said you WILL go to counciling so it carried on for about a 9 months an she even made me go on my birthday so for half of the day that's surposed to be good I spent crying asking to go home so do not go to a counnceler because they just talk to you about your feelings and speak to you like your from some different planet. Xx
, Apr 18, 2011
Hiya I am 11 I have pulled my hair, eye lashes , an eye brows ever since I was 7 because I was falling behind in class an being bulleyd . My mum is the worst she told all the teachers in school and took me to a counciler it was HORRIBLE every week I'd cry not to go then when I finally settled down theyd make me go in a room on my own a talk to a person who had not a clue what was going on and I told my mum that I didn't need help I am fine on my own it's my problem an I'll sort it out but she said you WILL go to counciling so it carried on for about a 9 months an she even made me go on my birthday so for half of the day that's surposed to be good I spent crying asking to go home so do not go to a counnceler because they just talk to you about your feelings and speak to you like your from some different planet. Xx
, May 10, 2011
im 14 and i pick my eyelashes out randomly, like i dont think i do it because of stress i just do it. Its like a habit i CANT stop. when i think i have stopped i just do it again and again and again. 1 kid in my skool noticed and says "you barely have eyelashes. like at all" my best friends have long eyelashes and im going on a trip to d.c. i wanna stop because i have before, i say i stop then i do it again. and i want my eyelashes t be long for d.c. i wish i could stop because i feel really insecure. my mom noticed once and it was a year ago but she hasnt noticed that i do it regularly. i really dont know if i should tell her! im scared to see what she says. i dont know if its that disorder trich i have or what? i just cant seem to stop picking at them. im glad to know im not alone, but i cant even stare at people in my school staright in the eyes because i feel they r gonna noticee. my eyelashes are very long, soo i get happy when i grow them out and i can actually stare at people in the eyes but i just feel ugly and horrible when i pick them outt! atleast im not the only one out there:(
, May 27, 2011
im 15 years old and i pick out my eyelashes too. i did not realize how many people have this problem. i need help, i keep trying to stop but its like a force that keeps pulling me back again and again. its tearing me apart. im surprised not many people know i do this. but the people that know dont understand. i really need and want my eye lashes back. everyone calls me a raccoon cause of the eyeliner i wear to cover it up. someone please reply, and tell me what to do. thank so much.
, Jul 06, 2011
I am currently 12 and I think I started to pull out my eyelashes when I was around 10. I think I do it because of anxiety due to my neighbors who were once very good friends with me and my mother. They did some very bad things and also my dad did it when he was my age and said it was probably because of anxiety. I really want to stop because I get embarrassed when I am up close to people and they notice. I always make up a lie and tell them I had some type of an allergic reaction to food or something got in my eye. I don't really mess with my bottom eyelashes and I currently don't have any top eyelashes but I always have an urge to pull them out! Even when I cut my fingernails, I use tweezers to pull them out. I always tell myself I won't do it anymore but it just seems to happen! I really wish I still had them and could grow them out so I could wear mascara. Even when I visited my dad, my step-siblings said that I looked different and their mom noticed and my step-siblings said that's why I look different. I got very embarrassed and lied about. I researched OCD and I saw some posts that said it's possible it could be inherited but some disagreed and said it was random. My mom bought me some eyelash syrum that I apply where my top eyelashes should be and it seems to work a little bit but I continue to pull them out. I hope in the future I can control my urges and stop because I really want long and beautiful eyelashes.
, Jul 27, 2011
i had no idea so many other people went through this, im 15 and i have been pulling mine out since the third grade, i just recently got out of rehab and a month before i got out i stopped pulling them, i made a good effort to stop and i have tried like 10 times before to stop it just diddnt work until now, but a few months later i started pulling them again, and as of today i havent been pulling them for 2 weeks, and im a guy so i got a lot of **** for it at school...ALOT!
