5 Tips for Living with Trichotillomania Based on My Honest Story

Say information technology with me. Trick-oh-till-oh-may-nee-uh. Trichotillomania. If you lot are living with trich, I wrote this guide with you lot in heed. I want you to walk away with a better agreement of this particular hair-loss disorder. I volition share five tips on living with trich that have helped me in my own life. These are things you could easily laissez passer on to your friends who may exist experiencing pilus loss, themselves.

What Is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania is a mental disorder, simply equally much equally it is a hair-loss disorder. Beyond its catchy pronunciation (no pun intended), it is the compulsive urge to pull out one'south hair, which often leads to visible balding or thinning hair.

Someone with trichotillomania may pull hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or body hair. The important thing to remember is that the urge is uncontrollable.

As someone who has experienced trich for the past xvi years, I know the search for answers can be daunting. What are the trichotillomania treatments? What causes trichotillomania? How tin I stop trichotillomania?

My Trichotillomania Story

I lived with trichotillomania for the amend part of sixteen years. Trichotillomania in toddlers is common, merely about people start developing it during puberty or pre-boyhood. Some people might begin pulling hair out equally immature as infancy. I started pulling my hair out by the follicle at nine years erstwhile.

I am non a licensed psychologist, simply I've been securely researching trich for more than v years. This guide is based on my enquiry and my personal experience as a 23-year-one-time woman living with pilus loss.

Showtime Signs of Trichotillomania

I started by twisting and fiddling with my hair at age 8. Others can get-go with boom biting, hair twirling, thumb sucking or any other seemingly innocent habit. There is no guarantee that these habits will manifest into compulsive hair pulling (or skin picking, known as dermatillomania), merely in my case, it did.

From twirling my hair, I eventually began pulling my hair by the follicle. That means that I would pull a single hair at a time, usually with the goal of removing any coarse or irregular hairs on my head. The sensation of pulling the "right" hair would soothe my anxious thoughts for a carve up 2nd.

Once that second of relief passes, my fingers are exploring my scalp and looking for the next irregularity to remove.

Likewise broken-hearted thoughts, other factors impact my trichotillomania on a daily basis. The universal source of compulsive hair pulling is extremely hard to pinpoint. As a effect, it's difficult to avoid.

Results of Trichotillomania

When my trichotillomania is left unchecked, I would develop thinness throughout my pilus. Depending on the "ideal" pulling spot, these patches would announced thinner than others. My hair has grown unevenly for the duration of my trichotillomania journey.

That meant that I had to mode my thin hair in ways to conceal my disorder or lying to close friends and family about the causes of my hair loss.

I would go as far every bit colouring in my bald spots with eyeliner, article of clothing my hair in a certain updo for months at a time, wear hats when completely unnecessary, bobby pinning my hair into oblivion, and and so much more. At that place is likely a trichotillomania hack that I oasis't tried.

Years of Hair-Pulling

Living with trichotillomania for more than 15 years, I have seen my hair exist in seasons.

Sometimes my hair would grow strong and long. My pulling would disappear over the course of a few months. I would be able to braid my hair, style it, and, at face value, prove no signs of this complex hair-loss disorder that I have lived with for years.

Other times, I would cut my hair short to curb the pulling. My pilus would be uneven, show breakage and experience weak when my pulling felt uncontrollable.

Throughout high school and university, I thought the stress of schoolwork, deadlines and expectations were the source of my hair pulling; and I idea that if I had long hair, I would exist happy.

Is Long Pilus the Answer?

During my university years, I saved a lot of coin from my function-time jobs to attempt semi-permanent hair extensions. The extensions were micro-weft extensions where a silicone-lined bead would secure a weft of hair to my own hair.

With months of research and several consultations under my belt, I found myself walking out of the salon with new pilus installed.

This new hair followed me for a full of eight months. I had the recommended monthly bear upon-up appointments, and slowly but surely learned about traction alopecia (which y'all can read more most here).

The longer hair felt great… at first. The constant risk of traction baldness was stressful as someone with a tender scalp. I would nonetheless pull my pilus despite the extensions which left my hair thinner and damaged past breakage.

Even afterward all that, has it helped with my pulling?

No.

The reality is that I all the same pull my hair every day.

