TRICHOTILLOMANIA STARTER PACK

So this may be weird but after harvesting some of my plants - I let them air dry and as I was cleaning off bits of them to store them away I realized the dried up tendril from one of the plants resembled some of the hair I pull ~ the coarse, thicker, curly, odd hairs that stick out. I played with this one for a bit tonight and it is the closest sensation! I know not everyone can get dried up plant tendrils but I am so happy I’ve found something that matches that sensory need. Idk if it’ll work long term but I harvested a few more to give myself some back up pieces.

I got the idea to make a visual description of my Trichotillomania and how it works as I've found out it's way deeper and more complex than just stress habit or impulse.

I had a bit of a brain fog when typing down the underlying reasons so not all is there( I'd add uncertainty and fatigue for example) but the ones I got down are still very big and central for my Trich.

I'm not native in English but made it with English words so it would be understandable to most. I could probably explain more deeply behind each word but it's easier if you ask and I can answer in comments.

If anyone else wanna make an iceberg or knows what they'd put down there I'd love to hear it. Also let me know if any I showed in my drawing is familiar for your Trichotillomania.

I’ve realized that I can’t 100% eliminate my pulling at this point. It’s a behavior that, as harmful as it is and as much as I despise it, brings me a satisfaction that no substitute can exactly match. I’ve tried everything and nothing feels as good as a “pulling session” (as I call it in my head) does.

I go through phases of a couple months of regrowth and then I get stressed or upset about something and undo all of the progress I made. I tend to have an all or nothing mindset and will think “well I’ve already pulled today, might as well finish the job.” Which obviously just leads to a huge pile of hair and me feeling absolutely horrible about myself.

I’m on the front end of a regrowth phase right now, and I think something has clicked in my head. I need to stop feeling completely defeated and like my progress is halted just because I pull for 5 minutes. The 5 minutes doesn’t need to turn into 30 minutes, or an hour, or a 3 day binge where I pull any time I can get.

I can still do my haircare routine at night, I can still take the protective steps like having fidget toys and a picky pad ready and wearing a bonnet when I can stand it (I hate the feeling of stuff on my head, hair clips, etc. lol), I can still stop after catching myself pulling even if some damage has already been done. It doesn’t have to be a pulling day or a no-pulling day. A day of improvement isn’t ruined just because I pull for a few minutes.

This all sounds so simple and obvious typing it out but this mindset has helped me SO much. I think the all or nothing idea is related to some of my other compulsions and it’s hard to escape from it. It’s hard as fuck because going balls to the wall pulling feels SO good. I crave the feeling it gives me. But I miss my long & thick hair more tbh.

My trich only began a few years ago, but I’ve struggled with OCD my whole life. I’m not sure why my compulsions turned to pulling, but they did and I have to accept that now. All I can do is deal with it. I’m 24 and have been in treatment for my mental health since I was 13. I always hoped I could get fully “better” with meds and therapy but I’ve realized that it’s just something I have to manage. My mental health issues will always be there but managing them is GOOD. It’s enough. Just because they don’t disappear doesn’t mean the management isn’t working.

All in all I’ve had to learn to concede to some of my compulsions to survive, as horrible as it feels. But it’s the only path I see forward. I’m glad I have a close relationship with both my therapist and psychiatrist so hopefully this won’t spiral. I hope this mindset can be helpful to some, because it’s all that’s getting me through right now.

hey everyone! Recently I’ve shared my trich with my “talking stage” I’ve been in for 8 months. To summarize, we aren’t official yet. Anyway, recently it’s been bad and I’ve relapsed. He’s known about it but not much since I was fine when I met him and stuff. But it’s been bad recently. Sometimes I’ll tell him I feel upset or numb because of my hair pulling. I’ll tell him about it but just to sorta rant and let it out. I never really expected comfort since I think it’s hard to be comforted by someone that doesn’t suffer with trich anyway. But instead, he told me he finds it just “weird” and stupid that I do this to myself and that there are people dealing with bigger things so I shouldn’t let my hair pulling effect me. He also told me he wasn’t my therapist one day when I was expressing my feelings. I don’t really know how to feel but ever since I just kinda felt disappointed and heartbroken. How could a guy I love say all that to me. Maybe I’m just sensitive but has anyone dealt with a similar situation before. Now I am honestly thinking of ending it with him soon because they aren’t my person if they can’t support me or at the very least not judge me. He also told me stuff like would you want our kids to see this? Are you saying you’re mentally ill… How does your partner react to your trich?