, Jul 27, 2011
ooh yea and i used to take out sections of my eye brows too
, Aug 05, 2011
ive been pulling my eyelashes out since i was around 8 or 9 and im now 19 and i havent stopped, my mom noticed a few times and went mad but i have never stopped... i do for a bit but then when they grown back i have the urge to just pull them or i pull them when im sad or upset.....
, Aug 14, 2011
I thought I was all alone, I thought I was the only one that did it I started pulling out my eyelashes for about three years. every year it gets worse, I would cover up the spots that i pulled out with eyeliner, hoping that my friends wouldn't notice. But it got worse the spots got bigger and soon one of my eye had barly any eyelashes on it I new I needed help, and didn't now for the longest time that it waas a desease and that it was caused by mostly stress. My eyelashes have always grown back but then I pull them out again. I just started to try fake eyelashes, but alot of them look really fake. The way it lead up to me pulling out my eyelashes was first I started biting my nails it is a horrible habit, and soon after that I puled out my hair, in the 5th grade I had to have a comb over. I stoped pulling out my hair and started biting my nails again when I was in Grade seven I desided to stop biting my nail and I have quite doing that. But after stoping it lead to pulling out my eyelashes. I need to find something else to do then to do those things, but what? I havent figured that out yet when I do though I'll let you know. I'm so happy I can Have someone to talk to this about.
, Sep 18, 2011
im 26 nearly and i have been picking my eye lashes out since i was 17 it all start with mascara but now it is a habbit and i do it in my sleep i wake up after i grown them and i have picked them out it really upsets me and and i am doin a beauty theropy level 2 at college and im scared coz u got to take ur make up off do to practicals so i had to tell the teacher i cant believe how many people do it i dont feel so alone now but i so want to stop . i have been goin out with my bf for 8 months and i have only had to courage to tell him but he said he already new but didnt say out he now checks my eyes everyday see if i done it and he my life so i dont want him running off with sum1 else so he is my gole i have not picked them for a while now and u can see them growing bk but there are bold patches where they dont grow back.im goin to the doctors because i still have urges to do it and they hurt really bad some time and i heard u can go blind because they grow inwards and it is so scared i have to wear false eye lashes every day and they can rip them out as well so if i dont pick for like 2 more weeks my mum is treatin me to hollywood eye lashes i cant wait i have so many goals my bf not to go blind my son and now they surport me i feel bit better.
ill let u all no how i go and if i make it to the hollywood eye lashes .
, Sep 20, 2011
Hi all, I'm 19 and have picking my eyelashes since I was 7 or 8.. I find myself doing it when watching tv, on the computer, reading, or laying in bed. The longest I can go without picking them is about a month and then I feel my eyelashes and pick them out again. I rub my fingers on my eyelashes and tell myself not to, but for some reason I cannot help myself and I do it anyways. I hate looking people in the eyes because I'm afraid they will see I have no eyelashes. I hate when the people that know what I do, bring it up, I get embarrassed. I don't want to do it, but I don't know how to stop. I try hiding it with eyeliner, but I really want my eyelashes back to stay. If anyone with this same "condition" wants to talk or has any advice on it feel free to email me at [ hoodkatlyn @ aol . com ] (no spaces)...
Oh, & I had no idea so many people dealt with this also..
, Sep 22, 2011
I have the same problem, although not at severe as most of you, my problem is that I keep pulling my eyelashes out in the same spot, right by my tear duct on the top, in my left eye. I dont understand why I do this, maybe its because I no longer chew my nails, and now they are really long, who knows? I think its weird that its ONLY that spot, and none of my other eyelashes. I actually find that putting mascara on makes the problem worse for me, and makes it easier, and more pleasurable to pull them out, therefor when im missing a lot i dont put it on. Maybe some of you should try that?
, Oct 17, 2011
This is making me so sad. I think we should all form a support group. In person or online. If anyone is from LA then holla! We need to cut this crap and the key to stopping is a lotta love and a lot of support!
