"Trich"

Haro84

Anybody have or hear of "trich" for short, trichotillomania....?

Beruthiel

Haro
Please state your PI or I'm closing this thread.
B

Baudelaire

It's an obsessive compulsive disorder where people pull out (and sometimes eat) their own hair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

Sleepy

Certainly heard of it OP, are you a sufferer?

DawnMc

It's a form of self harm, worked with teenagers who suffered from it.

What do you want to know exactly?

Haro84

im new to this thing so dont understand OP and IP etc?? what do you mean with my big a-a words?

i do suffer from trich, just wondered is it common in ireland, iv only read forums from people in england and usa.

depressed at the moment.

Sherifu

Haro84 wrote: »

im new to this thing so dont understand OP and IP etc?? what do you mean with my big a-a words?

i do suffer from trich, just wondered is it common in ireland, iv only read forums from people in england and usa.

depressed at the moment.

You do indeed seem to be new to this internet stuff so let me help.
PI=Personal Issues
OP=Original Poster - in this case you.
"big a-a words?" = that's her signature/tagline in all her posts

biko

OP, if you could elaborate on what your particular problem is?
The more info you can tell us, the better we can give you feedback.

These are Irish Google pages on the disorder.
Check out http://ocdireland.org/trich.shtml

Haro84

my particular problem is I have what their calling, the Trich disorder. Im from wicklow but wonder had anyone else got it, as its known for only 1- 2 people in 100 people to have it. i only found out the disorder had a name in the past year.
Im 23, Iv had trich since I can remember and would like to know how others cope with it, iv been thinking of hypnosis.

biko

There is a user in Long Term Illness I found in a forum search. You could try looking there too, or ask a mod to move this thread.

JuliusCaesar

biko wrote: »

Check out http://ocdireland.org/trich.shtml

OCD Ireland runs a support group & has lots of info on trich - you'd probably find a few fellow sufferers there.....

Marksie

his may be better suited to long term illness. I am going to move it.

pretty*monster

I have it.
Though I don't have any advice for you because I haven't ever done anything about it (I have big issues with the whole world of psychology and psychiatry) except for just accepting that it's a weird thing that I do other than move my parting from left to right every few months (I'm lucky as I have very thick hair so it's not very noticable).

tallaght01

Hey Haro84,

Hopefully you'll get a more sympathetic response in here.

There's a really nice group of people who post here. I don't know of anyone who's ever had the condition you're talking about. But I'm sure someone will have come across it.

There's a thread in this forum about depression aswell, I think, if you're feeling a bit low.

Sometimes, though, this forum is quiet. So, you may not find anyone in your position straight away. But hang in there.

If you really think you're depressed, would it help to talk to your GP?

BanzaiBk

Hey Haro, my school roommate had trich for roughly 2 years. She tried the hypnosis route and it didn't work for her, but she's been attending OCD Ireland's trich support group since and has found it immensely beneficial. Your GP might be able to put you in contact with them or a similar group. If you're feeling low you should have a chat with your GP, also check out the threads regarding depression in this forum:)

Nevyn

Oh this is a 'thing' and it has a name and it is a disorder.

I had thought it might be OCDish but I didn't relasie, great I have another mania.

Haro84

u have trich too Thaedydal?

Nevyn

As gut wretchingly hard as it is to admit this, yes.
Reading the mayo clinic notes on it was hard.
It's not somthing I currently actively enguage in but I am still drawn to when stressd.

Sleepy

It's something I've only admitted to a handful of very close friends but I suffer from this too. For me it's my eyelashes and eyebrows which I pull... I seem to differ from the 'typical' cases in that for me, this was something that started in my mid twenties.

I tried hypnosis and have a feeling that it could certainly work for some people but for an atheist like myself I can't see it working.

Might try that support group - my girlfriend is always at me about it.

Anyone out there 'recovered' from this? What worked for you?