Truly. After 16 years of living with compulsive hair pulling and the subsequent hair loss, I still pull out my hair, and here's why.

I learned over time that pulling out my hair is something I can rarely command. From a neurology perspective, I spent the past 16 years reinforcing the indicate in my brain, "If you experience stress, pull out a hair to relieve the stress." Having already reinforced that neural manual hundreds or thousands of times is something extremely difficult to overcome.

That'south why people with trichotillomania cannot "just stop".

Since I can't control the frequency of my hair pulling, I decided to control the guilt I feel tied to my hair instead.

Trichotillomania Unlike for Anybody

If this grade of hair loss is tied to psychology, mental health and neurology, how am I supposed to treat trichotillomania? But, overall, what kind of trichotillomania help is available?

There is no particular 9-minute cure, or 10-mean solar day program, or ii-month practise program that will work for everyone. In that location is no pill, serum or hair mask that y'all can apply that will make your hair grow back faster than you pull it out. Cell regeneration takes time. There'south no disputing that.

You may take seen trichotillomania bracelets online. These electronic bracelets notify you every time y'all raise your hand to pull out your hair to bring mental awareness every time you lot achieve to pull.

Because of the inconsistent nature of trichotillomania (which ways the experience is drastically different for everyone who has it), there is no style to narrow downwards a single treatment for everyone.

Extensions didn't work for me, merely it works for others. Tracking my pulling didn't piece of work for me, but at that place are others who found great success in information technology.

For some people, they woke upwardly 1 day without the urge to pull anymore.

v Tips for Living with Trichotillomania

For me, shifting my mindset on trichotillomania has been instrumental in my journey of recovery. Hither are the small, but mighty steps that have brought me the most peace with my trichotillomania and hair loss.

#one: Define Recovery

Your definition of recovery will ascertain your success. Let's say you define success as being pull-free for a month. If you normally pull your hair every twenty-four hour period, imagine how hands disappointed you'll be. Your goal should marshal with your electric current habits. It'southward important to gear up salubrious and reasonable goals for yourself.

#2: Talk to Someone About Information technology

Suffering in silence is one of the almost unproductive things I have washed. By hiding my hair loss from others, I never got to confront my hair loss direct. Honestly, it felt similar living in denial for a long fourth dimension.

Once I began attending peer support meetings and opening up online, I came to realize:

You lot aren't equally lonely every bit you recollect.

There are people who honey yous whatsoever your hair looks like.

Hair isn't the end of the world.

#3: Research Alternative Hair

There are so many hair solutions for ladies with hair loss, on the market now. The key is to find one that works for you rather than against y'all. Don't lose sight of the real goal, though. Long hair might be the goal, but in that location are different means to approach it.

The semi-permanent extensions didn't piece of work for me because of the traction alopecia it caused. I would nevertheless pull on the extensions, and those extensions were connected to my pilus.

Wigs and toppers are more pop than ever, and, depending on your level of hair loss, information technology could exist a solution that works for you.

Now I wear a wig when my hair pulling feels out of control. It protects my real hair from my pulling and gives it a chance to abound undisturbed fifty-fifty if information technology's only for a few hours. Being honest with yourself and your needs is a actually important pace.

#four: Take Care of Your Hair

The times where I thought the worst of my hair were the times I cared for my pilus the least. Only considering my hair was sparse, patchy, and partially balding does not hateful I should allow my pilus and scalp go to waste product.

Taking the time to have existent care of my pilus is more than important than ever. It reminds me that my hair is important and it's doing what it tin. I'chiliad also regularly trimming my hair rather than avoiding pilus cuts, which makes me feel amend virtually my hair, since I'm constantly scared of losing information technology.

#v: Reverberate on Your Strengths

Even though you lot've just read through all this hair talk, your life is more than your hair.

When I started coming to terms with my own hair loss, information technology opened the space in my listen to think well-nigh other parts of me and to be grateful for them.

I started seeing the things in myself that have goose egg to do with my pilus: I'one thousand a bang-up friend. I transport astonishing memes. I honey to hike and drive. I can eat a watermelon in one sitting.

There is all that and more than in you lot, too, if you lot take the time to look for it.

To follow along with my everyday life with trichotillomania and a dose of positive productivity, find me on Instagram.

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Source: https://therighthairstyles.com/trichotillomania-story/

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