My trichotillomania story

I've used my fair share of lash serums in the past in a desperate attempt to regrow my lashes after I pulled them out.

It took me years to come to terms with the fact I had trichotillomania, which is a mental health disorder where you compulsively pull your hair.

From the age of about 15, I started pulling my eyelashes and eyebrows which had damaging effects on my confidence and self-esteem.

I had no idea how common this condition was until I opened up about my struggle on TikTok.

@perlcosmetics I’m nervous to open up about this. It is my biggest insecurity. I’m hoping to help others by opening up about my condition & by creating a lash oil to help regrow healthy lashes #trichotillomania #trich #hairpulling #hairpullingdisorder #hairpulling101 #mentalhealth #lashgrowthserum #lashgrowthoil #lashgrowth #lashgrowthjourney ♬ Stories 2 - Danilo Stankovic

So many people commented and messaged to open up about their struggles too.

After years of using lash serums, I started to look into how they actually work to grow your lashes and I was amazed at what I found.

Why are lash serums so bad for your eyes?

Common lash serums on the market contain Prostaglandin or Prostaglandin Analogues to grow lashes long and thick. Their discovery actually came during trials of a new glaucoma drug, which used Prostaglandin, a fatty acid that has hormone-like effects on the body, as an eye drop medication to treat glaucoma by relieving the pressure inside the eye. They noticed participants lashes grew long and thick, and as such, repackaged the drug into lash serum.

Despite growing your lashes long and thick, these serums come with unwanted side effect, some of which I experienced whilst using serums.

These prostaglandin analogues can cause hyperpigmentation, as well as redness and irritation, and even orbital fat loss (fat loss around the eyelids).

Some common side effects of using lash serums:

Lash serums can cause eye irritation

Some users may experience redness, itching, or irritation in and around the eyes. This can be particularly concerning for individuals with sensitive eyes or those prone to allergies.

Lash serums can cause permanent change in eye colour

Prolonged use of lash serums containing prostaglandin analogues can, in some cases, lead to changes in the colour of the iris, particularly in individuals with light-coloured eyes. This change is usually permanent.

The skin around the eyes can be darkened

The skin around the eyes may darken due to the increased melanin production caused by the active ingredients in lash serums.

Or the eyelids could become darkened

The skin of the eyelids may also darken over time with regular use of certain lash serums.

Lash serum chemicals can cause dry eyes

Some users may experience dry eyes as a side effect of using lash serums.

Serums can cause irregular eyelash growth

While lash serums are designed to promote lash growth, they may not always result in uniform or even growth, leading to potentially unsatisfactory cosmetic results.

They can cause orbital fat loss

Fat loss around the eyes can occur when the prostaglandin analogs come into contact with the delicate eye area. These compounds can cause a shrinking of fat around the eyes, leading to an overall more sunken appearance.

Why do people use lash serums?

Lash serums offer a tempting solution for achieving attention-grabbing eyelashes without relying on makeup. While they have proven effective for many users and even myself, it's crucial to be aware of the potential risks and side effects associated with their use.

My own experience with lash serums

Once I became aware of these side effects, I decided to stop using lash serums all together. But I was still desperate to regrow my lashes, which is when I decided to create a regrowth lash oil using 100% natural plant oils.

I've been using the oil daily since April and the results speak for themselves.

You can see just how red the skin around my eyes were in the before photo during a bad pulling episode a at the beginning of the year whilst I was still using lash serums.

So what did I do?

After sharing my story and photos online, my TikTok blew up! Getting millions of views, these videos led to people asking if I could bring this lash oil to the market, so it could help others too. 

So, that's what I did. We've been working for months now to bring our new Nourishing Lash Oil to the market. But what's in it to make it so good at helping to grow healthy lashes?

Our Nourishing Lash Oil contains key ingredients to help support healthy lash growth including:

CASTOR OIL

Known for its nourishing properties, castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, which may help promote hair growth. It can moisturize and strengthen the eyelashes, reducing breakage and encouraging them to appear thicker and fuller.

ARGAN OIL

High in vitamin E and fatty acids, argan oil can nourish and hydrate the eyelashes, making them softer and less prone to damage.

PUMPKIN SEED OIL

Rich in vitamins and minerals, pumpkin seed oil can provide essential nutrients to the eyelashes, helping to support their health and improve their appearance.

The safe alternative: Our lash oil launches soon

We brought our followers along for the journey of bringing this to market, with thousands of comments from supporters sharing their thoughts on packaging design.

@perlcosmetics Replying to @UGC creator   My face dropped when I realised this mistake 🥲 #lashoil #lashserum #lashoilserum #lashgrowth #lashgrowthoil #eyelashes #eyelashgoals #lashgoals #lashes ♬ Lo-fi hip hop - NAO-K

Our Nourishing Lash Oil will be launching at 9am on 29th August.

Make sure you're on the waitlist as we are now over 15 times oversubscribed for the number of units we are launching with!