Nevyn

Sorting out my stress levles and finding new and better ways to cope with my life and make changes which were needed are what has helped me.

lirith

Hi

Im from Wexford, ive had trich for about seven eight years.

I only found out about trich about four years ago, finally glad that i wasn't the only one who had it, but still feel alone.

Sleepy

Thaed, do you mind me asking how you dealt with your stress levels? I'm going through a lot of it at the moment between work and a pregnant girlfriend. Even as I type this I'm picking. It's gotten to the point where people are noticing despite my efforts to cover it up

LegacyUser

good stress management advice here:

http://www.ivf.com/stress.html

be aware that there are 2 causes of stress: internal & external.
External is usually easier to identify: this room is too cold, the baby's crying, my boss had a tantrum.
Internal is harder: I should be coping better (!), this is too hard, I shouldn't take so long, I must do all these things today.

Once you identify them, dealing with them becomes easier.

LegacyUser

I have this for about 6 years (23 and from West of Ireland). I pluck my eyebrows only but that's bad enough. There's literally none there. I do it when I'm studying or alone before going to bed, I take out the mirror and start plucking. If I've had a particularly bad day, I find it relieves stress but I also do it out of habit even if I'm feeling fine. I would love to hear how anyone has got over this. I would find hypnosis too embarrassing to go to. This sounds stupid but in an attempt to stop, I threw away my tweezers. Ever since then, I've used the nails on my fingers to pull out the hairs. I've been thinking about putting plasters on my fingers to cover my nails for a few weeks to see if that will get me used to not doing it. Does anyone think this would work? I'll look ridiculous but no worse than going round with no eyebrows i suppose..

tbh

hi trichy - I think that doing stuff like putting plasters on your fingers etc would just be treating the symptoms of whatever is wrong with you, rather than the cause. Have you discussed this with your GP at all?

LegacyUser

Thanks for your advice. I haven't discussed this with my GP. I wouldn't be interested in hypnosis or behavioural therapy although I don't know if my GP would even be familiar with them. I also wouldn't want to go on medication. I think for me its really just got to be an awful habit. I read somewhere that whenever people with trich feel like pulling, they should replace that with another activity, maybe i'll get a stressball for when im studying! All I want to do is get rid of the habit, so maybe plasters would help that. If I feel down sometimes after that, I can find a way to deal with it. I'm not badly depressed or anything so I don't think a GP would help. Its mainly when I'm on my own, a bit bored before going to bed say, so I find if I'm on holidays with others with plenty to do, I wouldnt do it as much, so maybe I just need to put the plasters on and get used to going to bed without doing it. Stressball can be used for studying then - nothing i can do about this stress - should be gone when exams are over in a few weeks.

tbh

yeah I see what you mean - you should get some mittens let us know how you get on will ya?

Wurly

Thaedydal wrote: »

As gut wretchingly hard as it is to admit this, yes.
Reading the mayo clinic notes on it was hard.
It's not somthing I currently actively enguage in but I am still drawn to when stressd.

I commend you for being so honest. People like you being brave enough to admit a condition like this helps to combat stigma.

Fair play Thaedydal.;)

Haro84

trichy - im from wicklow, iv the same problem of trich as u do, iv been pulling since i was very young, i dont no why it started so young, hardly be stressed as a 5 year old? but i did pull since that age, im 23 now, and im sick of it. Iv been tryin to stop for the last few days, but u no yourself, u pull 1 out, and your back where u started. Iv read through so many websites, but alot of them are telling u to try therapy or buy such a book, to me its something we will always have to go through, i cant see how talking to a shrink would help. i also used to pull really bad during exam time in college, and infront of mirrors. BAN mirrors. My parents used to put mittens on me when i was small, in bed, an tie bit of string around the wrist part so i wudnt take them off, so u could try that!

Trinity

Hi Haro

I thought i replied to this thread before but i dont see my reply?

I have trich, i have it about 15 years. I get so tired of people saying leave your hair alone.

