How to Put on Fake Eyelashes

     After my first round of adriamycin & cytoxine (famous acronym: AC), I remember going to the gym with my best friend April.  I decided to shower at the gym because I wanted to sit and relax in the steam room.  When I rinsed off in the shower after a rigorous workout, I thought there was a very hairy animal on the drain. I screeched April's name in horror to come to the shower..  Half my hair had fallen out!  I had random bald patches on my head. I remember feeling embarrassed, shocked and numb.  Another characteristic that identified me as a woman I had lost.

     When I went back to my apartment, I told my parents what happened.  They looked at me with sad eyes and said, "It's time to shave the hair off".  My stepfather bravely grabbed the clippers and started what seemed to be a type of lawn mowing of my once very abundant head of hair.

     Shortly after the hair loss, my eyebrows and eyelashes started to fall out and within a week, I had no hair anywhere.  My goal during treatment was not to appear sick because I am a strong believer in how you present yourself affects how you feel about yourself.  

     The most inexpensive way to appear to have eyelashes was to purchase them in bulk at the $1 store and change each set out every week.  Some dollar stores have varying lengths of lashes so if you want to look a bit sassier, the option is there.

     If you decide to put mascara on your fake eyelashes, you can purchase makeup remover and clean your eyelashes gently.  I found makeup remover wipes to work best because you didn't have to deal with the lint on the cotton.  You set down the eyelashes on a clean surface and hold one end of the eyelashes lightly with your finger and run the makeup remover cloth gently over the lashes.  (Be careful not to apply too much pressure!)  

     I found that regular mascara (not waterproof) was easier to remove.  If you clean your eyelashes regularly if mascara is applied, you can make your eyelashes last approx. 1-3 weeks.  

     I found this Youtube video very helpful on how to put them on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_c0LI-gr64

     The reality of this video is that the instructor is under the assumption you have natural eyelashes to put mascara on.  Put on the eyeliner and skip the "mascara on natural eyelashes" step!

     Good luck!  After enough practice, you will be able to do this with your eyes closed! ;)