Rubbing your eyelashes or eyebrows while you sleep? Learn how...
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A balanced, evidence-based resource from UK doctors on supporting cosmetic regrowth alongside behavioural management.
Trichotillomania is a behavioural condition that leads to repetitive hair pulling, particularly of the eyelashes, eyebrows and scalp. People often describe a feeling of tension relief immediately after they pull but this is usually followed by guilt or anxiety, which perpetuates the cycle.
This problem is very different from alopecia or other causes of hair loss because the underlying problem is behavioural rather than a problem affecting the follicle health.
Yes they do almost all of the time. When the pulling behaviour decreases or stops you will find that most hair follicles remain viable and natural regrowth often occurs over weeks to months. However, frequent and persistent pulling can eventually cause enough trauma to the follicle to cause it to enter a quiescent state where is pauses growth for a while.
In clinical practice many people report initial regrowth within the first 6 to 12 weeks but substantial cosmetic improvement can often take 3 to 6 months to come through.
Patients using treatments to help support regrowth often perceive results sooner, reinforcing therapy adherence.
A testimonial from a long term customer (Mylash is part of the Opti Laboratories brand)
I have been using the MyLash treatment as often as I can for the last 13 years, and very recently started adding the Opti Laboratories Sun Protect Serum to my routine and I am thrilled with the results.
My journey to using MyLash involved several decades as a Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) sufferer, which for me played out mostly on my eyelashes. As someone who was born with dark brunette, thick eyelashes, I had done so much damage that parts of my eyelid had no lashes left at all.
Using MyLash not only helped me to grow back my lashes, but also to keep them, and over time they have restored back to nearly the strength they were pre-pulling. The only issue I had left was that the lashes didn’t grow in such a uniform “fan” shape. I used LVL treatments to give a better result here, but these treatments are drying, and whilst I would enjoy a few weeks of brilliant looking lashes, getting lots of comments, there would then follow weeks where the lashes looked dry and spindly. The Opti Laboratories serum has completely resolved this! The deeply conditioning qualities of the serum mean not only do the lashes stay hydrated and keep their form, the LVL effect lasts longer, I am still feeling the benefits of it 9 weeks after my last treatment.
The Opti Laboratories Serum also works wonderfully on brows, not only being a great residue-free brow gel but also having the same benefits– my brows are appearing fuller and darker after being over plucked in decades gone by!
I am so grateful to have these products – they are without question two of the best beauty products I have ever invested in in terms of results, you have to use them for them a few weeks, but the results from there are undeniable.
Bimatoprost is a prostaglandin analogue used for helping eyelash & eyebrow growth. In America it comes under the Latisse® brand and it is the active ingredient in our growth treatment. Medical studies carried out over the past 20 years have shown it to be an effective way to stimulate eyelash and eyebrow growth.
It works by stimulating the hair growth cycle when applied to the skin, where it soaks into the hair follicle. It also stimulates the production of melanin, and the resulting effect of the treatment is to grow hairs that are longer, thicker, and darker. Unfortunately, it does not work with scalp hair loss because it does not reverse the process that has caused the scalp hair to come under attack.
We have helped many clients bimatoprost / Latisse to regrow their eyelashes and eyebrows, but this is only anecdotal evidence from our own experience.
There is not a great deal of independent clinical evidence or studies that have looked at the use of Latisse or bimatoprost with trichotillomania. There are individual case reports that have been published in some medical journals, such as the picture below, but nothing large scale involving a lot of people.
Although high quality studies on the use of bimatoprost for trichotillomania treatment are lacking there are multiple studies that support the use of the treatment to regrow eyelashes and eyebrows. The most important was the approval of the treatment in America by the FDA after it was shown to be safe and effective.
Since the initial release of Latisse it is thought that the treatment has been used millions of times by people around the world, but mainly in America, primarily for the cosmetic purpose of growing longer eyelashes and thicker brows.
There have been a series of other example cases, with the regrowth of lashes and brows after chemotherapy being an important use.
Our team of experts have helped people regrow their eyelashes and brows for a range of reasons such as hypothyroidism, eyelash loss due to weight loss injections, or brow thinning from antidepressants.
Effective management of trichotillomania should begin with a visit to your GP to begin long term treatment. There is no quick fix or miracle cure. Your GP will discuss the condition and that will be the start of a plan to work on strategies to control the pulling and hopefully address any underlying causes.
Trichotillomania is a complex condition and we still do not truly understand all of the mechanisms involved. It is likely to involve our response to stress, general mental health, family history and genetics amongst other things – there are some specific gene markers that have been proposed.
The most common treatments are often called talking therapies. They often fall into two main categories. The first category hopes to give you ways to identify things that trigger pulling, as well as habits or actions to do instead pulling a hair such as flicking a band on your wrist. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an example of the second category, which looks into underlying motivations or thought processes that may have led you to a point of anxiety that has resulted in pulling taking place.
Cosmetic regrowth support can be motivational, helping some people stay committed to behavioural change. When healthy, thick hair is starting to come through then it can help some people more hesitant to pull at it. However, it must be stressed that it would be inappropriate to start any treatments to regrow hair that has been damaged by trichotillomania if there are not therapies in place to try to manage the pulling.
Our clinically proven, prescription strength growth treatment has been our gold standard treatment since we started in 2007.
Trusted by over 15,000 clients.
Each pack includes the treatment and the applicators, which lasts most people three months with careful usage.
After developing strategies to reduce or stop pulling, many people want to regrow their lashes and eyebrows that have been damaged. Our bimatoprost growth treatment is intended to support regrowth cosmetically once pulling behaviour has reduced. It is not to replace behavioural therapy.
Opti Laboratories are the eyelash and eyebrow growth experts. We have helped others with trichotillomania and we can help you when you are ready.
Our clients include individuals recovering after:
▪️Thyroid related brow loss
▪️Chemotherapy related eyelash thinning
▪️Trichotillomania and related issues
▪️Cosmetic over plucking
▪️Eyelash and eyebrow loss from radiotherapy
▪️Thinning eyelashes due to medications
However, we also help a lot of people that simply want longer eyelashes and thicker eyebrows too.
Based in the UK and led by a team of British doctors, we have helped thousands of clients. since 2007 and we have been recognised in UK newspapers and magazines.
We continue to innovate. Our award-winning daytime lash and brow serum, the first in the world to offer UV protection for lashes and brows, supports growth and helps protect fragile follicles during your recovery.
The following posts provide more in-depth information, often covering the latest clinical research and scientific papers.
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Expert sleep protection for your eyelids.
£65.00
Ideal for:
Yes. Once pulling behaviour is controlled, most hair follicles remain viable and natural eyelash and eyebrow regrowth usually occurs over weeks to months.
Bimatoprost can enhance hair growth by prolonging the anagen phase and increasing follicle activity, supporting thicker, longer lashes and denser brows, but it does not treat the underlying compulsion.
No. Trichotillomania requires behavioural and psychological management. Bimatoprost may support cosmetic regrowth but does not address the cause.
Visible cosmetic improvement can occur over 8–16 weeks, but timelines vary and results depend on consistent use and reduced hair pulling.
When prescribed through a UK doctor and used correctly, bimatoprost is generally well tolerated, but it should be part of a wider management plan including behavioural therapy.