I made two best friends this year at school. It was like they were sent to my life to help me. They both used to pick and were able to stop. Seriously all they did was shower me with love tell me how beautiful and amazing I was with or without eyelashes and for the first time in 17 years (im 23), I was able to stop. I had a full set of lashes and it felt so good. I felt so loved that I didn't have anything to pull about.
My friends moved away for school and even though we talk on the phone it is just not the same. I wasn't ready for them to go. I lost confidence (even though guys are attracted to me) i will have these massive feelings of insecurity and since I do t have my friends to shake me and tell me im being nuts....I picked.
I Have a tonn of friends and all of them have tried to help with the problem but nothing could help it the way the 2 girls who had it could. It was like they knew exactly what I needed.
That's why I think we can help each other stop. Message me if you're interested. I will also leave my email addy: ***@****
You are all amazing and so strong. I am so sorry we are going through this but I swear it CAN stop. I never thought I could and I did! We just need the right tools.
, Oct 17, 2011
They censored my email ha. m b e r k 8 8 5 5 at gmail *******
, Nov 11, 2011
Wow! Didn't know how many people suffered from this. I'm 28, started at 8yrs old. I always thought that OCD was just washing hands repeatedly or something like that, until I was informed that that is what I have. This compulsion and obsession is very time consuming, embarrassing, and does alot to a person's self esteem. You find yourself not making eye contact with people, including your boyfriend, and then they begin to question the reason you're not looking them in the eyes. For me, my boyfriend pitied me because he just thought I had low self esteem and it got to the point where he broke up with me because he wanted a confident woman.....if only he knew the real reason I didn't make eye contact with him. There is help out there guys..we can beat this. We are not alone, nor are we freaks, we are ust mere victims of a cruel and unfair world trying to find some type of outlet to cope with the pain. It's not our fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I THINK WE SHOULD USE THIS SITE TO KEEP IN TOUCH AND UPDATE EACHOTHER ON OUR PROGRESS. BY TURNING THIS THING AROUND INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE AND A GOAL THAT WE ALL HOPE TO OBTAIN, I THINK ALOT OF US CAN KICK THIS BAD HABIT AND MAKE A COUPLE OF FRIENDS IN THE PROCESS. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? TODAY IS NOVEMBER 11, 2011. LET THIS DAY BE THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF OUR WONDERFUL, SHAME-FREE LIVES! :)
, Nov 30, 2011
I've been pulling out my eyelashes and eyebrows since I was like 12, 13 years old (now I'm nearly 21)... I remember when I still had lashes. They were long, but I can also remember the awkward feeling when they became entangled, the upper got caught up with the lower lashes, especially at the outer sides of my eyes.
At twelve,I didn't use any make up yet, so everybody had been able to see the "bald truth", literally.
I think, I started pulling out my eyebrows and then the lashes followed...
And then, sort of, the period of inventing reasons began (well, there are not many people who accept a plain "I don't know why I do this"), even though this probably IS the truest answer I had been able to give them.
In 8th grade, the day of class photo was there. Some of my eyebrows had already grown back, basically I had,like, rectangles, or said differently, bushels of eyebrows just still quite away from the "normal" shape of eyebrows.
Somethimes I was asked, but they kind of always gave me "my" answer in their question. A friend of mine asked me why I had no eyebrows and basically added that it had happened to her, too, that she looked quite bald after having tried to shape her eyebrows for the first couple of times, cause it always had been asymmetrical, up to the point when there were nearly none left. That was my explanation to her. Another answer and reason for me doing this was that I had tried something. I'd say it was all plain gibberish :)
My eyebrows kind of regrew more and more, and I have been shaping them quite normally for the last, I guess, 3 to four years. Some small attacks are not noticable for others.
But concerning my lashes, I still pull them out. The upper AND lower lashes. I read that many of us "trichotillomaniacs", as I use to call myself, only pull out the upper lashes, well, my eyes have seen very very naked times...
By the way, thanks to a friend of mine who studies psychology, I found out the name of the disease one and a half years ago. Before, I just knew that something wasn't quite right, but then, I knew I had Trichotillomania. So at least I knew I wasn't alone!
