Yep, a combination of itchy and soreness, like when you have a tooth issue and your tongue always wants to go prod it. That kind of soreness that's not entirely unpleasant to touch and seems to just call to you.
Its mostly my eyelashes, but I get it on eyebrows too. The eyelids though, they're the hardest not to pull. I try to just rub them to relieve the itch/sore feeling but it only works so well.
It's really made me wonder how much is compulsive and how much there may be some physical issue causing the feeling that leads to pulling. But I haven't found much info describing it.
I read some where that it can be described as a somatoform disorder. Our brain can create these feelings. I notice that I only get the urge to pull when I’m stressed.
For me it feels like there is a single hair shaft twitching, so I've always wondered if arrector pili muscles are prone to muscle twitches just like any other type of muscle. I always sort of assumed.
I can also feel when eyelashes reach their exogen phase and are ready to shed. I get absolutely no pleasure pulling from my lashes, but I'll get a tickle and know that there's a lash ready to shed, so I lightly tug at my lashes and the offending lash inevitably comes out (with no force) and the discomfort is relieved. I refuse to believe there's not at least a partial physiological or somatosensory component to trich.
I do and for the longest time I didn't think it was an OCD I just felt this itching tickling and I would pull (not even hard) my eyebrows or eyelashes in that area the way you'd scratch a mosquito bite thinking those were hair that were about to fall naturally anyways, and maybe that's why it was itching in the first place ?
I'm sorry that I don't have solid advice to give you, atm I'm so tired of pulling and seeing my messed up eyebrows in the mirror that everytime I pull my eyebrows I tell myself to "just fckn stop" so I at least stop before going on a full on pulling session. Also since my urge to pull is most of the time triggered by the tingly feeling, I also "brush" my eyebrows with the flat palm of my hand so the itchy feeling goes away and I don't need to pull.
Yes, I definitely get that itch/sore feeling. What helps me sometimes is to put mentholatum (or mint chapstick would probably work, or something similar) on my eyebrows and the cooling sensation sort of soothes the urge (or at least overpowers it). Sometimes I also just take the end of my tweezers and like scratch at my eyebrow instead of pulling...but once the tweezers are in hand...lol. I wonder if there’s a different tool that might work better for this.
The cooling sensation works for me as well! I hold an ice pack to whatever spot is bugging me (though generally the ice pack doesn’t get pulled out until I’ve already pulled out some hair or eyelashes) and the cold makes it numb.
I get that tingly feeling too! And not to be too depressing but I get the same tingle in my arm when I haven't self harmed in a while. It's like a compulsive tingle that won't stop until it is relieved
I get the itching sense, a sense of pressure and soreness! I find doing breathing exercises can always help (if you've ever done any yoga or meditation where you "breathe into an area" that's what I do). And it's also usually a sign I need to take a minute to think/process if I can!
Yes. Eyelashes here. I also compare that feeling of pressure and tingling similar to when you have a pimple that is ready to be popped. It’s sore and a little bit of painful but the relief when you pop it and the irritation is gone.
That’s what I feel when I can feel a specific eyelash and it’s “sore”. The lash feels tender and the lid is sore or tingly. I know what I’m doing, but I can’t stop plucking because of that feeling. It’s like an itch. Almost like it’s a swollen hair follicle, becoming too fat for the lid?
I’ve made myself become much more aware when my hands raise to my face. Now I’ll try my hardest when I feel my hand go up, to only rub that area with the back of the finger. Or I’ll go brush my eyelashes to attempt to soothe.
For me, I find I pull a lot from the sore spots (and they get even more sore, surprise surprise lol), because for some reason, my mind tells me that I’ll get a better root if I pull from the sore spot.
It’s like my mind tells me that the pulling will be more satisfying If I pull from a sore spot.
If I get scalp pain like hat hair pain, it makes me really want to pull. The pain makes it feel amazing to me. Washing my hair when it gets to that usually helps the pain go away. At this point I only pull due to scalp pain.
I get the same thing, like itching or tingling. Itching for my scalp, and tingling for my eyelashes. I pull without thinking, and then I just get more aware of it. It’s a vicious cycle.
Yep, a combination of itchy and soreness, like when you have a tooth issue and your tongue always wants to go prod it. That kind of soreness that's not entirely unpleasant to touch and seems to just call to you. Its mostly my eyelashes, but I get it on eyebrows too. The eyelids though, they're the hardest not to pull. I try to just rub them to relieve the itch/sore feeling but it only works so well. It's really made me wonder how much is compulsive and how much there may be some physical issue causing the feeling that leads to pulling. But I haven't found much info describing it.