At one point i had no hair, just purely tufts, like a butchered barbie doll. I also pulled out all my eyelashes. I still do it but not as bad.

I cant tell you how much i have spent over the years on hairpieces and extensions.

Such a shame cos i had beautiful hair long down to my bottom. I never got much info on it but its definately a comfort thing, when i am stressed or anxious its obviously worse and its so upsetting to see a pile of hair on the floor where you have been sitting

On a more positive note you can improve it, i say above there is nothing worse than everyone saying leave your hair but it does help as half the time you dont know you are doing it. Try to find something else that feels nice in your hand and carry it around with you. If you must even buy a few clip in hair extensions and play with them while you are waiting to get therapy.

You really need to get to the bottom of the cause though. I am waiting on therapy at the moment and i always played with my hair as a kid but only started to pull at the age of 17 or 18 when in a very bad relationship. It was also around the time i experienced my first panic attack and i wouldnt go out alone for 6 months and when i did i had to be linked by someone.

I was recently told it is a form of self harm (and not a habit like my doctor told me when i was 18, my mother was crying taking me to the doctor i was bald, he told me to take up knitting) so you do need to address the underlying cause.

I will keep you up to date when i start my therapy, but in the meantime distract yourself with something else to do that relaxes you and feels nice.

As Thaedydal says its important to lower the stress levels or have a look at the lifestyle you have and eliminate as much stress or things that get you down as possible. I find when i am happy in my life and having fun, my anxiety and hair pulling are well in the background, although never too far away.

LadyMayBelle

Hi Haro,

I have pulled out my hair for quite some time, going on 15 years I reckon at this stage. Unfortunately it has meant I always have short and thin hair on the sides of my head which is quite upsetting to me, but I carry on. It gets a lot worse when I am stressed or nervous, I have noticed that pattern for sure, especially during exams or school when I would look down at the floor and see a pile of hair. Sometimes I would see that as a kind of sick satisfaction, but nowadays I get stressed seeing it as I am trying to let it grow.

I have not sought therapy or hyponosis as I can see it is my own stress levels that affect it, or if my hair is not washed in a day or so I will be at it.

I still pull it, but nowhere near as much.

I hope you find some help somewhere.

Haro84

thanks for your reply trinity, i dont no about your case, but i feel trich is all in our heads, i do think its something in our brain that makes our hand reach up. i would think its something we'll have to put up with all our lives, unless we find a way to de-stress. Ive downloaded documents from websites, saying beat trich in 60 mins etc etc, obviously written by someone who hasn't a clue about trich. I do think its a silly habit, and for me i dont think there is an underlying cause, but i could be wrong. just my opinion on it all! Let me know how your therapy goes, if it helps, i might consider it :rolleyes:

Messed Up Mind

I myself have suffered from Trichotillomania for years. I used to do it when I was little in small bouts but stopped again until I was 11 and have been doing it ever since. I pull out from everywhere but pull mostly from my eyelashes and eyebrows. I have pulled them out so much that at 21 I have no eyelashes or eyebrows. I have let myself have such little enjoyment from life and have held back a lot because of this. I haven't gone swimming in years even though I used to train in swimming, I haven't had a hair cut in two years, I had to cut a big thick fringe in my hair so no one can see my lack of eyebrows, I have to wear hats during the summer even if I'm sweating because of the wind. I've let a lot of opportunities pass me by because of trichtillomania. I spend a good half an hour getting ready every morning as my hair has to be styled a certain way to hide my Trich and I have to apply eyeliner very carefully. I also carry a small mirror around with me so that I can fix my hair or eyeliner when it needs it.

I first discovered that I had Trichotillomania when I was reading a book about a drug addict. When she was on drugs she would pluck her hair from her legs with a tweezers digging so deep that she would cut her skin. I read everything about it that I could find after that and tried my hardest to find a way that I could stop this. I printed out some of the information and showed my mam so she would gain an understanding of the affect the trichotillomania had on me. She never read the information.

