Ease your brow and eye rims
Have you had enough of worrying about people noticing gaps in your eyelashes or eyebrows? Do you yearn to be able to pop to the shops or answer the door without eye make-up on, or go swimming with your friends or kids? This condition doesn’t have to be a life sentence; it’s time to take your power back and we want to help you.
“I find whenever I get the urge to pull, washing my eyes and eyebrows with cold water often reduces the urge.”
Diet tips which may help stop eyelash pulling
Possibly bad foods for eyelash pulling: eggs, dairy produce, particularly those enriched with Vitamin D. Whole grains, whole grain flours, grapefruit.
Always remove make up with product, never fingers!
I find wiping my eyes with a cloth super helpful to relieve urges. NK
A way of getting rid of the urge to pull is to have a manicure and nail laquer set next to you while you watch TV; it keeps your hands busy and you have to wait for it to dry. Sewing, knitting and crochet help too.
A gentle hand massage with creams or oils will relax you and prevent getting a grip on those short hairs.
When urges are bad, cover or move mirrors to remove temptation. Wear gloves when you’re tired, this helps control subconscious pulling.
Ditch the mascara and use soft eyeliner instead. Mascara clumps and it can be tempting to pick it off; if you really feel you have to wear it remember to take it off immediately when you get home.
Use Bamboo Pads So You're Not Obsessing About Cotton Fibres
Relax & listen to this soothing MP3 by someone who was able to stop eyelash pulling herself
Eyelash pulling began in my childhood and grew into a compulsion through my teens. Sparse lashes or none at all caused frequent frustration. I was so embarrassed by my apparent inability to stop.
My self-healing began unexpectedly at a stress management seminar led by a hypnotherapist. Intrigued by the discussion on the subconscious mind’s power, I enrolled on a hypnotherapy certification course.
Discovering the potential of self-hypnosis, I made this recording. I listened to it every evening, creating a calm environment in my mind, I visualised my new long, healthy eyelashes and IT HAPPENED. My urge to pull diminished. The once overpowering compulsion faded to a whisper, and now it’s gone. Try it for yourself
Eyelash and eyebrow pulling is much more common than people expect. Initially it was thought that Trichotillomania affected mainly scalp pullers, but our research of over 33,000 tricsters has shown that eyelash pulling is the most prevalent.
73% of tricsters pull from their eyelashes, 72% from eyebrows and 27% from scalp. One reason these figures are so much higher is because many scalp pullers also pull from their lashes and brows, but there are many lash and brow pullers who don’t pull from their scalp.
Quick tips to stop eyelash and eyebrow pulling:
1. Stay away from mirrors as much as possible. Try to avoid eye contact with yourself in the mirror.
2. Practice some form of relaxation or meditation.
3. Avoid nicotine, caffeine, alcohol (as much as possible!) and sugar.
4. Spread Vaseline or olive oil very thinly on your eyelashes and brows in the morning and after lunch. This has the added attraction of reflecting the light from your face and is in fact a make-up trick used by the stars!
Our article on how to stop over plucking your eyebrows is a helpful read.