The thing is, I have a really cool eye colour, many people say so (and the eye colour is one of the only things I really like of my body). And cause of that, many people tend to speak to me about my eyes. I personally always need a certain distance between my eyes and another person, the reason is obvious. I might have these green-blue, in winter rather grey-blue-green eyes with little yellow sparkles in them :D BUT please, don't make me always look at you! In my head, the thoughts are always spinning around what I could do to not have them see that I don't have lashes! Open the eyes wide, so that they really will focus in the eye colour? Or maybe just turn around whenever someones comes too close?
Every great picture needs a frame, a golden, delicate frame, or a ornated, black, baroque frame. But my eyes don't have this frame.
Two months ago, I bought a mascara. Cause I had my lashes grown back. Guess, not all of them, but I had quite many :) My eyes had their frame back. It was amazing! This feeling of having upper and lower lashes... indiscribable! I would have liked to talk about mascara and lashes all day, I would have wanted strangers to come to me and say wow.
Talking about mascara, a topic which is very common amongst us girls, is a tabu. Why do my friends have to talk about lashes and mascara? At these moments I feel so self-conscious... I just want to shrivel up whenever someone starts talking about eyes, mascara and co.
My great feeling about having back lashes is gone.
It is approaching the "naked" "bald" status again :(
While writing this text, which will hopefully be read by some other people, to make you feel less alone or whatever, somewhat more than 9 lashes lost their home, are now lying on the ground or hanging on my jeans or pullover :(
, Dec 05, 2011
For the heck of it...i looked this up to see if i was alone...im a 50 year old female and have been pulling out my eyelashes for years...i was thinking today how odd this is...and iam amazed that im not alone....i want to STOP...
, Jan 06, 2012
I have the same exact problem I'm 15 years old I started to do this about towards the end of 6th grade. I used to never wear makeup and ever since this bad habit began I started to wear make up. Slowly I'm starting to stop this bad habit, I remember my friends looking at me weird and asking me all these questions about my eye lashes. I was sooo embarrassed. One day my mom saw I barely had any eyelashes and asked me what happened to them, I played dumb and told her I didn't know what she was talking about, so then a few days after that I had to get a shot at the doctors and she asked the doctor about my eyelashes so the doctor asked me if I pull them out and I said no. I came up with the excuse that my eyelash curler pulls them out. Everytime I want to pull out my eyelashes I just quickly stop what I'm doing and look at myself in the mirror I tell myself that if I pull my eyelashes out my eyes will look ugly so that helps me stop. I remember sitting one day in class that my history teacher told the class that centuries ago women used to pull their eyelashes out because that was a way of looking beautiful back then. I will never forget that. But now my eyelashes are now somewhat fully grown in they're kinda long but not thick like I want them to be, but I can't help to think that they will never grow back the way they used to be, long, thick, curled, and beautiful. I regret this bad habit, I wish it would've never started.