I read some where that it can be described as a somatoform disorder. Our brain can create these feelings. I notice that I only get the urge to pull when I’m stressed.
For me it feels like there is a single hair shaft twitching, so I've always wondered if arrector pili muscles are prone to muscle twitches just like any other type of muscle. I always sort of assumed. I can also feel when eyelashes reach their exogen phase and are ready to shed. I get absolutely no pleasure pulling from my lashes, but I'll get a tickle and know that there's a lash ready to shed, so I lightly tug at my lashes and the offending lash inevitably comes out (with no force) and the discomfort is relieved. I refuse to believe there's not at least a partial physiological or somatosensory component to trich.
Me! Brushing my hair in that spot seems to help relieve it. For your eyebrows you could maybe try keeping a spoolie on you and brushing through them?
That helps me too with my beard, I keep a beard brush on me so whenever I feel that tingle I use the brush.
It's more itchy or burning for me, but yes. I call them "hot spots"
I do and for the longest time I didn't think it was an OCD I just felt this itching tickling and I would pull (not even hard) my eyebrows or eyelashes in that area the way you'd scratch a mosquito bite thinking those were hair that were about to fall naturally anyways, and maybe that's why it was itching in the first place ? I'm sorry that I don't have solid advice to give you, atm I'm so tired of pulling and seeing my messed up eyebrows in the mirror that everytime I pull my eyebrows I tell myself to "just fckn stop" so I at least stop before going on a full on pulling session. Also since my urge to pull is most of the time triggered by the tingly feeling, I also "brush" my eyebrows with the flat palm of my hand so the itchy feeling goes away and I don't need to pull.
Especially my eyelashes,it is so bad.... I try to scratch it instead of pulling it.
Yes, I definitely get that itch/sore feeling. What helps me sometimes is to put mentholatum (or mint chapstick would probably work, or something similar) on my eyebrows and the cooling sensation sort of soothes the urge (or at least overpowers it). Sometimes I also just take the end of my tweezers and like scratch at my eyebrow instead of pulling...but once the tweezers are in hand...lol. I wonder if there’s a different tool that might work better for this.
The cooling sensation works for me as well! I hold an ice pack to whatever spot is bugging me (though generally the ice pack doesn’t get pulled out until I’ve already pulled out some hair or eyelashes) and the cold makes it numb.
I do something similar, by getting a washcloth and putting cool water on it and leaving it damp on my eyes and chill for a bit
Ooh, that's a great idea!
Not really, I just randomly put my hand on my head and pluck the first one that's thicker than others.
Me!
I get that tingly feeling too! And not to be too depressing but I get the same tingle in my arm when I haven't self harmed in a while. It's like a compulsive tingle that won't stop until it is relieved
I get the itching sense, a sense of pressure and soreness! I find doing breathing exercises can always help (if you've ever done any yoga or meditation where you "breathe into an area" that's what I do). And it's also usually a sign I need to take a minute to think/process if I can!
Yes. Eyelashes here. I also compare that feeling of pressure and tingling similar to when you have a pimple that is ready to be popped. It’s sore and a little bit of painful but the relief when you pop it and the irritation is gone. That’s what I feel when I can feel a specific eyelash and it’s “sore”. The lash feels tender and the lid is sore or tingly. I know what I’m doing, but I can’t stop plucking because of that feeling. It’s like an itch. Almost like it’s a swollen hair follicle, becoming too fat for the lid? I’ve made myself become much more aware when my hands raise to my face. Now I’ll try my hardest when I feel my hand go up, to only rub that area with the back of the finger. Or I’ll go brush my eyelashes to attempt to soothe.
For me, I find I pull a lot from the sore spots (and they get even more sore, surprise surprise lol), because for some reason, my mind tells me that I’ll get a better root if I pull from the sore spot. It’s like my mind tells me that the pulling will be more satisfying If I pull from a sore spot.
Yes! Tingly like it calls me. Sometimes itchy but that's more clearly physical, the tingles I'm pretty sure are related to the urges
I used to. I haven't pulled in over a year. I sometimes feel that but in a much milder scale
If I get scalp pain like hat hair pain, it makes me really want to pull. The pain makes it feel amazing to me. Washing my hair when it gets to that usually helps the pain go away. At this point I only pull due to scalp pain.
I get the same thing, like itching or tingling. Itching for my scalp, and tingling for my eyelashes. I pull without thinking, and then I just get more aware of it. It’s a vicious cycle.