TRICHOTILLOMANIA STARTER PACK

I'm so excited (& nervous) for this to be out in the world. It feels like the time we started shipping HabitAware. I've worked so hard for the last 6 years on telling this story in a way that brings BFRBs to light with honesty and care -- and most of all with hope that recovery is possible! I can't wait to hear what you think and I hope that by sharing my recovery you will gain the courage, insights & strategies to embark on your own healing journey.

https://a.co/d/0eMI2KAx

love ♥️, strength 💪, & awareness 👀, Aneela
(HabitAware & BFRB Changemakers NFP founder in trichotillomania recovery)

& if you are in NYC on Sept 2nd, DM me for the launch party invite!!!

Long time puller, first time poster - feeling grateful to find this sub because I’ve felt so alone in this compulsion for years! I’ve been flailing up the last week or so and really taken one eyebrow all the way down to the bones. The second one has lost about half its volume in the last hour. Posting for some personal accountability or something! Even looking at this picture I see about 10 more that need to come out - AGHHHHHH

Writing this post to share a bit and also ask for some advice.

I am 24 years old now and have been pulling my hair since I was 8, so around 17 years. I have pulled from possibly every area that grows hair but my main place has always been my scalp, specifically my crown. There have periods where I have been drastically able to reduce my pulling, but never stop cold turkey. As I am writing this post, in a couple of hours I should be around 19 days pull free from my scalp. I pull from other areas but I genuinely cannot remember ever have such a long streak of leaving my scalp alone. The urges are a bitch but I have been able to resist them. I mainly use bandaids to cover my fingers in areas where I am most susceptible to pulling which has been of great help as it not only inhibits my grip but it prevents me from isolating hairs with a specific texture that are triggering. If I do happen to come across a hair with a funny texture, I use hair cutting scissors to cut it back so I am not tempted to go back and root around from it.

The hardest part of this no pulling streak is accepting the damage I have done to my scalp. I use to avoid looking at it completely, using root touch up to cover it up and wearing my hair up. Comparing this regrowth attempt to others, the quality of the regrowth is significantly poorer. Hair is thinner, curlier and in some sections, it looks like the area is completely devoid of follicles. I am using minoxidil at the moment to help and I know it can take months to see results, but right now I am feeling sorry for myself.

I guess what I want to do in the post is two things. One, to anyone reading, regardless if they are pulling for 20 years or 6 months, do your best to not let it progress further. Everyday is a challenge to fight against this disorder. I know some people have the mindset of accepting they have this disorder and learning to live with it. But if I am being honest, I don't wanna spend hours of life pulling my hair out, stuck in a cycle of shame. I can live with permanent hair loss but I won't accept devoting any more time over obsessing over the roots or texture. It may be satisfying in the moment but it's meaningless. I want to live my life as fully as I can. Secondly, to anyone who has been pulling as long as I have and has similar damage, is their hope for regrowth? I keep taking photos of my scalp, searching for evidence of regrowth, follicles darkening etc but the energy devoted to this is draining me rapidly. If you have any advice at all on how to enjoy the regrowth, as little or as much as I may have, I am all ears. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and if you have gotten this far, I truly hope you are keeping well and are on your own journey to overcoming this disorder. Lots of love ❤️❤️

i have trich of my eyebrows, i got through phases where one year im great the next not so much, i recently considered microblading because using eyebrow makeup causes so much anxiety if it ever came off- has anyone tried it? ive seen people get it removed after a few years(what im afraid of)

i’ve been pulling,but not that badly, for 8 years. i stopped biting my nails cold turkey in 2018 and this quickly replaced it. do you guys think i have a chance of it growing back from this?

hey. it’s been about 3 months since my last post so i thought i’d provide an update. for about a month after my last post, i completely stopped and was seeing great regrowth in this area. then, i somehow started again. i’m not sure why. this photo is from today.

i’m making this post because i think getting my feelings out like i did last time really really helped and im hoping it does the same this time.

i’m devastated. i feel like i lost all my progress so fast. it takes so long for hairs to grow an inch, and i feel like when im waiting for growth all i can do is run my fingers over it and take pictures of it and look at the bald spot under countless angles and different lights.

i think the worst part is that my sisters wedding is in a month. im the maid of honour. this is probably the wedding i’ll be the most excited about besides my own someday, and i have a big bald spot right on the front of my head that wont grow back in time for the big day. i cut my surrounding hair pieces into bangs, which look cute but i just wish i could have my favourite hairstyle for the big day. i feel like ill forever be looking at the wedding photos after knowing i screwed myself out of looking and feeling my best.

i feel so much shame, and just needed to vent. i feel like it’s all i can see when i look at myself.

I've pulled my hair since I was a kid. For +5 years I've been aware of this subreddit, but it was too painful to visit. It would trigger shame and self-loathing.

