Cosmetic surgeons have performed the UK’s first eyelash transplant using hair taken from the back of the head.

The teenage patient had been suffered from trichotillomania, sometimes also known as trichotillosis or ‘trich’, an impulse control disorder where the patient repeatedly pulls out an area of hair. In this particular case, the patient had pulled out most of her upper eyelashes, having suffered from the disorder for the last 17 years.

The four hour cosmetic procedure involved taking hair from the back of the patient’s head and then grafting individual hairs in the eyelid to replace the lost eyelashes. Over the next four to six months, the lashes should start to thicken up. The eyelash replacement treatment cost around £3,500.

Trichotillomania often begins when patients are teenagers and can lead to depression brought on by the bald patches. Hair grafting offers a way for sufferers to look ‘normal’ again and allow the bald patches to regrow again.