I remember the day that my mam found out about it. I wear a tonne of eyeliner so no one can see my lack of eyelashes. This particular day I was on holidays and it was very warm so my eyeliner fell off so to speak. My mam noticed my lack of eyelashes and laughed at me and I just felt like a freak. We used to constantly argue about it. I wanted to seek help for it and after a year or so of pestering she brought me to see my GP. Unfortunately my GP made me feel like even more of a freak and I was fobbed off for years because he didn't see it as a 'serious' enough condition. He too laughed at me. Eventually he sent to to my local Mental Health Clinic. The first time I went I was given an hour long assessment. They tried to get down to the deepest level of everything that had happened in my life and what could have psychologically triggered my trichotillomania but nothing of any significance could have triggered it.

I had to go back to them every six weeks or so to be further assessed. They offered me depression medication but as I had just started a college course, I didn't want to go on them as they made you very drowsy and were also noted to lower your concentration. I stopped going to the Mental Health Clinic because all they offered me was medication and no actual help. Medication certainly isn't the answer.

I have suffered for years with this and have been feeling really low about my trich lately. I'm really glad to know that I am not the only one with Trich in Ireland.

Haro84

messed up mind, i no where your coming from. Doctors cannot help with medication in my opinion, and i dont think, with my case anyway, that my Trich is coming from some sort of childhood drama. Iv had a normal / happy upbringing. Im 24 now, bought a house and live with my partner. Im happy, but still pull. Its so frustrating-I too carry a small brush, mirror
and eye shadow with me, everywhere i go, to draw in my eyebrows. Last year was my worst year out of all the years iv pulled. I Was at my lowest. I had to tell my partner, and he really helped me, anytime he saw me raise my hand up he'd say, leave ur hair alone, and he texts me during the day, while im in work to remind me. From reading your comment, you dont seem to pull your head hair? Just facial hair? But to help me along, i started taking Viviscal MAximum strength tablets, and there great for hair re growth, on your head anyway, takes around 4 or 5 months to see results, but my hair has grown back thicker and longer. Its hard though coz im still pulling, which defeats the purpose of takin tablets but im stil taking them. I hope to one day have a full head of hair, i havnt got my hair cut in years and years and havn't wore my hair down ever, always tied up. depressing! Shur life must go on!

Trinity

Haro84 wrote: »

messed up mind, i no where your coming from. Doctors cannot help with medication in my opinion, and i dont think, with my case anyway, that my Trich is coming from some sort of childhood drama. Iv had a normal / happy upbringing. Im 24 now, bought a house and live with my partner. Im happy, but still pull. Its so frustrating-I too carry a small brush, mirror
and eye shadow with me, everywhere i go, to draw in my eyebrows. Last year was my worst year out of all the years iv pulled. I Was at my lowest. I had to tell my partner, and he really helped me, anytime he saw me raise my hand up he'd say, leave ur hair alone, and he texts me during the day, while im in work to remind me. From reading your comment, you dont seem to pull your head hair? Just facial hair? But to help me along, i started taking Viviscal MAximum strength tablets, and there great for hair re growth, on your head anyway, takes around 4 or 5 months to see results, but my hair has grown back thicker and longer. Its hard though coz im still pulling, which defeats the purpose of takin tablets but im stil taking them. I hope to one day have a full head of hair, i havnt got my hair cut in years and years and havn't wore my hair down ever, always tied up. depressing! Shur life must go on!

Hi guys

I'm at mine worse than ever and no idea why. I got hair extensions a couple of months ago and i felt like rapunzel

Got 2 weeks out of them but wasnt really pulling just playing but was enough to do the damage. Waste of almost 400 quid but now i am at my own hair non stop. Just looking at a pile on the floor here i managed to pull while on the phone booking a clown for my kids christening :eek:

Currently wearing clip in extensions but starting to get the aul patches now so its getting harder and harder to cover up.