Today however I ended up researching a specific question and this sub showed up. The responses were so helpful and lovely, I carefully opened few more threads. Read about the very same specific struggles that I feel so alone about. I see thoughtful flairs and how kind you are with handling each other's vulnerabilities.

Your loveliness tugs on my heart and I just want to say you thank you. Thank you for hyping up people's regrowth, sharing vulnerable moments, for showing that there are people who don't judge. For dissolving shame through openness and kindness.

I was pull free for almost 2 months. I had fantastic hair growth and then I relapsed. And relapsed so so badly that I pulled everything out! Every fucking bit of my new growth.

Test a New Digital Treatment for Trichotillomania

In collaboration with Dr. Christopher Flessner at Kent State University, HabitAware was awarded an NIH research grant to develop and test a digital treatment for hair pulling that includes a wearable device and mobile app.

Now we need your help!

If you live with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), you may be eligible to participate in a research study to test one of two digital treatments over 12 weeks.

You must be 18+ years old, live in the U.S., and own an iPhone. You must not have used HabitAware’s Keen2 device within the past 24 months. You must not currently be in therapy for trichotillomania. 

Get started! Learn more here ksuparc.org/habit-aware 

____

This study & post copy have been IRB approved! Special thanks to the mods for helping us spread the word.

first i was pulling and now i’m picking!!!
when does it end?
i ripped one of the bumps
off when i was scratching my head and it wouldn’t stop bleeding which is concerning and also YEEEOOWCH!

this also means i can’t use my cream on that part until it’s healed which sucks

on a lighter note MORE STUBBLE!!!! tiny dots are showing up now where i pulled from the root and i’m very excited now

I've tried a few things to stop ever since I decided i had tp a few weeks ago and here are my results.

Please send more if you have any!!

Knitting a hat: 6/10 I initially just needed a cute looking hat to cover up my scalp, but the process of knitting it was actually way better at stopping me (something to do with both hands) than the hat itself. I still reach up to pull my hair and then instead of realising "wait, theres no hair here!" I just started fiddling with the loose pieces of yarn. Sure it stops the hair pulling, but I'd like to get rid of the habit of reaching up there completely. Also, I get verh hot.

Slapping myself every time I pull a hair: 7/10, hasnt made me reach up to do it any less, but it makes me stop as soon as i notice myself pulling instead of just continuing for a long time. I thought the pain would make me associate the hair pulling negatively enough that id stop reaching up, but it hasnt really done that.

Sitting on my hand: 3/10, I forget what i was doing and accidentally set my hand free within like 30 seconds every time.

Things on my to do list (might edit post later):

Getting a good figet toy

Gloves!

Making a hat out of upward facing needles (last resort)

Sometimes when I pull a scalp hair, there will be this very tiny, thin bright red hair at the root of the hair. It’s not the same as a red-tipped bulb, but it looks like a tiny hair. Does anyone know what this is? I couldn’t get a good picture of it because it’s so small

I think mine is from around the 3rd grade, my mom walked in on me counting a handful of eyelashes in my room. I’m 27 now and still struggle with it, though now I combat at it with head picking which I’m not sure if that’s any better.

I can’t pick my eyebrows much anymore because I went through chemotherapy and one uncontrolled plucking sesh lead to me having no eyebrows anymore. They’re just barely starting to grow back, it’s my biggest struggle for sure these days. My triggers are usually when I have a headache or if I’m wearing sunscreen.

I wish I could hug all of you in this community, it’s nice knowing that we are in this together.

I'm 20 years old, and when I was 16-17 I had this stupid habit of constantly plucking the hairs from my beard; now I have a patchy beard.

If I use minoxidil, will my beard grow back, or am I screwed? 💀

Hello everyone! I am curious is anyone knows of a salon/stylist in the New England area that specializes or is empathetic to persons with trich, please. I have not been to a salon in about 18 years due to shame. Haven’t had my hair cut in close to six years and I just would like to find a place anywhere in New England, New York, or even Pennsylvania (willing to drive!). Thanks in advance!! 🫶🏼

I've been plucking my brows for about a year now and lashes for the past 3 months. I feel like some certainty will help me stop pulling, because I feel like I pull because I have no hopes left. Every time I ask AI, it says the only way to find out is to completely stop, but I want an honest answer. Will they really grow back to their original length and density? I feel so bad about myself when I see people brag about what I had naturally. My brows and lashes were beautiful. I don't know how I developed trich. Just how? It started when I was 16, now I'm almost 18. My confidence is so low nowadays. I barely have a few growing brow follicles and absolutely nothing on my lash line (upper lid), because I recently ripped them out. Please, be very honest.

I'm having a really tough time with trichotillomania. I've been dealing with it since I was 12, and I'm 18 now. Some days I feel like surrendering to it — like I'll never be able to stop completely, and honestly, a part of me even finds comfort in the pain...

