Hello, I am from Brazil and I want to write about this subject because I have never seen anyone talk about it. Yes, I’m a maquillaphobic, and I’ve had it as long as I can remember. My first memory about maquillaphobia was at the age of 5, when, at the 1998 World Cup, the nursery school teacher painted on my cheeks. Two green and yellow stripes corresponding to the flag of my country. I hated having it painted on me, and wanted to remove it anyway.
As I grew older I realized that it made no sense for women to paint their faces, and I felt a huge revulsion for even looking at a makeup woman. Yes, my case is so severe that I get goose bumps just thinking about cosmetics and makeup. Just talking about or hearing the word “makeup”, I already feel a pain in my chest that makes me extremely disgusted by it. If someone on the street simply says the word “lipstick” or “mascara”, perfume and things like that, I start to shiver and feel hatred and anger, as if to run away. I also feel the same for nail polish, and now the problem comes: I’m a straight man, so I need to relate to women, but they all wear makeup, so what to do?
Yes, I’ve kissed girls in high school, and yes, some of them wore makeup, and yes, I hated it, and hope never to go through it again. I’m a handsome man, and no woman would say no. At school I was admired by girls, and not a few asked to kiss me. Beautiful girls, sexy, blue-eyed blond girls, green-eyed brunettes, which I was very attracted to, but put on makeup, I refused to kiss them, and not a few.
The subject “woman” is a complicated thing for me, because I see beautiful women, and I feel a lot of attraction, but then I see their makeup, and I feel disgusted. It is ambiguous to want and at the same time repudiate the same thing. Whenever I see a woman, I always notice her nails, makeup, and if that’s their custom, I give up of trying something. There’s no way!
I never had the courage to tell this to a woman, so I once created an internet post talking about it. Some women were extremely offended, and they cursed me, called me crazy, said I needed a psychiatrist, compared me to criminals, but I was never disrespectful to any woman. The reaction of women on the Internet made me even more afraid to tell someone in person. The truth is, even my mother doesn’t know I’m a maquillaphobic, and luckily, she almost never wears makeup. Luckily, I have no sister, and I wonder what I will do with my life if I have a daughter.
Daughter? I think it will be hard for me to have one, because in 2014, at 21, I definitely gave up on relating. Today I am 26 and I am a virgin. That’s right, I’m a beautiful man, and I’m a virgin. I haven’t kissed anyone for 5 years. I haven’t even held a woman’s hand in five years, and I know it will be forever, because my extreme disgust for makeup makes me want to run away from anyone.
I am a handsome man, I live in a big city, and I see beautiful women every day, and I know that until I find a woman completely abdicated from any makeup article, I will never relate, ever.
I wonder if there is a woman in the world who has the same phobia, because if there is, I would really be curious about her story.
Life with Maquillaphobia (fear of makeup)
What Now?
Read comments from others dealing with this phobia or share your own experiences below. Also check out the reader stories section.
Anonymous says
After hearing your story and the comments, I’m happily convinced I’m not the only one, lol. I’m 17 and a girl. I used to take part in dance competitions at my school, and they used to apply makeup on our faces, and that’s when I realized how much I hated it. Like, it felt like a burden on my face. Lipstick sends shivers down my body after even thinking about what it feels like on the lips. I used to keep my mouth still like a damn robot so that I didn’t have to use my lips. I couldn’t even lick my lips and hated the smell and taste of it. The same goes for nail polish and henna. I hate the smell of these things to the extent that I might vomit if I smell it for more than 15 seconds. Basically, I hate everything that tries to leave a mark on my skin, I guess. It was just an occasional discomfort for me as a kid, but as I age, I see the girls around me putting on makeup and everything. I don’t know what I’ll do in the future when everyone has applied at least basic makeup, and then there’s me with a bare face. I don’t know how I am going to keep up with them.