, Jan 12, 2012
beemeggs I am in the exact situation as you. I have had "trich" since I was in middle school when I started wearing mascara; it started just picking off the mascara and then pulling too hard and getting the eyelash. I liked the little rush and pain of pulling them out and till this day have not stopped! I live in one of the most superficial places to live in the world Newport Beach, CA or the "OC" as some people may know it; it was really hard dealing with it in high school because no one got that I couldn't just STOP .My mom was the worst because when she saw that I didn't have lashes and was pulling my eyebrows she started "bawling" her eyes out and got me on every anti depressent known to man kind she would never let me even leave the house with out makeup on because she didn't want people to see me with out eyelashes or eyebrows! By my jr. year of high school I had no top eyelashes and no eyebrows and would spend endless amounts of time drawing on m eyebrows and putting on false eyelashes. The best thing I found to do with "trich" is to educate people about your condition before they even notice you don't have eyelashes or eyebrows, that way you don't seem to be ashamed of it and that you are comfortable with your self and to be able to laugh about it once in a while. When I turned 18 I gave up on my poor eyebrows and got them tattooed on (best thing ever) it saves a TUN of time doing my make up. I am turning 21 in February and I am still telling myself that I want to have eyelashes this year for my big birthday but I think we all know that it will never happen. bemeggs I wish I knew you in high school haha
, Jan 18, 2012
I'm 40 years old and I've been pulling since I was 12. I have severe anxiety and when I am stressed I pull without even knowing it. I can count on one hand the times I have had a full set of lashes. But, it doesn't last long till they are once again gone. I beat myself up about it all the time, it's very depressing. Unlike alot of the posters here, I have kept it a secret all my life, I'm guessing my eyeliner skills are bang on. Just recently I tried the new product Latesse that hit the marketplace. I was very hesitant on trying it but I did. I don't believe it grows new lashes on the bald areas but I tell you if you can manage to let the lashes grow just that little bit...they grow strong and long. Don't get me wrong I am not promoting the product. I think it was a tool to help me pull that little bit less. I now have a full set of lashes, however I still find myself tugging time to time, better yet still pulling one or two out...just to stop the cravings. I just wish it would just go away so I can have a normal life. :0)
, May 16, 2012
I pull them until they are bald I've been doin it since the 1st grade an I'm 26 years old now an all my life my family an friends have talked about me it still hurts my feeling sometimes but I really want to grow them back when I read for a long time my eyelids itch or something an I pull them out if I get bord I pull them an some times Im bald I need help an I tweez my eyebrows I us to pull them some body help me
, Jun 10, 2012
im 12 years old and i have been pulling out my eyelashess since i was 6!! I think i have issues or soething because i have been pulling out my hair aswell!!): I Dont know how to stop does anyone have any ideas.?/:
, Jul 24, 2012
I have been pulling out my eyelashes for 20 years. I am trying so hard to stop. I haven't pulled in three days, and it is maddening but I have to do it. It makes me miserable to suffer from Trich, it really is a burden on everyday life. Sometimes I feel so depressed and just want to die. My fiance and I have been together a few years and he doesn't seem bothered by my problem. None of my boyfriends in the past seemed to care, either. My family knows and it has been a constant issue for many years. I'm currently taking a non-narcotic anti-anxiety medicine, as well as the supplement N-acetylcysteine (?) or NAC. It is supposed to help control the compulsive part of the brain and ease the symptoms. I also use Ardell Brow and Lash Enhancer to fortify what growth I have so far--hopefully the conditioning will help them grow a bit stronger. Most of all, I'm having to practice will-power and patience. I am hopeful that I can regain some of my lashes, at least a little something to work with. I need to figure out the eyeliner tricks, I have never been very good at the makeup thing since this awful disorder has ruined my self-confidence and I just don't see the point. A day at a time, I guess....
, Feb 28, 2013
I literally just read all your comments and I can't describe to all of you how happy I am that we can say we're all in this together. My eyelashes have been my obsession for awhile now. I don't even pick anymore and there's still gaps. I have depression and it's the only thing holding me back. I'm scared for summer and swimming. I'm amazing at covering up my patches but taking off my makeup (which is a looong tedious process so that I don't pull out any lashes) seems to always make lashes come out. More than should come out. I wonder if its because i weakened the root of the follicles? I just cry. I'm not who I could be if I hadn't picked for so long. I'd be willing to get eyelash transfer surgery but I'm only 19 and my parents don't understand my hurt. I use Latisse which doesn't help fill the gaps. Idk what to do..i don't want anybody to see me without some makeup on and I feel like such a fake. People think I'm pretty when in reality I'm not. Im a product of a disorder that wont stop affecting me. What should I do? I need a super healthy mascara as well as liquid eyeliner and makeup remover that won't damage my remaining lashes. Please :,( I'm tired of filling in my gaps. Im so sad and no one understands!
