Trichotillomania Education
Hi, everyone, I'm Carina, and I've struggled with trichotillomania for six years.
Basically, trichotillomania, or "trich" as the community calls it, is the excessive desire and need to pull out one's hair. It can be through pulling hair from the roots or from stripping off eyelashes to picking at your eyebrows. It's a very difficult condition, and it can be very embarrassing. Post to this thread if you or someone you love is or could be suffering from trich. You're not alone.
Hey, thank you so much for this post! I have a friend who's suffered from periods of trich and I'd love for it be a condition that's more widely understood and supported! :)
I do this. It's extremely unpleasant, but it's a bit of a compulsion. Do you have any tips on how to stop?
@WantsToFeel, learn how to knit. Then you can knit a little square or something to hold and play with. Also, knitting keeps your hands super busy!
I suffer from this. I do it, being or not stressed. I even do it in front of the mirrow, concentrated... It's embarassing. Awful.
I don't think it's anything to be embarrassed of. I do that, as well, so I don't really think you should feel bad about it<3
@biku same i have no eyelashes anymore and there are empty spaces on my eyebrows where large amounts of hair i pulled out is missing also is it normal to become infatuated with the hair you pull out and keep it somewhere where you only know?
@Armedes
I know someone who suffers from trichtillomania and infatuation with the pulled out hairs is definitely part of it. They will chew off the beginning of the root and then discard the hair. If they don't, they get very agitated and obsessed with finding another hair to do it to.
Hey everyone. I know the pain of having this. I've dealt with it for around 8 years. I used to be bullied for it a lot. One thing that I've found that helped me control it was gettin acrylic nails. It makes it hard to feel hair very easily. I wore some for the whole summer, and as a result very rarely pick anymore.
What about for guys? I'm not sure how well it would go if I started wearing acrylic nails! XD
That's true XD
My mom has had this since she was a teenager. I'd love to learn about ways I can help her, so if anyone knows how to stop it I would love to become better informed about how we can help people with trichs.
Are we calling this a form of self harm? I always assumed it was a compulsion.
It's, but also associated with low estem (sorry, i don't know if i spelled ok :)). What i mean is that maybe it's a way to exteriorize that poor self-love, hurting our self looking for relief. Maybe it's way it could be considered self harm. (sorry, i do my best trying to speak English!)
It's perfectly fine. For me, I think itis a self-image thing. But it may also have to do with gender, and I'm not sure other people experience it for the same reason.
For me it was always an anxiety thing. If I felt anxious, I would pick and that calmed me down.
Here's some tips for those of you looking for help!
1.) Keep a ponytail holder or rubber band on your wrist. Snap it whenever the urge to pick or pull comes to you.
2.) Keep your nails short and clean. Well-kept nails are a must. With short nails, it is more difficult to pick, and in keeping them as clean as possible, you don't risk infection if you do happen to slip up.
3.) The next few are more for the ladies. Avoid wearing lots of eye makeup, like mascara or eyeliner, if your go-to pull is your eyelashes. Those can cause irritation, and urge you to pull more. Also, try not to wax, shave, or pluck your eyebrows on your own. Ask a friend or a mom to help, or spoil yourself by getting them done professionally. You deserve it!
4.) Also, for girls or guys with longer hair, try pinning your hair into a stretch fabric headband. It'll make it a lot more difficult to pull from the root. If your hair is shorter, don't be afraid to fashion a bandana every now and again!
5.) Embrace it when you have had a slip-up. Don't hide it from the people you care about, open up to them about it. They'll love you regardless. Plus, it's a nice reason to bust out some really cool hats.
6.) Lastly, make sure to love yourself! Trich can be classified as either a form of OCD or a type of self-harm based on how you're doing it. If anyone is having any issues regarding it or just some questions about it, feel free to personal message me! The community of trich sufferers is larger than we think, and it's great to make a difference out there for those who are in the dark about it!
Hey, all. Whether you're a trich sufferer or an ally, check out this video. So inspiring!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rDWB8vhf0cE
I have issues with it... I hate is so much...I used to have bald spots when I was younger. I twist my hair into knots and pull at the knttsuntil they're so tight the hair breaks or I end up pulling it out...it's embarrassing... I wake up to a small pile of hair every morning. My bed sheets get covered in hair... I'm currently wearing a bandana tonight to see if it helps!!! It's all anxiety based... It's how I cope. My mom has it too.
I don't know if anyone has heard of her, but there is a famous youtuber with trich, beckie0, SHES really inspiring but may be a little triggering.