Anonymous says
I am a 15-year-old male. I have also felt repellent towards makeup for as long as I can remember. Once when I was about 5-7 years old, it was Halloween, and my whole family was putting on makeup and face paint. I could not bear the thought of even touching the containers, so I hid in the attic for hours. I have always been careful not to be too close to someone using makeup and try not even to touch them. Once, I was in the mall with my friends. There were two comfortable chairs to sit in, and I managed to get one of them. The others would have to either share a chair, stand or try to sit on the railing. After about 20 seconds, I realized there was a container of mascara or something like that and immediately got out of the chair. I would rather stand for the 40 minutes we would have to wait in complete silence than sit in the chair that a container of makeup had touched for a long period of time. Do I have Maquillaphobia? If so, to what degree, or am I just crazy?
Caryn says
I’m so sorry you’ve gone through all this. It really sounds awful.
If you’re looking for someone unlikely to wear makeup, look up some autistic women. Some of us wear makeup because people think it’s weird if we don’t, but others – like me – rarely wear it because it just doesn’t feel good from a sensory standpoint.
We take some getting used to it because the way we communicate is atypical, but unlike the stereotypes, many of us are very understanding of other people. Suppose you had explained to me that you have a phobia towards makeup – you don’t know why and can’t control it – I would have accepted it. I wouldn’t have criticized you about it, even over the internet. However, I may have accidentally asked questions you may have found insensitive. I’m a pretty curious person, and if someone’s doing something I don’t understand, I want to ask questions until I understand. Getting into a person’s headspace is interesting. (Wanting to understand other people better is why I tracked down this website – I kind of figured that by understanding people’s fears better, I’d have more of an understanding of how the human mind works).
I feel bad that you haven’t encountered any women who accept your quirk before. Accepting people do exist. I hope that you find a support system soon.
C. says
The lipstick left behind on mugs or cigarette butts, lipstick kiss marks, even if made by a rubber stamp or printed, closeup photos of fingers wearing it (holding an object in an online auction or whatever), chipped fingernail polish on a food service worker, knowing those chips have wound up in food, the feel of someone’s fake nails putting change into my palm *shudder*.
Makeup on people in movies or real life is tolerable, usually. Though I often wonder why people are so susceptible to peer pressure and advertising that they want to use it or think it looks good and have been made to believe it’s worth the time and money.
Close interaction – touching or kissing, or being touched or kissed by someone wearing it, is repellent. I don’t want to see, feel, taste, or smell any of that crap. I cannot consider a relationship with someone who would use it, even if only rarely.
Finley Markson says
This is the first thing I have seen on makeup phobia, and I am so happy that I know I’m not crazy; thank you, handsome man.
anonymous says
Hi, I’m 15, and I’ve always felt uncomfortable around makeup for a while now. Today my friend sat down next to me, but she was wearing a lot of makeup, and I felt really uncomfortable, and I couldn’t even sit next to her. Do I have maquillaphobia?
Anon says
Male, 37. I’ve always had problems with it, but it has worsened as I get older. I fell in love with my wife partly because she often didn’t wear makeup when we met. She wears it a lot more often now and doesn’t really understand my problem. Fake tan is the worst for me. It seems to be compulsory for women to wear it at weddings in Ireland, and I have major problems with weddings because of it. We usually end up having an argument at every wedding. I feel really sad that so many people think they have to hide who they are for society’s sake. People are so much more beautiful without it, more real, more honest. It means a lot to hear other people talking about it. Thank you for making me feel a bit better about myself.
