hello, trich

trichotillomania: the compulsion to pull out one's own hair 23-year-old eyelash/eyebrow puller. started at age 18 being accountable is key. please leave questions in my ask, anonymous or not, or feel free to email me at oh.hello.trich[at]gmail.com. i'm loving this tumblr trich community. y'all are beautiful souls <3

[hellotrich]

Transitions and Changes

This month has been filled with transitions and changes, and they are all good, but I have been extremely busy. First- I got a new job! I am working for my same agency (a human services non-profit), but I am now working in the marketing communications department. And I'm so excited! It's been two weeks, and I've been busy, and my pulling/picking had morphed from boredom pulling/picking to stress pulling/picking. But I am coming up with new ways to control it! Second- I took on a second part-time job in addition to the volunteering I do outside of work. It's quite a challenge, but so far I love it. Third- I have been seeing my trich specialist for almost a year now. And we've set a date for my picking/pulling to stop completely: the end of this calendar year. I. Can. Do. It. Fourth- For one whole week I had a full set of eyelashes and eyebrows! Fifth- Y'all are still amazing <3

[hellotrich]

check out my anonymous post about trich on pitypageant tumblr. i had no idea there was a communiity.

Good for you for sharing those details!  There is a great trich community on Tumblr, welcome <3

[hellotrich]

Hello, my name is Tamara. I am currently battling trichotillomania. I was just curious as to how you've found the strength to quit the pulling. I've spent time after time thinking of ways to stop. I learned taping my fingers has helped but i want to find ways to also help me mentally. Any thoughts?

If you go through my blog, you'll see tons of ways I've come with that have helped me to control my urges to pull.  You'll also see that some days I am much more successful than others.  And I think it's important to recognize that trich is very up and down like that.  But the most important thing I've realized is this: controlling trich is not a short term challenge.  It's a lifestyle.  And you need to approach it mentally like that.  Does that help?

Best of luck <3

[hellotrich]

Day 51 - August 16, 2012

Naked face, brows, and lashes.

Everything is just thin and a little patchy.  Pulling 1-5 hairs a day is not bad.  But it's not acceptable if I want to get my brows and lashes nice and thick again.  Today will be pull-free.  Sometimes starting my day out saying that helps immensely.

[hellotrich]

Trichotillomania Research

Two weeks ago I participated in a trichotillomania research project at a hospital in downtown Boston.  It took about three hours, including self-reports, an interview, and a blood draw.  Ugh, the worst part!

Trich researchers are looking at trichsters' DNA to see if there is anything genetic about our disorder.  This will both help understand trich at a biological level and also help determine what is different about us trichsters biologically than those without this disorder.  If they can find a comparison between the 150 trichsters they found for the study, it's one step closer to potentially finding a cure.

My dad also has trich.  It started when he was 18.  And when I think about having kids, I worry about passed trichotillomania on to them.

Do you trichotillomania my have a genetic component?

[hellotrich]

Day 48 - August 13, 2012

Naked face, brows, and lashes.

GROW.  GROW.  GROW.

[hellotrich]

Day 45 - August 10, 2012

Naked face, brows, and lashes.

Only pulled one eyebrow and one eyelash yesterday.  Skin picking was a bit worse but overall better than it has been in the past.

[hellotrich]

Day 44 - August 9, 2012

Naked face, brows, and lashes.

Two days pull free!  And my skin picking is significantly less.  Incredible what happens when you remove all mirrors from your life.

[a-trichster-life]

Yay fully funded!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1024153773/trichster

[hellotrich]

"Picking at your skin and ruining the tissue that is made to protect the body is simply unacceptable."

Somehow hearing this from my trichotillomania doctor made it seem real today.  Today was the first day I have not picked at my skin in years.

[hellotrich]

You're beautiful. <3

<3  So much love for you.

[hellotrich]

I have a problem.. my eyebrows are too thin. I've had trich since about 5th grade (12th now), and my head I've basically stopped. My main problem now is my eyebrows. I feel like I'll never have eyebrows that aren't awfully thin again, and I'm scared because I hate having such thin eyebrows and people always point them out and half the time I look like I don't even have any. uhg.

I can sympathize with you!  Looking back through these pictures of me, you can see me with all sorts of eyebrows.  I used to have perfectly shaped and thick eyebrows.  And it is frustrating.

I've found some great make-up to make my brows look thicker.  That may be something you should look into for a short-term answer.  Long-term though, you've really got to work at changing the habits that make you pull at your eyebrows in the first place; and it's REALLY hard work.  I struggle with it every day.

Let me know if you want to hear about some things that have helped me to control my eyebrow pulling.  Best of luck <3

[hellotrich]

if i can overcome trich so can you!!!<3 i have faith in you:)

Thank you :)  What a sweet message.  It's always encouraging to hear from someone who has a success story.

[hellotrich]

Day 37 - August 2, 2012

Naked face, brows, and lashes.

[hellotrich]

Hey all,

This is a really important cause to me, and I hope that you check it out and see if you are able to contribute.  Jillian Corsie and her team in NYC are hoping to create a feature length documentary about trichotillomania.  And she assured me when I emailed her that Trichster will be nothing like what we've seen (and usually cringed at) in Taboo, My Strange Addiction, or Young Adult.

I feel like I've personally worked so hard to not just accept my trich but to love myself with my trich, not in spite of it.  I'm so incredibly proud of the trichsters she found who are going in front of the camera as trichotillomania's ambassadors.

And let's be honest.  I secretly wish I was in her film!  NYC is only a quick bus ride away from Boston, right?!  But since I can't be, I've backed Trichster through Kickstarter, and I REALLY hope that you will too by clicking the link above!

What do you think of this project?

[hellotrich]

An old post that I still agree with...

[hellotrich]

hey!! I'm so glad to see that you're back and posting again :D welcome back!!

I was hoping to hear from you! I had a hard time finding the ask button on your page from my phone. How are you doing?!