After a suggestion from @ Trichotillosis I gathered a list of a few ways in which those of us with trichotillomania try to stop pulling. These aren’t cures, simply day to day tactics that might help us to stop pulling our hair. I put them all in a PDF document for you to download – feel free to do whatever you want with this document.
*Download the file by clicking here.*
In the file I thanked people for helping. If I missed you out or you’d like to add something, just let me know in the comments.
Pull-Free Update
Today is day 3 in going pull-free. I’ve still had quite a few urges, more than I expected. But I guess it makes sense since my pulling was quite bad before I decided to go pull-free. So it’s been frustrating, but not too bad and I’m still pull-free. I hope that you are all doing well too!
Hi Penny – I thought you were pull-free already. I’m sorry you’re having trouble these last few days.
I’m totally serious when I say – does anyone with Trich control the urge by pulling hair from places where you would normally remove hair anyway? Like your legs (if you’re a girl)? Or does that just make it too hard, like an alcoholic trying to only have one drink a day?
I knew a girl growing up who would pull HUGE wads of hair out of her head. Thankfully she had lots of it and she picked different spots so it was never visually obvious. Until I found your blog(s) I never knew she might have Trich.
.-= Wendy´s last blog ..Pare It Down 2009: Cookbook Quickie =-.
Wendy thanks for visiting here. It comes and goes. Sometimes I don’t pull much without even thinkin about it, sometimes it’s harder. Luckily I don’t have huge bald patches just my hair is a little thin around the crown. I am lucky to have such naturally thick hair!
I understand the question of pulling in other places to relieve the urge. The truth is I don’t think it normally works. I have pulled in other places, sometimes it doesn’t matter coz I don’t want the hair there but it still distracts me a lot and makes it hard for me to concentrate. Not only that, but the urge to pull hairs from the head is really what does it for me. Somehow it isn’t always ‘satisfying’ to pull from other places. Plus, I know some people who pull e.g. leg hairs and end up hurting themselves by using things like tweezers and going too far. I don’t do that, but everyone is different.
Yeah trich is definitely not a thing that lots of people have heard of. It’s good that it wasn’t too obvious, I guess that’s similar to me.
Thanks for visiting! I’ve been rubbish at blogging and visiting other peoples blogs lately!
Thank you for the ways to we stop pulling..As a woman with trih it’s been hard, I have been doing it since I was 9 or maybe sooner then that, I don’t know. there are times that I can go acouple of months with out doing it but then when I do it its bad. and I just feel bad about myself. My sister and Brother in law and the rest of my family have been trying to help me with not doing it. I am really glad that I came across your site. I am going to come back…thanks Marie
Thank you for your message Marie, it’s so nice to read
I know that my list isn’t a cure or anything, but it’s interesting to gather together the ways in which we all help ourselves. I hope it helped in some way.
~Penny
Hi, the last 2 weeks I’m back at pulling my hair and I just can’t stop! I’d love the urges to just go away. I hate it b/c after the fact and even still pulling I feel so ugly and have to style my hair to cover the bald spots. I’ve noticed I do it more when I’m anxious or nervous about something or several things going on at once. I’ve been pulling my hair out since I was 10. I started with my eyebrows, then it was my eye lashes, then when i was 12 its been my scalp…right in the front too where everyone can see it and I hate the look, but like I said, the urge is there and its so hard to over come. I have never seen a dr for it and I never knew it was a disorder until I did some research online. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one but I’d love to find a cure once and for all. If you hear of anything that’s natural to stop the frequent urges please let me know! The more pressure I’m under the stronger the urge I have to pull. I’ve gone months without pulling my hair but just again here it comes and there I go bald. I know I need alternatives to keep me busy and relaxed too.
Hi Ana,
I’m sorry but I just don’t know how to stop those urges. For me, the urges are much less if I’m busy, out with friends or doing something I enjoy. I hope you have found a way to help with your urges. You could read about the experience of one of my readers who helped her daughter to stop pulling: http://ontrich.com/a-possible-trichotillomania-cure-guest-post.html Please just leave another comment if you want more advice.
~Penny
Hey! I found an answer to help with trichotillomania!!! Anyone curious can email me…the secret is in BANDAIDS. Yeah, u heard me right…bandaids. I’m hoping to help everyone that I can with it since I had SUCH a hard time finding help, and I was starting to get a bald spot which was soooo embarressing. It is sooo simple and medication/vitamin-free!! If u want to know more about this idea (which I figured out myself at random), email me! chelled222@gmail.com