What you should never assume
Never assume that hair pulling is just a nervous habit and the individual will ‘grow’ out of it.
Trich goes way beyond what is considered a habit that should be ignored so it is important not to ignore the signs, even the small ones.
Another thing you should not assume is that only sad and depressed people have trich. There are perfectly happy people who have it as well. Of course depression and stress can be a part of an overall diagnosis but depression and sadness are not the only indicators for the disorder.
Do not assume that a person who hair pulls had some sort of early life abuse or trauma when they were young. As mentioned before trich can start as early as 1 and I have personally seen signs of it in my own son.
He pulls his hair out constantly and the only way to control the activity is to give him a hair cut. He has not been formally diagnosed with trich but the fact that he does this at such an early age is enough to raise some eyebrows.
What seems to be consistent among the young and old when suffering from trich is that the act of hair pulling is typically done during quiet time. When the person is distracted, reading, watching television or sedentary in some way.
It is important to take note of all the signs together without any bias so that you can have a complete picture about what is going on with you or your loved one. No assumptions!
What can you do if you suffer from trich?
From everything that I have read myself I am going to go out on a limb here and say that dealing with trich is not easy. You would think that just knowing your triggers would help a lot because then you can just stop when you recognize the behavior.
However for many people this is a struggle so there is a community website available where you can research and find professionals that deal with this sort of thing and can help you through it. The Trichotillomania Learning Center is amazing. There are books, DVD’s guides and access to professional resources that can be invaluable.
The center is a non profit organization devoted to ending hair pulling and other body focused repetitive behavior like skin picking or nail biting.
The center can help you determine what your triggers are and how to deal with them. The truth is this is a lonely disorder, only the person going though it knows just how it affects their life
Sufferers often hide the behavior and do not want to talk about it which is understandable. If you or someone else is dealing with trich point them in the direction of the learning center so they can get some help because it helps to have some support.
Do you think you have trichotillomania? Comment below.
Hmm. Does it apply to facial hair as well?
it does actually, facial chest.. any hair on your body
I honestly didn’t know this was a thing but I’ve plucked gaps in my lashes and brows before.
I have had trichotillomania for 6 years. It started in my teen years, and it went away I was finally graduated and stopped having to go to high school. When it got bad, I would have to conceal the bold spots with black eyeliner. When it grew back, I would have to try and blend it as much as possible with my natural hair. All styles would always come out wrong, because the hair on the top of my head was always so much shorter. I notice it takes a specific mix of feeling stressed, frustrated and powerless for it to trigger the pulling… At least for me. When I get very stressed sometimes I still do, but not nearly as bad.
I am very pleased that we’re starting to talk about it in the natural hair community.
Finally Got My Answer
I know someone that pulled every inch of there hair out
Yes I have pulled out every eye lash
Have had it since middle school
Katy my mum.. wish this article was in persian
My daughter is 11 and has Trichotillomania. Whats the best hairstyle for het. Even when i cut it short she stills pull it.