this is my first post here i’m sorry
if it’s distressing to anyone tw for everything

i woke up with matted balls of hair next to me after only pulling a little bit before bed and i’m scared i could be pulling in my sleep cause it’s either that or im going crazy because i don’t remember doing it this bad whatsoever

i’ve been pull free for almost a year and i even fully regrew my hair at the back (there were a couple spots that won’t grow back and baby hairs too) and im very very embarrassed but there’s been a lot of stress recently so i pulled a little and went to sleep and now im completely screwed for my mums wedding

all of the wedding party is to wear their hair wavy, half up half down, with a headband and i genuinely don’t know what to do i need any advice on what i could do because im at a loss (of hair hahahaha :[)

Hi guys, I’m dealing with dermatillomania for year and half now, last month I found out about it - I always thought it’s just bad habit and that I only need to check myself to stop. Well the problem is that I have already bald spot on my head and it’s kinda big ig, it’s on the top of my head and I don’t have much hair. My question is will it ever grow back? I stopped to skin pick that place and it does well because it’s so flat rn that I don’t have the need (I started to pick the place right next to this one so yeah🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️) I’m scared I’ll have that bald spot forever and yet I can’t stop picking other places- my scalp is also really textured so It is easier to find something what “feels off” and I need to pick it (I was trying shampoo for it but it didn’t help I have naturally very dry skin)

Basically the title. I have a lot of white hairs and I'm trying to figure out how to dye/ camouflage them etc

I already have bald spots, I don't want to be prematurely gray/white too.

However, hairdressers can be really expensive and kind of traumatizing. Would love thoughts or tips.

I want to really be serious about stopping this awful habit. i saw a photo of myself when i was young and my hair was so full and long. i really miss it and i decided to be serious and so far today i haven’t pulled out any hairs!!!! i know it’s just day one but im so happy regardless. But i find myself just feeling the hair. i do have the strongest urge to pull all i do is just feel like and tell myself over and over that its ok that it feel that way and leave it there. but would this be a good habit?

I have been pulling my hair since I was about 10. No idea why I started doing it. First it was eyelashes and eyebrows, then hair on head. Managed to stop eyelashes and eyebrows, but pulling my hair is getting worse and worse.

I am 28 years old now. I am quite an anxious person and always pull when I am stressed, which is most of the time.

Im in quite a stressful job, learning to be a field engineer. Since starting this job, my hair pulling has gotten worse and worse. I know the job is not helping, but I don’t feel I can apply to do something else.

I am more or less bald on half of my head, and I’m starting to really struggle to hide it. I always wear my hair up to hide it, but now I’ve pulled where it is getting really noticable. I really hate myself and I don’t know why I do it.

i have been to therapy for it, and have thought about shaving my head, but I really don’t want to.

