Should eyelash pullers use mascara?

As an ex eyelash puller I am always wary of using mascara or eyeliner as a Trichotillomania sufferer. Even today, after all of my eyelashes and eyebrows have grown back in, I am careful not to put anything on them that might make them fragile, itch or worse yet, draw my attention to how they feel and start trying to pick off the mascara (which would of course lead to picking at my eyelashes).

Can eyelash pullers safely wear mascara?

The other day I was participating as a fortune teller in my children’s Halloween party. And how can you have a fortune teller with no dramatic eye makeup? So I went ahead and let my kids paint my eyes. And I looked great. And it was such a joy to see my long thick eyelashes which had grown back after 40 years of no eyelashes at all. However, by the time I got home I was so conscious of my eyes that I just knew I had to get the makeup off. I was WAY too aware of my eyes for comfort. So I took off the makeup and brought out my trusty vial of Trich Stop hair growth oil to help me resist the urges and calm the itching that had already begun.

This goes back to how I felt when I was putting together my system for stopping hair pulling. Even though I had to go out in public feeling naked, I was determined to remove anything chemical from my eyes and started using only natural things on my eye area. And it WORKED. That’s how I started to research creating a natural hair growth oil and solution to help me stop pulling my hair.

So, I go back to my advice to hair and eyelash pullers: even if you are dressing up this Halloween, do NOT use any chemical products at all on your hair or eyelashes.

Using makeup and mascara for eyelash pullers

For eyelash and eyebrow pulling, while it’s incredibly tempting to hide behind makeup, ideally you should use as little as possible. Makeup exacerbates the problem, doesn’t encourage healing and causes you to spend your energy on analyzing the results of your hair pulling as you put it on. This is especially the case for false eyelashes. The adhesive irritates the follicles causing more urges and can even damage the follicles causing permanent hair loss. When you are at home or with your family and friends try forgoing makeup.

Of course there are times when you will want to wear makeup. In this case use a light, organic eyeliner or eyebrow pencils. If you must use makeup, then make sure it is composed of natural ingredients and use as little as possible. You can also try using khol and other natural substances.

This includes once you have control over your condition. I often long to wear mascara in order to show off the lashes that I have worked so hard to regrow. However I know that the chemicals will aggravate the follicles, and the added attention and irritation to the area will tempt my condition to return. Therefore, as frustrating as it is, I completely avoid using any makeup on my eyes.

Avoid false eyelashes and mascara, only use all natural make up, or even better, try going without.