Aisling Cosgrove says
My name is Annie, Female 16, and I have the most extreme fear of makeup ever. When I was smaller, I used to not mind nail polish on my toes but NEVER on my fingers or anything that could potentially be in my mouth. I hate how it looks, feels, and smells, omg the smell could make me sick. I have two older sisters and one younger sister. All are obsessed with makeup and barely ever go anywhere without it. I think it’s genuinely disgusting. Another problem is I’m at the age where I go to parties and discos where everyone wears full-face heavy makeup, and I’m the only one there frightened to even think about it. It’s not just about putting it on or being comfortable around it. It’s about fitting in. Society has become so used to women (or men) wearing makeup that it’s expected when going someplace nice. Anyway, that’s my take on it, so just know that there are people out there that hate makeup as much as you do -Annie
Mimi says
Hey, I have this too, but I’m 15 and have been living with it all my life, but mainly face paint is the problem. It’s quite bad. I’ve always refused to go to festivals or friends’ birthday parties when I was younger just for the chance of it being there. I know I’m still young, but I am absolutely sure I’m never gonna wear it ever. It also comes with fears of change and physical change as well for me, so haircuts as well. So yeah, my hair is down to my thighs because I’ve not had it cut for ages. I’m sure you’ll find someone. It makes me so happy to know I’m not alone here :)
Terra Wolfe says
It sounds like you just need a woman that doesn’t wear makeup or nail polish. They are out there.
Ryan France says
I’m Ryan. I’m happy to hear that more people are like me. I just freeze if I see any sort of thing like eyeliner, blush, or lipstick.
Simone says
Male, 41. I have a mild form of this. I can watch or talk about cosmetics, but the more they’re evident on a person, the more I’m disgusted. In my case, it’s also related to colors: red lipstick and tooth paint are the worst, softer colors are more tolerable.
Darya says
I’m a woman, 21 years old, and till now, I had makeup on only three times, and this never was by my own will. I tried to remove it each of these times as soon as possible. The same goes to nail polish, even though, luckily, I had to suffer from it only once. The last time my mom persuaded me to do some lashes-thingy that was supposed to make them look longer without using mascara, I wasn’t able to look at myself in the mirror without going hysterical ever since. As my family says, the moment I see my eyes with these “beautiful lashes,” I immediately start having a panic attack. And I barely manage not to cry each time I remember that this thing will last at least two months. Strangely, I do not react to other people with makeup. That’s actually good because my mother and sister don’t spend even a day without it even if they stay indoors. But on me – immediate hate and panic. I hate how it feels, I hate how it looks, I hate how it smells, and I really wished that my family stopped trying to put it on me.
Evangeline says
This is precisely what I have. On other people, I really don’t mind – I understand that appearance is a choice and that I cannot expect people to conform to my phobia. However, on the few occasions I have had to wear makeup or nail polish, I have frozen, struggled to breathe, and in the worst case, I threw up. I hate looking in the mirror and seeing someone that is not my natural self, and on the rare occasions I have, it has made me want to peel my face and fingernails off.
John says
I’ve been struggling with this since I was around seven years old, and I’ve never met anyone who’s had or even heard of makeup phobia until I saw this post. I get extremely lightheaded, blurred vision, tinnitus, and loss hearing, and occasionally I faint when I see or think about makeup, although it’s usually just a steady low level of nausea. There’s no anxiety or repulsion, so I’m not sure if phobia is the right term. It’s comparable to people getting sick from seeing blood. It’s had a substantial impact on my dating life and professional life, although I’ve made some progress through exposure therapy. Good to know other people understand what I’m talking about.
Anonymous says
I’m a 34-year-old man, and I’ve lived with a very specific form of this all my life. Makeup does not generally bother me at all. It’s specifically lipstick. I hate it. Thinking about it, talking about it, saying it, and even typing it out totally makes my skin crawl. God help me if I ever got it on me. I’d probably faint. I wish I was exaggerating, but I’m not. I don’t know why it bothers me so much.
A few years ago, I made the mistake of telling a few of my friends about it. They thought it would be funny to try putting lipstick on me. When they hauled it out, I had a panic attack when I realized what they were going to do. They immediately stopped when they saw my reaction. They had no idea how bad it was and thought I was exaggerating. I was in my early 30s, and I completely fell apart just thinking about it getting on me. I did get some massive apologies and free beers for the rest of the night, though.