Went into a different hairdressers last week and was mortified when they were looking at my hair picking it up and looking at all the short and broken bits, ended up not making an appointement.

If you could afford the extensions its good practice cos either 2 things can happen. You will look fab with your neew crowning glory you have not had for years and wont want to touch them and because you paid so much for them also, you will find yourself stopping yourself from pulling!! I find when my hair looks well i am more conscious when my hand goes up to pull but when its already in bits you begin not to care to a certain extent. I know i just said i ruined my extensions but what happened first was i dried them with heat and they got all singed and ruined and thats when i started playing with them but i didnt touch them before that when they looked fab!

Or you might still pull but your own hair will still be saved as its the extensions you are pulling.

Eyelashes will grow back. I used black liquid eyeliner to cover my lack of eyelashes and havent stopped using it even though they grew back. It hides it very well and wont rub off easily like pencil. Lots of people pencil on their eyebrows. I would love to get them tatooed on but cant stand the pain

I recently bought stuff off ebay meant to grow your eyebrows back but i never used it.

I am going to try those tablets you mentioned Haro.

Haro84

yea, trinity1 try them tablets, though as my partner said, there's no use buying them, then pulling your hair out. I must be on the Viviscal MAx strength for 1 +1/2 years now, it does work, takes 3 - 4 months to see results. Now my hair was in such a state this time last year, its only getting back to normality now, coz i keep pulling. Im tired of not been able to go hairdressers, or beauticians, and having to wear my hair up all the time is half my problem, im trying to cover my patches but all the clips i wear irritate my scalp & i pull from them areas then. No win situation. I dont no ur age, but I used to pull when i was studying for exams, was my worst time, boredom too is a terrible thing. I feel u have to keep ur mind active, and hands, anything but pull !!! Does anybody around you, friends/family know about this?

Trinity

Haro84 wrote: »

yea, trinity1 try them tablets, though as my partner said, there's no use buying them, then pulling your hair out. I must be on the Viviscal MAx strength for 1 +1/2 years now, it does work, takes 3 - 4 months to see results. Now my hair was in such a state this time last year, its only getting back to normality now, coz i keep pulling. Im tired of not been able to go hairdressers, or beauticians, and having to wear my hair up all the time is half my problem, im trying to cover my patches but all the clips i wear irritate my scalp & i pull from them areas then. No win situation. I dont no ur age, but I used to pull when i was studying for exams, was my worst time, boredom too is a terrible thing. I feel u have to keep ur mind active, and hands, anything but pull !!! Does anybody around you, friends/family know about this?

I'm 33 Haro. Been pulling since i was 17 i think possibly 18. As i said it started when i was in a bad relationship.

Everyone knows about it its not something i can hide, family especially always say you had such a beautiful head of hair and everyone is always giving out and everyone is always telling me to stop. SOmetimes i get annoyed at them but i know they mean well.

I have 2 kids, not much time to be bored but i do it when on the phone a lot for some reason!

LegacyUser

Interesting to see this topic, and to see others talking about it. It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve realised this is a condition rather than a silly habit i can’ break.

I’ve had a problem of playing with (pulling) my hair for years now - mainly at the areas down below my ear, and just above it. I only really remember first noticing it during uni when i was studying for exams. It was actually quiet chronic during my finals, and I had these big bald patches at the back of my head below my ear (and the headaches!!). I had to start wearing a hat just to stop myself. I still have some pictures of that period and its pretty nuts to see. Thankfully it’s never been quiet so bad since. But it is such a sub-conscience thing, and I found it nigh on impossible to stop.

I’ve had to deal with it in various degrees throughout all of my twenties, it mainly occurs at its most vigorous when I have to say, write a report at work, or do something that requires analytical thought coupled with pressure or anxiety. Or simply when i’m stressed. Although in the last few years i’ve managed to more sort of ‘comb’ or ‘groom’ at my hair rather than pull at it. So I have less bald patches than I used to, which makes me a lot less self-conscience about it. To me it was just something that annoyed me more so than something I would get overly down about (although at times I would get very frustrated at the feeling of hopeless in trying to stop it).

