Trichotillomania?

Question

I have a problem pulling out my hair and eye lashes. I didnt know that it was common, I dont know why I do it. I have been doing this since I was a young teenager. I am not bald, I didnt pull out that bad. But sometimes I pull too many eye lashes (especially the bottom lashes). Then I have to wear heavy eyeliner to cover the fact that my eye lashes are missing. I try to pull from the middle of my hair, so that it isnt noticable. Lately I have been pulling mostly my eyelashes. Does anyone else go through this? A few months ago, I had pulled out quite a bit of hair from one spot, and had to part my hair differently to cover it. I dont know how to stop. I also think I am depressed. I will make a doctor's appt. but what do I say? Do I just tell him/her? I am nervous. Can they give me something to help?

I do not do drugs.

I am not taking any drugs. By looking at me, you cannot tell that I do this. I dont look like a weirdo or anything. I just need advice. Please dont be mean.

Answer 1

You are not alone. I also suffer from trichotillomania. I found out not too long ago that this is a common disorder.
If you'd see me, you wouldn't know I do this.

I like to think I can control it more now - I have noticed that I do this hair pulling during stressful periods - appointments, interviews, tight deadlines...
Instead of pulling hair where it would show (head, face), I sometimes pull the hair from my legs with a tweezer (not such a bad thing, my legs are always smooth!).

Try to notice when you do it.
It's a good idea to tell your doctor who will probably refer you to a psychotherapist. Don't be nervous or ashamed, it's more common than you think.

Medication may or may not help out. It would be a good idea to figure out why and when you started doing this (may be you went through a traumatic experience at 12 yrs old?)
This is nothing to be ashamed of.

Good luck and keep me posted!

Answer 2

I, too, have trichotillomania. It started my sophomore year of high school and I had no eyebrows or eyelashes at all until my senior year. I never pulled hair from anywhere else, only from my face. I'm 23 now, and I was a psychology major in college. Although I didn't graduate, I was able to get the help of one of my professors. She was able to give me some great tools to be able to cope with it. It's something I still struggle with, and I don't believe that it will ever completely go away, but I do know how to handle it and beat it. I don't know what your financial situation is, but I would make an appointment with a counselor if I were you. Until you get some help, it will only continue to get worse. You may call around and see if there's anyone in your area that has worked with trichotillomania before. If your finances don't allow for this, many churches offer free or very low cost counseling even to people who don't attend. If you aren't a religious person, it may still be worth a try, as I doubt much religious talk would come into your counseling sessions. It would certainly be better than nothing! Please do try to get some sort of help before it gets any worse. I know that you already feel ashamed walking around even with just small parts of your hair missing. It will only be worse when your eyelashes are completely gone. Even makeup won't come close to disguising it. It will get to the point where you no longer have a normal life at all, because you are so obsessed with trying to hide. Please do seek help before you get to this point. If you live in a larger town, you can probably find a trichotillomania support group that would be free of charge also. It might be easiest to share your problem with others who face the same thing first. If you are depressed, the doctor may perscribe medication for it, but it will not stop the trichotillomania. It is a seperate disorder more closely related to OCD and there have been no successful treatments with medication. You need to see a counselor who can give you new tools to fight it.

Answer 3

I would advise you to just be aware in the meantime. If you notice yourself doing this again, stop immediately. It's also good to talk about this to someone you're close to. If the problem gets worse, or you think there's no hope in breaking the habit, make a doctor's appointment. When you get to the doctor, tell him/her that you think you have a problem and everything that's happened (pulling out hairs, consultation, etc.), and everything you think is going on (depression). And don't feel like you're the only one going through this, because there are probably a lot of others who have the same problem. Try destracting yourself with activities that involve lots of hands-on work (crafts, typing, writing and drawing, etc.) Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 4

You are not alone - many people go through the same thing. Tyra Banks had a show about this where men and women shared their stories about this. The thing is, this is a psychological issue, thus going through your doctor is a waste of time, because they only treat people's physical ailments. What will happen is you will go to a regular doctor, tell him what you told us, and he will refer you to a psychologyst/psychiatrist. So, save yourself the time and insurance money, and schedule an appointment directly with a psychologist/psychiatrist. You may or may not need medication to help get through this, but either way, just know that there is treatment for this and many people going through this were able to seek help and get better, so don't lose hope. If you do end up going to a regular doctor, yes, definitely tell them like it is. This is nothing to be ashamed of, and as soon as you can confide about this with professionals, the sooner you're on your way to recovery. I commend you for being strong and for reaching out and seeking help in this matter - many people going through the same thing suffer in silence, but you are taking charge of your life - that is a big step forward. Best of luck to you.

Answer 5

I have a relative with your problem. She started at 13 or 14. She started because she had Fall allergies and she would use the lashes to pull her upper lid out for relief. It continued until she had no lashes. They grew back, she pulled them out
over and over. At some point they stopped growing back. She wears mascara like you. So you are not alone!

Answer 6

Hun - go see a therapist. Figure out the base of the problems and get some help. It might not be "life threatening" but it is not good either. Just make a call and say exactly what you said here. The person on the other side will help... if not, make another call until someone does. i bet you will be glad you did

Answer 7

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder related to the anxiety disorder OCD.
Its common to pull or tweeze out hairs from head/ eyelashes or eyebrows and pubic regions.
There's a forum for this at:
www.ocdforums.org
Look under the general anxiety area.

Answer 8

Tell the doctor you need some help. You may have to take medicine for only a short time.

Answer 9

i would suggest therapy and if you have a hard time trying not to pull on your hair find something to substitude like chewing gum everytime you get the urge.

Answer 10

Seek help. I implore you.