Samantha Faiers used to sleep with mittens on her hands.
The ‘Sam Faiers: Mummy Diaries’ star has battled with Trichotillomania – an obsessive compulsive disorder that sees her rip her eyelashes out – since she was eight years old and, in a desperate attempt to stop her damaging her eyes during the night, her mother Sue put thick gloves on her hands.
Speaking in her new YouTube video, she said: "When I was younger, my mum took me to the doctors and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s Trichtillomania, it’s fairly common.’
"We tried everything. When I was younger, my mum would put mittens on my hands when I’d go to sleep.
"I done that really disgusting stuff you put your finger in when you were younger to stop you biting your nails, I done that so that it would sting. I tried everything but nothing worked."
The 25-year-old beauty believes her OCD was triggered by her father going to prison when she was younger.
She explained: "It originally started when I was eight and a friend said, ‘If you pick out an eyelash and make a wish, it’ll come true.’ … In recent years I’ve seen a psychologist who specialises in Trichotillomania and the story goes deeper than just picking out an eyelash and making a wish. So I had a couple of sessions and they take it all the way back to when you were younger and your childhood and what triggered it
"And in my case, when I was younger, my dad went to prison so it all made sense after this session because I was picking out an eyelash and making a wish for my dad to come home."
Although Samantha understands her wishes won’t come true if she pulls out her eyelashes, the blonde babe is still battling with the condition but has admitted it’s no longer her insecurity.
She said: "To me, now, I like the feeling of it. People say to me, ‘Doesn’t that hurt?’ But it’s like a comfort … I’m still doing it so I can’t really say I’ve got it under control."
Samantha’s honest video is the third she’s released on her new YouTube channel since it launched on Friday (14.10.16).
The channel, which will have new videos uploaded every week, will navigate everything from beauty, fashion and life as a new mum to her nine-month-old son Paul.
She said: "I’m so excited to be launching my YouTube channel, this channel is my opportunity to share my life through my own camera, in my own words and with no scripts.
"I can’t wait to share my beauty essentials, the ups and downs of being a first time mum and just my everyday life."
Samantha Faiers slept with mittens on her hands