But it is a genetic condition, something hard wired into people. My younger sister does it also. So I feel it’s something that you have to learn to live with, it’s not simply a habit as i though it was for years. It’s something you have to do your best to control/prevent, though learning to deal with the stress/anxiety/pressure/associations that act as triggers. And also learn mitigate though trying to learn to do in less destructive ways (i.e. lessen the bald spots though more passive stroking or comb rather than pulling), and though the use of things like stress balls, etc. when you know you are going to be doing something that will inevitably lead to you reach towards your hair. I have thought about trying hypnosis or cognitive therapy. Both could help in their own ways.

Although it’s not something that would get me depressed (well at times it used to get me pretty down. I would be pretty frustrated at myself for not having the ability to “fvcking stop doing that!!”), I could see how it would be for some, especially the bald patches that go with it a lot of the time and the sheer frustration. But its something you've got to learn to embrace, and learn to live with - I'd say that support group could be good.

Just remember its genetic, much like a big nose or a musical ear. Its nothing to be ashamed off or embarrised about. Sure it sucks, but there's also worse things you could have.

LegacyUser

Trichy_lad, the exact same thing happened to me a month ago, i googled how long it takes for eyebrows to grow back, and found out it's an actual condition, i really thought I just had a bad habit.

I'm 17 and have only been doing it two years, but to the extent that half of my left eyebrow hardly grows back anymore because i've damaged the folicle...

I definitely don't have it as badly as other people in this thread as i only pull my eyebrows, but find it very difficult to go out and stuff, i have to completely draw my eyebrows on and it always rubs off, i'm so self conscious. In class i can see my teachers watching me because i'm pulling and its so embarrassing but I actually can't stop..

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what i can do? I want to stop this now so it doesn't develop worse or continue on til old age!!

Haro84

Hi All,

i see this thread has had 3006 views. I didn't think i would get that
many responses, considering I thouht i was the only one with this condition.

Did anyone try going to Therapy / Hypnosis, or taking the
viviscal tablets? Anything help for anybody?

Haro84

hi Trinity. i havnt been on this in a good while. How are u these days?

Trinity

Haro84 wrote: »

hi Trinity. i havnt been on this in a good while. How are u these days?

Hey

Still pulling

Messed Up Mind

Still pulling here too. I'm just about to go down to the shops to buy fake nails. I bite mine like demon and I'm not a girly girl so always get slagged for wearing them, but they're absolutely amazing at preventing me from pulling my hair out! It's either that or wearing plasters on my fingers!

Just finished college so I'm at home unemployed. Using exercise and dieting to try and distract myself from pulling! They're much better than they were in May and I've lost a bit of weight to boot. Woo. Still think a job might help a bit more but sure it's a work in progress.

Haro, haven't tried Viviscal. Don't know if it'd help with my face hair as I don't really pull from my head - only sometimes.

How's everyone else getting on?

TigerIsa

Haro84 wrote: »

Hi All,

i see this thread has had 3006 views. I didn't think i would get that
many responses, considering I thouht i was the only one with this condition.

Did anyone try going to Therapy / Hypnosis, or taking the
viviscal tablets? Anything help for anybody?

I thought i was the only one too!
Does viviscal only work on your head? Not facial hair?
Would love some eyebrows :P That's such a weird sentence haha...

How have you been doing Haro84? Read through all your posts on this and would love to know how you're getting on with it.
I'm only 17, have been pulling for 3 years but like you had great childhood/upbringing etc so i'm at a loss!!

TigerIsa

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

Still pulling here too. I'm just about to go down to the shops to buy fake nails. I bite mine like demon and I'm not a girly girl so always get slagged for wearing them, but they're absolutely amazing at preventing me from pulling my hair out! It's either that or wearing plasters on my fingers!