, Mar 03, 2013
im 15 and i have been pulling out my eyelashes and even my eyebrows since i was 8. It's so horrible! i'm not really sure why it started wbut since it did, i've found it hard to stop as the little pain i receive from doing it almost calms me down? is it a form of self-harm? i wouldnt describe myself as depressed but i have heard that sometimes you don't realise you are depressed until it's too late. no one knows that i do it and i frequently cover up the gaps with eyeliner and other make-up. Is there any way to stop this horrible habit? :(
, Apr 26, 2014
Same issue here. I started pulling out my eye lashed when I was 5. Im now 33 have have the same problem. Mainly due to irritation and habbit. I stopped the habbit of pulling them out but I still find myself pulling them out in my sleep. Just when they grow back and my eyes look normal, I still end up pulling them out in ny sleep.
, Oct 20, 2014
I need help does anyone have any good treatments to help without a doctor or therapist. I pulled mine out at nine and my school photos are horrible. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
, Oct 20, 2014
I just have a lot of f****n boy issues and my best friend has noticed:( I also am pregnant at 13 and have lots of s**t going on with a b***h in the familr
, Nov 21, 2014
So you all have a habit that you need to break.
The best way to break a habit is to start a new habit in place of the old one. You must all stop fretting and worrying too. The new habit will help with this.
Every morning the first think you must do is to take a warm, damp, clean face cloth and cover your face and gently wipe over your eyebrows and lashes to GENTLY remove any that are loose and about to fall out anyway. These loose ones are probably what you were trying to remove anyway, age 5, or whatever but because you are all people suffering from high levels of anxiety, you went a bit far and formed a terrible habit.
Next, every time you catch yourself with your hands anywhere near your face, stop what you are doing immediately and do the face cloth thing again and also drink a glass of water or eat a piece of fruit. Plain water, no flavourings. If you are not at home then carry some face wipes with you. ( Preferably make your own with a mixture of olive oil and rose water on lint free cloth and placed in a sterile container of your choice.)
, Jan 18, 2015
So glad I found this page… One night about a year ago, I stayed up really late and I could feel my eyes starting to itch and burn because I had been awake for so long. I don't remember being particularly stressed about anything but I remember I started to feel like one of my upper eyelashes were loose and poking my eye, so I tried gently pulling around my lashes to see if I could get the loose lash. Soon afterwards I got the same feeling in my other eye, and about an hour and a half later this had resulted in me pulling out most of my lashes on both eyes to where there were only about 9 or 10 left on each eye. I didn't even realize how many I had pulled out until after I was done. Ever since then I've been trying to grow them back but every other month or so one will be growing down towards my eye and I'll try to get rid of it and then it just ends with me picking out my lashes again. This year has taken its toll on my self-esteem, because I used to have the longest and most gorgeous eyelashes, and they were my favorite part of my appearance. I feel naked if I'm not wearing thick eyeliner and I'm so sick of feeling that way; I hate not being able to go without makeup. I've even had dreams where I look in the mirror and I get so excited because my eyelashes are long and thick again, and then I wake up to see that I only have a few short lashes on each eye. I have my share of problems in life just like everyone else, but I've never considered myself an overly stressed person. I have been diagnosed with ADD but never anxiety or OCD, which from what I've gathered are normally the main causes of this. I guess I'm just wondering if I'm suffering from Trich or if it's something wrong with my actual eye rather than a psychological problem. I'm planning on going to talk to my doctor about this but for now reading all of these posts and seeing that there are SO many other people that struggle with this-regardless of whether or not our stories are all that similar- is really comforting.
, Jul 01, 2015
I pull out my eyelashes too. I have been doing it for years now and it's almost impossible to stop,
but I'm managing. What I did was look at pictures of me when I was little, to make myself jealous, or I would think about how I might have to go through life without them. Also, my parents promised me 40$ if I could break me habit and get them back.
, Aug 18, 2017
i was doing some searching on the net for some answers on
whats going on with me why i seem to pull out my eye lashes all the time :( i cant seem to find out the reason why but i do it and i hate it. im 30yrs old and i have a bf, i dont want him looking at me weird and think diffrent about me when he sees me, please help on how to stop doing this, thanks
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