In my journey to stop pulling eyelashes, one of the most important realizations was that, like an ex-smoker, I would always be an ‘ex-eyelash puller’, never a ‘non-eyelash puller’. That I would always have pulling eyelashes in my life and the earlier I acknowledged that fact the better chances I would have in curing my eyelash pulling condition.
Pulling eyelashes
So what does that mean exactly? It means that I have to be continually on guard. I have to be careful about my diet in my trichotillomania cure. As soon as I let processed food creep into my menu I start feeling more urges. I have to be careful of the products I put on my hair and eyelashes. I keep my Trich Stop Oil with me and use it regularly to sooth the urges and continue with my behavior modification. I have to vigilant, because I can slip back into the habit. While this might sound overwhelming, it’s actually very liberating to have this realization. It gives you more control over your eyelash pulling condition and allows you to put processes into place to cure eyelash pulling.
What happens when you slip?
Sometimes we make some headway and go for a stretch without eyelash pulling, only to find ourselves one day with our hand full of eyelashes. It’s very disheartening. It used to happen to me, but then I realized that it’s all a part of the process of curing your eyelash pulling habit. I don’t slip any more because I have the Trich Stop System and because I’ve put a lot of processes in place to deal with the eventual slip ups. Here are just a few of these tips to help you stop pulling your hair out, even when you have slipped back into the habit.
1. Recognize your eyelash pulling condition and understand that you may slip in your trichotilomania cure. But you will just pick yourself back up and continue on.
2. Keep something with you at all times to rub on your hotspots to soothe the area, but most importantly to CONTINUALLY modify your behavior.
3. Stop looking in the mirror! Examining the area will only focus your attention on it and your failure to control yourself. This means even after you have pulled to see the damage. Just ignore the area and the next thing you know, when you do catch a glimpse of yourself, SURPRISE, you’ll have new hair where it used to be bald. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but stopping myself from looking in the mirror constantly was one of the major keys to my peace of mind and success.
4. Be kind to yourself. You are not alone and you are not a freak. Trichotillomania is a legitimate hair pulling condition that you suffer from. You can beat it, but it is hard, so be kind with yourself as you move through your hair pulling treatment. If you slip and do pull don’t berate yourself, just accept that it is a part of the cure and get back on the plan. I often compared myself to my husband who was quitting smoking, and tried to be as kind and understanding to myself as I was with him. It’s TOUGH, but YOU CAN DO IT.