Fake nails work perfect for me too! Plasters, i just get laughed at (really doesn't help ) and it just makes me grab at any hair i can hold onto, if that makes sense - what i do is feel a specific hair and try get that one out, then the next, reesulting in 15+ hairs accidentally being taken out!

LegacyUser

TigerIsa wrote: »

what i do is feel a specific hair and try get that one out, then the next, reesulting in 15+ hairs accidentally being taken out!

Me too!

TigerIsa wrote: »

Fake nails work perfect for me too! Plasters, i just get laughed at (really doesn't help )

Same here with the plasters, just feel even more subconscious, that is a great idea about the false nails! Must try them, although hope they arent too hard to mind/put on etc.

I posted here a year ago and am no better off..I got married recently and wasn't even able to let my eyebrows grow for that, i.e. kept plucking. Looked fine (i think) on the day with thin ones pencilled on but it got me thinking if i couldnt do it for my wedding day, when can i do it? My eyebrows have never got past the stubble stage cos i keep plucking so i dont even know if the full hairs will grow back, i really hope they will..

Ive put on weight recently as well which doesnt help matters but maybe another poster's idea about focusing on diet and excercise would help. My problem is i mostly start doing it subconciously and then cant stop until all my eyebrow hairs/stubble are gone:( I do it mostly when im studying, my final exams ever are over in a few weeks so hopefully that will make things easier, though there is still the problem when im on the laptop, watching tv etc. If i am ever feeling really bad, i would start plucking straightaway as stress relief but that rarely happens anymore (TG) so mostly its just habit.

Has anyone ever successfully tried hypnotherapy? Do you think you have to "believe" in hypnotherapy for it to work cos i would be pretty sceptical about that kindof thing!

I think this thread could really do with hearing from someone who's successfully battled this (please say its possible!!)

Messed Up Mind

http://www.trich.org/treatment/resources-articles.html#success

There's lots of success stories here! Some are 'oh god helped me...' dunno if you're into that. Most are just plain Jane accepting or stopping.

How's everyone getting on? Is anyone trying to stop?

I've been pull free for 10 days now... Put on some mascara today (on my eyebrows too just to thicken them up!) and felt like a pretty lady... It's weird but I absolutely love it. I'm still wearing the fake nails and it's working. The moment one falls off or comes off I have to glue it back on. I can see progress happening and I don't want to fall off the wagon. I'm trying to retrain my brain so if I feel my hands going towards my face I sit on them or send a text or do something to try and make myself aware of what's happening. The nails mean that I can't physically pull if I do reach my face.

Also, putting olive oil on the area where you're hoping to grow hair is supposed to help. It has to be super clean and you only need a small bit. I've started to put it on my eyebrows and it's helping a little bit.

I'm gonna treat myself to an eyelash curler and a professional haircut once I get these bad boys sorted. I'm tired of having a fringe and wearing hats and hiding. Who wants to hide all their life?

TigerIsa

trichy wrote: »

I posted here a year ago and am no better off..I got married recently and wasn't even able to let my eyebrows grow for that, i.e. kept plucking. Looked fine (i think) on the day with thin ones pencilled on but it got me thinking if i couldnt do it for my wedding day, when can i do it? My eyebrows have never got past the stubble stage cos i keep plucking so i dont even know if the full hairs will grow back, i really hope they will..

Ive put on weight recently as well which doesnt help matters but maybe another poster's idea about focusing on diet and excercise would help. My problem is i mostly start doing it subconciously and then cant stop until all my eyebrow hairs/stubble are gone:( I do it mostly when im studying, my final exams ever are over in a few weeks so hopefully that will make things easier, though there is still the problem when im on the laptop, watching tv etc. If i am ever feeling really bad, i would start plucking straightaway as stress relief but that rarely happens anymore (TG) so mostly its just habit.

Has anyone ever successfully tried hypnotherapy? Do you think you have to "believe" in hypnotherapy for it to work cos i would be pretty sceptical about that kindof thing!