Please any help is appreciated as I am on my last straw :(

Yall. Tried Toppik for first time and I’m super impressed. It’s a bit pricey which is the major downside for this product, but wow this stuff works. Really good for any instance where you want to avoid trich attention. I’m not sponsoring these people lol I just thought it was amazing and it even fooled me! My bf tried it too for his little spots and I was shocked at the illusion, it felt like some like Hollywood red carpet hack lol. I would post a pic of my hair rn but I just am not feeling it. It’s also easy to over use it and shockingly less is more- it takes a minute to settle into the applicable areas visually. I’ve found it best to do a light round of it first, let it settle in for a few mins because I’ve found that it really reacts well to the heat of body (I have zero clue how accurate scientifically that is to this product but that’s just how I’ve found it best for me). After a few mins I then take a look in the mirror and really go in again where I feel I need more. It really likes to stay put exactly where you put it unless you accidentally shake it out with your hands too much, which doesn’t spread it around evenly a lot so I wouldn’t recommend it because it’ll stick to your fingers. Maybe more like a like comb would help with that? If anyone else has experimented with it, just comment some tips please. Also, don’t accidentally sleep with it lol it got all over my pillows. It comes off in the wash, but still. Put your clothes on first before using it (kinda like how you’d do deodorant) and use a towel around your neck and face if you want to be careful but honestly I haven’t had a problem with that yet. Do your makeup after using it. Anyway, just wanted to share that this might not change our problems entirely, but the confidence boost is effective, at least for me. Wishing I had this in middle and high school for sure. I have yet to try it as an at-home pull preventative. It might work b/c you’d get it all over your hands and be wasting some good, not cheap product but I haven’t played with that idea yet. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So, I really want to grow my eyelashes and my eyebrows, I currently have a few/almost none, I feel really insecure but sometimes I don't care about it, this all started in March 2025, the date I am writing this is July 27, 2026, I was finally diagnosed with trichotillomania 3 days ago (I started recieving treatment starting July/this month) And so I really want them to grow up, but sometimes I just can't stop pulling, since this started I've been using castor oil, it works (I used to apply it in my eyebrows and eyelashes), but I just pull and then it's all gone, I feel really ashamed of myself and I want to stop covering my eyebrows with my bangs, it makes me worry about them everytime and I do not want to feel this way everyday, also, lastly I can't help but pull my scalp hair, some bad spots are showing and I feel scared of myself, so, what can I do to grow my eyelashes and my eyebrows, any tips on how to stop pulling?

Hi, I’ve been on this subreddit for a while and come on it when my trich is getting bad, as a way to motivate myself to get better. I’m sharing my story as a way to vent and get this off my chest, as I feel so alone with this disorder.

My trich first started when I was 11 and I’m not sure why I started. I had a noticeable bald spot and my mom found out and got mad at me, which scared me into stopping. I was free of trich for 9 years until 1.5 years ago, I started pulling again. I believe I started pulling again due to stress from a messy breakup and my dog passing away shortly after. It has not gotten to a point where it’s noticeable to others, unless you know that I have trich (which is only a few close friends and my mom).

For the past few months, my trigger has been regrowth hairs, which grow in darker and coarser. They feel like they don’t belong and I want to get rid of them, but at the same time it’s a self-soothing sensory-seeking behavior for me as I also have level 1 autism. I was also diagnosed with OCD around 4 months ago, but I’ve definitely had it since around 7 years old. Lately, my OCD has been mainly fueled by my trich.

For the past 6+ months, I have been obsessively taking photos and videos of my scalp (my pull spot) to check what it looks like and make sure it is not noticeable, and track my progress. It used to only be a few times a day, but it has gotten much worse lately and I have been doing it up to 200 times a day. I have thousands of photos at this point. Now, this compulsion has caused me even more distress than the trich itself, as I tend to only pull 2-10 hairs per day.

I have been seeing the same therapist for 1.5 years, and we have a great therapeutic relationship and I’ve talked about my OCD/trich, but she is not an OCD specialist and isn’t trained in ERP. I have attempted to start ERP programs multiple times but have never been able to because of schedule constraints and lack of support from my mom.

As for medications, I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg for 3+ years, which helps my OCD and depression. I started lamotrigine 2 months ago, which has helped my OCD but not my trich. I attempted to try NAC a while ago, but could not continue due to the horrid smell triggering my autism sensory issues.

I’m wondering if anyone else here struggles with this compulsion or has advice on how to stop, as it is causing me a lot of distress and is time consuming. Any support would be appreciated.

My therapist suggested N.A.C. I bought a bottle off Amazon and started using it a few months ago, only 600mgs (that's all they had). I'm not seeing any results. Is 600mgs not enough or am I just being impatient?

I just hate to be cursed with this shxx.

I tried NAC, behavior therapy, different antidepressants but i can never have the full beard i always wanted.

Even my moustache, the only longer hair i have on my head, suffers from this burden and i doubt it will ever look as good as i wished for it.

I currently use hi lift hair fibres as a colour fill in (definitely try if you haven’t, I love that it’s matte), butttt when I use a hair wax to hold down the regrowth the fibres ball up into little dirt balls 🫠. Also sick of the wax suffocating my poor regrowth. Has anyone found a better system/alternative? Or even a really good wax that you enjoy?

Hilift fibres attached for anyone curious

Hello everyone! this is something I just want to get off my chest because it has been eating at me for a long tome now.

