How to Pretend to Cry

Whether you're acting in a scene where crying is required or trying to grab someone's attention, you will have more success if you know how to fake tears. Tears can help you gain sympathy and convince others to believe what you're saying. Although using tears to manipulate others is not ideal, in necessary situations, you can pretend to cry by tapping into your emotions or using artificial products to quickly generate tears!

Think of a real or imagined sad event. Recall a time when you experienced sorrow and the emotions you felt at that time. If you can't think of a sad moment or fear you may become too emotional over personal experiences, create a scenario that would make you feel sad or imagine a scene from a movie that would bring tears to your eyes.

• Think of heartbreaking events like the loss of a loved one or a pet, memories of someone or something dear to you, or an emotional farewell.
• If you're acting, find a situation related to your character.
• Focus on the emotions you wish to experience, rather than trying to force tears. Telling yourself that you need to cry focuses you on the result rather than the emotion you need to feel in that moment. Focus on your body, your breath, and your expressions.

Open Your Eyes Wide. Keeping your eyes open for extended periods will cause them to dry out, forcing your body to produce tears. Imagine you're playing a staring contest and try to keep your eyes open for as long as possible. You can use your hands to hold your eyes open if the tears aren't coming but you feel like you're about to blink.

• Use your hands to stretch your eyes wider to make them dry out faster and produce more tears.
• Slightly closing your eyes may also cause tears to form at the corners of your eyes.
• Make sure nothing harmful enters your eyes while keeping them open. It's best to practice this trick indoors to avoid any foreign particles getting in your eyes.

Short and Shallow Breaths. When crying genuinely, you'll often breathe rapidly due to stress. To fake crying, you can mimic the effect of shortness of breath by deliberately breathing quickly and shallowly. This technique will not only make your crying appear more convincing but also help your body produce tears.

• If you need to calm down, take deeper breaths.
• If you breathe too quickly for too long, your body won't get enough oxygen. Remember to use this technique in short bursts to help generate tears.

Show Sad Expressions on Your Face. Picture your face while you're crying and mimic that expression by trembling your lips, furrowing your brow, and frowning. Practice in front of a mirror to ensure you're not overacting or appearing fake.

• Watch your favorite movies with crying scenes and observe the expressions of the actors when they're about to cry. Try to imitate their facial expressions.

Combine Techniques and Let the Tears Flow. Practice using all the crying techniques simultaneously in front of a mirror and see if you can produce a few tears. If it doesn't work on the first try, keep practicing every day until you're able to generate tears.

Apply Eye Drops to the Corners of Your Eyes for an Easy Crying Effect. Purchase a bottle of lubricating eye drops or artificial tears from a pharmacy. Just before you need to fake crying, place the drops in both eyes near the inner eyelid close to the corner of your eyes.

• Eye drops will quickly flow down your cheeks, so this method should only be used when absolutely necessary.

Apply Vaseline Under Your Eyes to Mimic Crying. Gently apply a thin layer of Vaseline under your eyes and on your cheeks. The cream will make your face look shiny and moist, simulating the appearance of having just cried.

• Be careful not to get the cream in your eyes as it could cause irritation. If it does, rinse your eyes with cold water immediately.

Rub Menthol Just Below Your Eyes to Create Real Tears. Purchase menthol balm or tear-inducing sticks from online beauty stores. Carefully apply it below your eyes with your finger or a cotton swab. The menthol chemicals will cause slight irritation, triggering tears. This product will also make your eyes red and swollen, making them look even more genuine.

• Menthol products are available at pharmacies.
• Be sure not to get the product in your eyes, as it will cause strong irritation. If menthol gets into your eyes, rinse them immediately with water.

Open Your Eyes Wide and Ask Someone to Blow Into Them to Naturally Form Tears. Open both eyes wide and ask someone to blow gently into your eyes. You can use your hands to hold your eyes open to avoid blinking.

• Tear-inducing tools, available from online costume and beauty shops, contain menthol to help tears form more quickly.

• Hydrate your body. Without water in your system, it's impossible to make tears flow.
• Listen to sad music to create the emotional atmosphere needed for crying.
• Think about a truly heartbreaking moment in your life to bring on more tears.
• Remember a loved one who has passed away.
• Chop onions.
• Cover your face with your hands and smile. This technique can make it look as though you are crying.

• Be cautious not to get menthol products into your eyes. It can cause permanent eye damage.
• Do not overuse the skill of faking tears, especially if you intend to manipulate others. People will catch on to the signs and realize that you're deceiving them with fake crying.
• Avoid using fake tears to manipulate your loved ones. Once they discover you're pretending, they will no longer trust you.

• Eye drops
• Vaseline
• Menthol-based products