I think this thread could really do with hearing from someone who's successfully battled this (please say its possible!!)

Congratulations on getting married! I think maybe that with the wedding and everything you had a lot more on your mind, maybe a bit stressed so maybe it wasn't the ideal time to try stopping?
Just my opinion, because I know when I'm trying to achieve something else at the same times it fails horribly eg been trying to lose weight, i comfort eat, but trying that while trying to stop pulling is a nightmare because i've set myself too hard of a goal if that makes sense?
Focusing on diet and exercise didn't help me is what i was getting at there anyway!

How long have you been pulling? I have for maybe 3 years, serial puller with my eyebrows and the end part of my eyebrow doesnt grow anymore, have damaged the folicle so doesnt even get to the stubble stage, i'd say that if you could leave yours it would be back to normal because where i do get stubble it grows back, which it has done before (kinda success story?!) when i was PULL-FREE(!) for 6 months. But then i started again with exams, same as you. I don't know if it is possible, for me anyway, because any time i've stopped, i always go back

So sorry for the extreeemely long post, but i don't have anyone to talk to about this my friends & family give out and just say stop doing it then if you hate it - its so nice to let all this out and for people to agree and offer proper advice thank you

LegacyUser

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

http://www.trich.org/treatment/resources-articles.html#success

There's lots of success stories here! Some are 'oh god helped me...' dunno if you're into that. Most are just plain Jane accepting or stopping.

Thanks - i must check those stories out!

Messed Up Mind wrote: »

]I'm trying to retrain my brain so if I feel my hands going towards my face I sit on them or send a text or do something to try and make myself aware of what's happening. The nails mean that I can't physically pull if I do reach my face.

I really need to try that as well, the olive oil sounds like a good tip too!

TigerIsa wrote: »

Congratulations on getting married!

Thanks Ya i was a bit stressed alright. And i know trying to combine not pulling with diet could be hard but maybe by picturing a thinner me with eyebrows might help, rather than an overweight me with eyebrows, i dunno, both are pretty hard to do!!

TigerIsa wrote: »

How long have you been pulling?

I've been pulling for gulp, 7 years, since my Leaving Cert days so just sitting down at a desk or whatever really triggers it off.

TigerIsa wrote: »

i was PULL-FREE(!) for 6 months.

Well done, im sure you can do it again, and hopefully keep it up.

TigerIsa wrote: »

its so nice to let all this out and for people to agree and offer proper advice

Definitely, its like a mini support group here:)

tbh

TigerIsa wrote: »

its so nice to let all this out and for people to agree and offer proper advice thank you

trichy wrote: »

Definitely, its like a mini support group here:)

you've made my day chat away all ye like, we're not very strict in keeping on topic round these parts.

LegacyUser

Hey guys,
Never noticed this thread on here before. Not sure when I started picking but it would be sometime in secondary school (am doing a postgraduate course now, that that must be at least 8 years). Stress is definitely the cause. Any sort of exams, or submission deadline and I just pick. Once I've done some picking there is indeed a sense of relief, which lasts until I realise the result I'm left with. I have to pick any white hairs on my head; they cannot stay with the browns! And sometimes I'll grab a tweezers and pick hairs on my legs. I freaked out a little on Friday last because I was sitting in college, stressing about work I had to do and I suddenly realised that I'd picked off the first cm of my eyebrow; I've never been a serious eyebrow picker before. I read there that somebody just got rid of their tweezers - if my tweezers isn't around I'll just use my nails, which aren't as effective, but in the end cause more damage if it's a hair in a mole because that just means you end up picking the skin off... and repeat every few weeks/months. If there is any sign of that hair growing from the mole I'm at it, and usually it really enrages the skin and it looks horrible after. But I have to do it. I've wondered about laser treatment for that hair, but would be nervous of any subsequent effects.

As everyone else has mentioned, it's great to hear your stories, and to know you are not alone Next we just need all of our stresses removed and we'll be set!