stop pulling my eyelashes out

I started when I was 5. I’m now in 8th and still doing it. I planned on stopping before I got into high school, but that plan was cut short when I skipped 7th grade.

hi
how are you

I am 25 years old and have been pulling out my eyelashes since I was 5. I have done many things that have helped me to stop, but usually my tricks only last a short time before I need to come up with something new. I have worn gloves, put Bandaids on the tips of my fingers, and worn fake nails- all of these things made it so I physically could not pull out my eyelashes. Sometimes I will actually do an activity that distracts me or makes it difficult to pull, such as showering, riding my bike, going to the store, or painting my fingernails. For a while wearing mascara helped because I didn’t want my fingers to turn all black from pulling and I didn’t like the feeling of touching the mascara. I have found that telling people I pull out my eyelashes doesn’t help because then I’m not as embarrassed about it- and the embarrassment part actually helps me to not pull. I’ve also tried pulling out hair in other places that don’t matter, for instance my legs. Although I’d only recommend this as a last resort, because I also have pulled out my public hair and it gets so bad that I have used tweezers and dug into the skin to get out ingrown hairs until in bleeds pretty bad, and then I have scars that can be seen when I wear a bathing suit.
I think I might try buying a jar of Vicks and putting it on my fingers, because then I won’t be able to touch my eyes without them burning from the menthol.
Please let me know if these ideas have helped you, or if you have any other tricks that you have used that helped in the past. Even though these tricks only help for short periods of time, a month or two, it’s still great to be able to stop for that amount of time.

I am now 36. I started pulling out my eyelashes and eyebrows when I was 12. Sure enough, I got bullied because of it, and as a result, I would come home from school and resort to pulling out more lashes/brow until it was completely bare. I can soo relate to all these stories I’ve read on this. I still to this day wear really thick black eyeliner in an effort to hide my lack of lashes. I’m glad to say I don’t pluck as much as I used to, but sadly there are bald patches on the brow, and trying to grow back the lash takes forever. Perhaps if I didn’t wear make-up for a few months that would fix it. I remember back in my teens, watching tv and pulling out lashes/brows. Each time I would “strike lucky”, I’d subconsciously rub the item along my lower lip to see if I had gotten the root as well. It sounds gross, but it’s what I used to do ! Thank God, after finding this website by accident, that I am not the only person that does/did this. I try so so hard not to do it these days but its not easy. I’ve promised myself next time that I will give the vaseline on the lashes a go. Failing that, then I might have to resort to wearing boxing gloves !!!
We can do it guys, have faith xx

this is really encouraging that other ppl have this problem, but.. really quite sad that no one has actually stopped. =[ or if they have, i dont see an explanation on how to.
i’ve been pulling for 7 yrs, since i was 9. i also pulled my eyebrows for about 3 years and one day i woke up and realized that i had stopped, yet, my eyelids are still bare. =[
i’ve come so close to stopping it seriously gives me a stomach ache just to think about how i could have full lashes in right now.
i dont have much to say other than; it can be done, my mom knew someone once who knew someone who stopped (lol) and eyelashes CAN grow back. the thing that helps me, as i’ve mentioned to other people is:
1: keeping busy -> leads to forgeting you even have this habbit
or/and
2: having alot of self-confidence & not feeling bad about yourself -> which also tends to make you forget about your habit.

although, i’m not one to talk… although i have technically “stopped” this habbit, i’m still pulling. =[
but it’s the best i got.
=]

I’ve been pulling for 3 years now. it started when i was reading a big, somewhat boring, book for school. Its amazing to read other people’s stories because I relate to almost every comment. Like how it is so closely related to stress and anxiety and of course all the shame and embarrassment that comes with a naked eye. I thought I was one of very few people that did this and I am so encouraged to know that I am not alone. I am going to try the using vaseline, telling more people about it, and looking into other stress/anxiety relievers. I would also like to add that fake eyelashes really helps me. It helps me in actually avoiding pulling, and also it helps in not being paranoid about what your eyes look like all the time. I hope this helps others, because this page has helped me. You’re not alone, so don’t be discouraged, just keep talking to people about it!

yuck. ive been tugging at my lashes for about 6 months, and im sick of it. im 13 and a gil. ive only got 1 semi bald spot and all the rest are uneven and choppy. i started after a wave of depression, not to mention the slight falling behind of my school work. ive tried 2 stop with various techniques: vaseline, journal and sitting on my hands when idle. none of it completely worked. i mostly have a problem with split eyelashes, its like split ends but on my eyelashes. everyday i go through looking for them in my lashes. when i find one, i take a pair of scissors and try as best as i can to trim that single lash, without much succes. any other idea to try 2 stop?? i dont think a terapist will help…and i dont want meds…

i also have this problem. im a guy ive had this since i was in yr 3. it started from a tiny little thing like itching my eyes and eyelashes wuld fall out. id be fascinated. i would out them in this jar and keep them, but i found i didnt have enough. so i pulled them all out. at school i was laughed at and tormented until i nearly cried. this didnt help me stop it made me do it more and more. im a singer and sing ALOT in public. people look at me weirdly and its so embarrising when i go out with my girlfriend. ive grown my hair long so my fringe will cover the top of my eyes. its great to know im not the only one. ive considered buying fake eyelashes but then how do they grow underneath them? please i really really REALLY need help. i tried out for australias got talent and its in january. i need to have them back bye then. please anyone i really need some help

I’m 14 now, and i started to pull my eyelashes out at 10 that’s when i came to live in France.
I suffer with depression. I need to stop pulling my eyelashes out. when I first came to france everyone took the mick out of me, i can’t stop myself from doing it, it’s a habbit, but I really need to stop, but how ? I try not to make eye contace with friends or family, i don’t wan’t them to find out. My best friend noticed that I had no eyelashes, but I couldent tell her i pulled tham out. I’m scared they’ll never grow back. When i get annoyed or sad, i try to distract myself by doing it, I wear so much black eye liner on my eyes so that noone can tell that i have no eyelashes. I also try not to make eye contact with the teachers at school. My parents ask my why i pull my eyelashes out, but I get all angry because I don’t know why I do it, it makes me feel better.
It all started in History class, I was bored, I was playtin with my eyes,then I pulled out the middle of my right eye, when I got home, I looked in the mirror and started to cry, I couldn’t take it any more, so i pulled all of them out, both eyes..
then when My nan came over to see us, she saw that I hade no eyelashes, she asked me why, I started to cry and looked myself in the bathroom. I’m fourteen, I really need to stop, but I just cant ! :(
Help me please !

Its been 5-6 years for me and im absolutley sick of it. Im also one of those people who didn’t realize so many others do it too. Im scared to meet new people cause i dont know what they will think. This has ruined my life so far. And i need to stop. Its gotten as bad as i used to bleed from my eyes because i would keep picking at the stubs. I dont know what to do.