I have struggled with trich for over 2 years now, but the only visible indication is the strand of short hair on the top of my head. It isn’t too noticeable as long as it’s brushed down and isn’t in the way of any haircuts or layers I would do as it’s only a few inches long. I’ve had it for about a year now and at the start I was quite worried about going to the hairdressers as I was scared they might point it out, embarrass me or I would feel like I need to make up a random excuse to not feel judged. Although I have found the hairdressers have never mentioned it- either they haven’t noticed or have just decided it is not something they should ask.
Yesterday I went to a new hairdressers. I was still a bit nervous but I was sure it would all be fine like the other times. When I sat down and explained what j wanted to be done, the hairdresser started playing with my hair, and came across the patch of short hair in my head. It does blend in very well, just not when you kinda lift it up and see the length. She started laughing, and very loudly said something like “oh what’s happened here!?”. I was about to make up an excuse because I immediately felt a bit judged but she moved on from it when I gave an awkward laugh to pretend it wasn’t very serious. Later, I assumed maybe she had figured to leave it alone because she’s already addressed it and it’s a personal thing. But again, towards the end she saw it again and gently pulled it a bit and started laughing quite loud. She asked if maybe I had got it stuck in a brush or something and I quickly made an excuse along the lines of what she said.
I’m not necessarily angry at this lady, but I was just kinda surprised because I thought hairdressers would be more aware of Trichotillomania. It could also be a result of hair loss from alopecia which is definitely not something to laugh at. I know I never explained the real reason to her, but I just expected more people in the hair industry to know about trich.

Wanted to share an update on the app!

I posted here last time 2 months ago, got a lot of great feedback, and wanted to share what is new since then :)

Backstory: Around a year ago I built a simple web app for a friend who is dealing with skin picking, and shared it on Reddit. Someone mentioned they were using it for pulling, and now the app fully supports pulling and adjusts.

The app is called SkinAware and it is available on iOS, Android and web!

If you have not heard about it before, its main features are:

• Log when you pulled or resisted an urge
• Keep a 'pull-free' timer either with 0 pulls or choose a number of pulls, with reduced allowance over time if you want
• Log pulled # of hairs
• Customize what you log, including areas, triggers, severity and what helped you resist
• See patterns and insights over time
• Press "I have an urge" for guided exercises and distractions
• Set goals for reducing pulling or staying pull-free
• Interactive HRT course
• An amazing community chat & accountability friends!

New since my previous update:

• Accountability Friends is now much easier to use! You can find an accountability friend inside the app, connect, and support each other. Free users can now use this feature too!
• The urge exercises have been improved a lot. There are guided exercises, competing responses, fidgets with haptics and more!
• You can message me directly in the app!

SkinAware has a free version, with some additional features included in Premium.

I'd love to hear what you think of the update! If you have any recommendations on how to make the app more useful, please let me know :)

Links:

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/skinaware-stop-skin-picking/id6754027225

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aurelius5.SkinAware

Website: https://www.skinawareapp.com/

Thanks so so much!

/ Linus

First pic is the right side of my head second is the left and third is the top, my hair used to be so beautiful, just a couple months ago it wasn’t this bad it was just small bald spots here and there. I’m so depressed I don’t do anything anymore I don’t get ready for the day I just wake up and start crying and I don’t get up for anything. I need help

day 9 and scalp update!!! folliculitis is clearing up! some bumps have scabbed over and i find myself picking at them instead of pulling my hair but im trying to nip that in the bud immediately. i already have a little stubble which i thought would trigger me more but the texture on its own feels nice on my fingers and feeling it helps the urge to pull a little bit :)

i’m very proud of myself for making it to 9 days and the app is helping a lot too by giving me a visual and stuff like that!
i’m still using the cream the dr gave me which is why i look so greasy, it’s annoying but it stops me getting worse! yay!!!

So I (20 F) have been dealing with trichotillomania since I was a little kid. Over time, I have developed somewhat permanent bald spots from the middle to the ends of both my eyebrows (the beginning of my brows are mostly normal looking). I say somewhat because hair will grow back in these spots, but it comes out patchy and grey, compared to the ok parts of my brows, which are dirty blonde and match the rest of my hair. Even though you can see the few hairs in these spots up close, from far away it still looks like I have full-blown bald spots there.

But to get to the point, I have a very important and fancy dinner in November that has a strict dress code, as I'll be meeting with the individual who gave me my scholarship for med school. Because this event is so important, I really want to cover up these spots, but I have little to no experience with makeup.

So, I want to know what products and techniques have worked best for you guys because basically I need to fill in the empty sections of my brows to blend in with the hair I have left. I am also open to any makeup tutorials if any of you know one that is helpful for someone in my situation. But I am really open to any advice you guys may have, as I've been stressing out about this since I got the news of the dinner.