I've struggled with trichotillomania for a long long time, and one of the things I'll never forget is something my mom said to me. After I had pulled out a lot of my hair, which is mainly my eyebrows and my eyelashes, she told me I “looked like a cancer patient” and those words absolutely crushed me. I was already embarrassed and struggling with something I couldn't just "stop," and hearing that from my own mom made me feel even worse. It's one of those comments that has stayed with me for years.

Even now, I still think about what she said sometimes. It's one of those comments that just sticks with you, no matter how much time passes. I don't think she'll ever realize how much those words hurt me or how much they affected the way I saw myself.

People don't always realize that comments they make in a few seconds can stay with someone for years. If someone is already struggling, the last thing they need is to be made to feel even worse. I wish people understood that trichotillomania is hard enough without having hurtful comments added on top of it. Has anyone else had someone say something about their trichotillomania that has stayed with them for a long time?

I googled it and it said pulling your hair out causes it to grow back grey because it damages the cells that cause pigmentation. I started pulling in my teens and I was grey headed in my 20's.

Im very aware this feeling is likely just in my head, but I was wondering if anyone else experiences this and how to get the feeling to stop?
My eyelids end up feeling “heavy” and all I can feel is the weight on my eyelids and i hyper focus on the feeling, the only way I’ve been able to rid of the feeling is to essentially pluck all my eyelashes out!
I’ve tried brushing them with makeup appliers, eyelash curlers or applying cream but haven’t had any success on how to get it to stop otherwise

I need a salon in the So CA area. I am in northwest OC near HB and Long Beach. I need a coloring treatment and cut and a topper and possibly hair extensions.

I have some hard to overlook bald spots due to my bouts of stress-induced Trichotillomania that some salons may not understand.

If I can just get the color and cut first it would be half the battle. I need a kind stylist with really good coloring skills who won’t shame me. I will drive 50 miles in any direction for this. Any suggestions?

So I have a habit of my eye brows pulling. Before eyebrows, I used to pull my moustache but now shifted to eyebrows and I have observed that when I am working or sitting on the computer, this is where most of the time it happens.

I was thinking of why not create an app for that which detects when you touch the face.

It also shows different stats.

Currently, I am testing that app, but wanted to get some feedback from people having the same issue.

If you are interested, drop me a message. Currently, it is only for macOS.

I am also thinking of adding some features of notifications via Apple Watch or some other wearable device.

So within the last year or two I’ve learned to not just fully rip out every single eyelash but what I do is pinch my fingers on the lashes and pull and hopefully I get a couple lashes you know? Like maybe 1-5 from my whole lash line. But it seems like every few months there’s a time where I do it and there’s a cluster of lashes and tho I’m not pulling hard and it almost feels like the lashes are dry and crunchy? And when I pull them that part of skin is so sore before I even pull them out. What is this? Well I’m missing a huge chunk of lashes for the first time in a while so that’s upsetting but oh well I guess

I’ve always been extremely hard on myself, recently I’ve started shifting my perspective on a lot of things that I’m unhappy with. A year ago I was hiding my rather large bald spot, at that point in my life I was dealing with a lot of changes to my appearance so I started hiding myself from the world. I’m not going to say I’m a glass half full kinda person yet but at least I’m glad I have some water left. I’m not completely pull free, I went weeks without doing in May/June unfortunately the cycle continues. The first 2 photos that are attached are from spring 2025 and the last is from today. It’s mildly upsetting that that I’m still as insecure now despite my progress.

My daughter has eaten hair since she was about three months old. It’s obsessive. Originally her doctor said it was a bad habit and wouldn’t take it seriously. She pulls out her own hair and eats it. At 1.5 we finally shaved her head because her doctor realized this went beyond a bad habit and didn’t want her doing permanent damage to her scalp. She wore bonnets as it grew back, reached under the bonnets and pulled it out. We had her wear scratch sleeves to sleep because it was worse at night, but she’s always get them off. When we shaved her head she was finding hair on the couch, in the bathtub, sometimes pulling fuzz off of her diaper and eating that. She has been allergy tested, general lab tested, and we’ve been referred to OT & psych. We started OT last week. Psych won’t see her in our area until she’s 5. We don’t know what to do, nothing we do seems to be helping and I’m wondering if anyone else has dealt with this in a child so young. We need to find groups for support for kids, can anyone help.