One of my earliest memories is of me getting grossed out by lipstick in a cartoon. It was an episode of Talespin of all things when Baloo put on lipstick for some reason. I was maybe 4. The memory is so vivid even still. I thought this triggered it somehow, but my mom insists I hated it when I was even younger than that.
My female family members would go out of their way to NOT wear lipstick around me as far back as I can remember. I really wish I knew why I’m like this. I was always told I’d grow out of it as I got older, but I never did. I’m just as revolted now as I ever was. Luckily lipstick isn’t nearly as common as it was when I was younger. Lip gloss, lipstick, etc., don’t bother me at all. It’s a ridiculous thing to be afraid of, but I just cannot help it.
Anon says
Yes, I also have this condition, and I am a woman. Not as bad as some people here, but I still have a fight or flight response to anything goopy or sticky put on my face or person. I used to throw fits as a kid and scream.
As an adult, I can only wear powdered eye-shadow, and if I add water to it, it’s ok (because I know it’s only water). I can wear lip-balm, but that’s it, though.
It’s gotten better as I have grown older, but it’s still a struggle to relate to other women because of this.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your story.
Anonymous says
I’m not afraid of standard makeup or other people having makeup, but I will not allow myself to put face paint on. Even the idea of it being on me is disgusting to me.
Sisi says
I´m a woman, and I´m disgusted by makeup too, and I think it is ugly and makes people look like weird monsters or clowns. Most makeup is also tested on animals, so I hate it for ethical reasons too.
You should go after tomboyish women who don´t use makeup. Or maybe a good match for you could be a woman who wears makeup just because society says so and doesn´t enjoy it and believes she has to wear makeup to be even considered for dating. Plenty of women use makeup only because they believe every man will reject them if they will not use it and are hated by society if they don´t conform to the typical gender roles.
Summer says
I feel the same way. I’m much too afraid to open up to my family about it because I know they just won’t understand. Now that I’m getting older, I’m actually scared of what they must think. I am a woman, and not only do I have the makeup phobia, but I fear hair salons and hair products too. I also hate to dress up. I remember being forced to put on makeup for Halloween as a kid, and it would be slimy and would pinch. My mom and my aunt insisted I wore it and curled up my hair too. It was awful! My sister is older and only a half-sister that never lived with us. She can’t help me. My mom doesn’t wear makeup. I kind of wish I really had help with this phobia cause sometimes it takes over my life. All I worry about is that next haircut. Like the end of the world is coming.
Shay says
Hi I am a guy and have always felt makeup makes people look like clowns and they are hiding their expression. I like natural skin, I like blemishes, spots. It’s real. Shay
None says
Thank you for opening up about your experience with the issue. I too am a guy with maquillaphobia, (also kosmemophobia, but that’s a separate issue) and yeah, unfortunately most women in the world look ugly to me, so there isn’t much chance of dating/getting married for me. It’s unfortunate that your condition is much worse than mine. Hearing discussion of it is mildly disgusting to me, but for you it seems to cause physical revulsion.
Hope you find a girl with the same condition. That would seem to be the only solution!
Lakshita Tamoli says
I’m a girl and I really hate touching makeup stuff! Am I maquillaphobic?
Shashwat says
My condition is also like yours, but I am a boy.
Anonymous says
Hey I am a girl 18 years old and after reading your story i feel relieved to know that i am not only one with this weird phobia. You know even my parents don’t know that i have this phobia they simply consider that i just don’t like it but you know what it’s far more than dislike. Since i was kid i used to avoid makeup a lot. I would even hate to touch them and secretly i have even thrown out a few beauty products. For me it’s hard to watch someone with lipstick and kajal. Since i was a kid i was worried how I would get married because for me i thought it was compulsory to wear makeup. Still i know i should not be happy about it but i am relived that i am not the only one.
Meerab shah says
Yeah, I hate makeup too. I don’t like to touch it. By the way, I am from Pakistan. I like to live my life as a tomboy, and I like to play cricket. I am in the 9th class. My parents promised me if I take good grades on my board, they would buy a bike for me, and I am also joining a cricket club.