Pulling out your own eyelashes is a behavior that affects roughly 1% of the population, and stopping it is genuinely difficult because your brain is working against you. Each time you pull, your body releases feel-good chemicals similar to what you’d get from exercise or eating chocolate. That small burst of relief reinforces the behavior, making the urge stronger the next time. Breaking the cycle is possible, but it takes more than willpower. It takes specific strategies that interrupt the habit at different points.
Why Eyelash Pulling Feels So Hard to Stop
The cycle typically starts with a trigger: stress, boredom, frustration, or even just sitting still. You feel a mounting tension or an itch-like urge, and pulling provides instant relief. Your brain registers that relief and files it away. Over time, it starts to associate pulling with calm and pleasure, which means the urge gets stronger and more automatic. After pulling, most people feel guilt or shame, which creates more stress, which creates more urges. That’s the loop.
There are two distinct styles of pulling, and most people do both at different times. “Focused” pulling happens when you’re aware of stress or a negative emotion and reach for your lashes deliberately. “Automatic” pulling happens almost unconsciously while you’re reading, watching TV, or doing something sedentary. You may not even realize your hand is near your eye until a lash is already out. Effective strategies need to address both types.
Habit Reversal Training
The most studied behavioral technique for stopping hair pulling is called habit reversal training, or HRT. It’s typically done with a therapist, but the core steps are straightforward enough to start practicing on your own.
The first phase is awareness training. You learn to notice the exact sequence of movements that lead to a pull. Where is your hand when it starts? Are you touching your face first, or going straight for your lash line? What position are you sitting in? You also identify your earliest warning signs: the initial urge, the first movement of your hand toward your face, or the emotional state that precedes it. The goal is to catch the behavior earlier and earlier in the chain.
The second phase is competing response training. You choose a physical action that’s incompatible with pulling and do it every time you notice the urge or catch yourself reaching. Common competing responses include folding your hands together, sitting on your hands, or crossing your arms in front of you. The response needs to be something you can hold for at least a minute, long enough for the urge to pass its peak. It feels awkward at first, but with repetition, the competing response starts to replace the pulling automatically.
The third phase is building motivation. You keep a log of your pulling episodes, track your progress, and identify the situations where you’re most vulnerable. Some therapists who specialize in this use a broader framework called the Comprehensive Behavioral Model, which maps out five categories of triggers: sensory cues (the feel of a particular lash), thoughts (“just one won’t matter”), emotions (anxiety, boredom), body posture (hand resting near your face), and environment (specific locations like your desk or couch). Treatment works best when it targets your specific pattern rather than following a generic plan.
Physical Barriers That Block the Habit
While you’re building new habits, physical barriers buy you time between urge and action. Even a small delay can be enough to break the automatic loop. Bandages or adhesive tape on your fingertips reduce the grip and sensation that make pulling satisfying. Some people wear thin cotton gloves at home during high-risk times like watching TV or lying in bed. Others find that applying a thick ophthalmic ointment to their lash line makes lashes too slippery to grip, which also helps lubricate the area and support regrowth.
If you tend to pull at a desk or computer, keeping your hands occupied with something else is surprisingly effective. A spring-loaded hand exerciser, a textured stress ball, or even a rubber band around your wrist can serve as a physical reminder to redirect.
Sensory Substitutes
For many people, the appeal of pulling isn’t just emotional relief. It’s the physical sensation: the tug, the texture of the lash between your fingers, the feeling of running it across your lips. Replacing that specific sensory input with something safe can reduce the drive to pull.
Brushes are one of the most effective substitutes. Mushroom-cleaning brushes (found in kitchen stores) are popular because their fine, dense bristles mimic the feeling of lashes against skin. Fine-tipped artist’s brushes work well if you tend to brush pulled lashes against your cheeks or lips. Toothbrushes, nail brushes, and soft shoe-shine brushes all offer similar tactile feedback.
Other options that work for different people include pipe cleaners (especially the oversized fuzzy kind), strips of Velcro, textured fabric like velvet, small squishy toys, bubble wrap, or a miniature Slinky. The key is matching the substitute to the specific sensation you crave. If you like the tug, try pulling bristles from an inexpensive paintbrush. If you like the texture, try handling a furry stuffed animal or a textured pot scrubber. If oral stimulation is part of your pattern, strong mint candies or sugarless gum can help. Keep your chosen substitute within arm’s reach in every location where you typically pull.
Supplements and Medication
A supplement called N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an amino acid available over the counter, has shown promising results in adults. In one study of 50 people with hair-pulling disorder, 56% of those taking NAC improved significantly compared to only 16% on placebo. The effective dose ranged from 1,200 to 2,400 mg per day. One important caveat: a follow-up study in children and teens aged 8 to 17 found no benefit over placebo, so this appears to be more useful for adults.
NAC works by affecting the brain’s reward system, which may help dampen the reinforcing pleasure of pulling. It’s not a cure on its own, but some people find it takes the edge off urges enough to make behavioral strategies more effective. If you’re considering it, it’s worth discussing with a healthcare provider since it can interact with certain medications.
How Long Regrowth Takes
Eyelashes follow a growth cycle with three phases. The active growth phase lasts 30 to 45 days, followed by a 2 to 3 week transition phase where the lash reaches its full length, then a resting phase of 3 to 4 months before the lash naturally sheds. A pulled lash typically grows back within about six weeks, assuming the follicle hasn’t been permanently damaged.
Repeated pulling over months or years can damage follicles to the point where regrowth slows or stops. If you’ve been pulling for a long time, regrowth may be thinner or patchier at first. Peptide-based lash serums containing ingredients like biotin, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid can help condition the lashes that do grow back and reduce breakage. Serums containing prostaglandin analogues go a step further by stimulating follicles to enter and extend their growth phase. Keep in mind that improvements from any serum typically fade once you stop using it.
Seeing regrowth can be powerfully motivating. Some people photograph their lash line weekly to track progress, which reinforces the behavioral work and makes setbacks feel less catastrophic.
Finding the Right Therapist
If self-help strategies aren’t enough, a therapist who specializes in body-focused repetitive behaviors will be far more effective than a general therapist. Look for someone trained in habit reversal training or the Comprehensive Behavioral Model specifically for trichotillomania. The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors maintains a directory of qualified providers, including those who offer telehealth sessions.
Many people with this condition never seek help because they feel ashamed or believe they should be able to stop on their own. That instinct misunderstands the problem. Eyelash pulling involves the brain’s reward circuitry, ingrained motor patterns, and emotional regulation all at once. It responds to structured intervention the way a sports injury responds to physical therapy: you can push through on your own, but targeted treatment gets you there faster and with less damage.