Iâve received many questions about how I deal with trich. Iâve had it for about 5 years now. For me, I pull out my eyebrows. They have patches of bald spots that I have to fill in time after time.
Here are some things that have helped me on my road to recovery!
Before I begin, I am in no way a professional. I am sharing what has helped me. Some of these tips may/may not apply to you. I am providing them all in order to help the general public struggling with this.
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Admit and accept: Your feelings are valid about feeling embarressed or ashamed of pulling/picking. Itâs ok. Admitting trich yourself or to someone is one of the first steps of dealing with trich. I was always in denial about it. Once I admitted, âOk, I have a problem here,â it really helped put the disorder in perspective for me. Once you accept this fact, you can take a deep breath. Trich is here, but it will not forever. You will have a plan of action to move forward with now. :) Also, trich is real. You arenât weird, crazy, etc. A lot of people struggle with this disorder. You are not alone in this.
Learn your triggers and make a plan to combat them: Trich triggers are different for everyone. For me, it is mostly out of stress and anxiety. For example, during exams I will sometimes pull out a ton of eyebrow hair. I have a plan for this trigger during exams, which is to twirl the diamond ring my boyfriend gave to me around my finger. It is something to keep my hand occupied while I finish the exam. Take a piece of paper and write down a column of things that trigger you to pick or pull. On the next column, write down what your plan is to cope with it. When you have it written in front of you, it is easier to refer to instead of planning it all in your head.
What do you need? Whatever it is, give it to your body. Be mindful: What do you need when you are in the act of picking/pulling? Are you hungry? Eat a nourishing snack/meal. Are you anxious? Go take a bath or a long run. Are you lonely? Cuddle with a pet or call a family member/friend. Need comfort? Make some yummy tea/coffee and cuddle under some blankets. Need to calm down? Light your favorite candle. Once you know what you need, give it to your body (in a positive manner).
Keep your HANDS BUSY: I cannot stress this enough. Your hands are your enemies for trich! I highly recommend getting a fidget toy. For example, if Iâm writing while doing schoolwork, my other hand will be pulling away. Now I keep a fidget toy in that âfree handâ, which deters me from pulling.
Think of a pet or a cute animal (if you donât have a pet): When I have the urges to pick/pull, I think about my dog. Would my dog want me to pull and pick his fur? Of course not. I would hurt him and I never want to hurt my dog. If I have an urge to pull/pick my eyebrows, I will allow myself to touch them only if I pet them like a dog. This is a great tip for those who cannot fully resist taking their âhands offâ the trich affected area right away. Itâs ok to touch, just not pick/pull.
Nails⌠nails⌠nails: This may not apply to all of you, but it could. For me, putting on fake acrylic nails helps deter me from pulling. It is way too hard for me to pull with long nails! For some others, short finger nails make it harder to pull. See if either of these modifications can help you out!
Put gloves/mittens on your hands: Iâm not kidding with this, because I will unconsciously pick my eyebrows off in bed. Putting on gloves or mittens will make it hard to grasp hairs. In the meantime, if you have dry hands like me, put on some lovely moisturizer/cream to soften your hands. Keeping them covered will help your hands absorb that lotion cream. As a result, youâll have silky soft hands!
Make that area slick: I coat my eyes with castor oil at night. It makes it harder to pull⌠plus it doesnât feel good when my fingers are all goopy and sticky if I touch the area. It is a good picking/pulling deterrent that also helps stimulate hair growth at the same time!
Visualize and set goals: What goals do you have for beating trich? My goal is to grow in the bald parts of my eyebrows again so my esthetician can wax them down to the shape of my dreams (they are super thick right now for a reason). I used to have the most beautiful brows⌠I want my brows back. Keep a goal in mind for the long run. Remembering it will remind you that you are working hard to get there. Also, take a look in the mirror to visualize your goals. Do you see hair growth coming back? That is AWESOME! Keep up the great work! Seeing these visual cues can keep guiding you in the right direction on your road to recovery. It is positive progress!
Work on self care: There are lots of aspects behind this. Work on being âpresentâ in the moment, take time to meditate, write in a journal, and flee from a triggering environment. Have a self care action plan set in place to set you up for success.
Pamper yourself: Sometimes I pull/pick due to low self esteem. I donât feel good about myself at all. Instead, I pamper myself now. Iâll moisturize my hands, make a DIY deep hair conditioner, will coat my eyebrows to help them grow back, etc. Treat yourself when your self esteem is low. You deserve all the pampering. Plus it helps soothe your feelings if you are feeling uptight.
Cover the area: This may help some, and maybe not some others. If you need to protect the area you are pulling, please do so if you feel it is necessary. Wear a pretty hat/beanie on your head, wear a thick hippie headband around your head to cover your brows, or put on fake lashes to shield your real ones you are trying to grow back. Take this tip personally, as I said this may work for some not others.
Accept relapses: Relapses happen. Once⌠twice⌠heck it can happen over years! Relapses donât mean you are a failure. Look at relapses as a learning experience. What made you pick/pull? What can you do next time to avoid this from occurring again? You are not starting off from square one when you relapse. You are only picking yourself back up again!
Lastly, please please please get help: If you need more help and feel you cannot handle trich on your own, please seek professional help. There is no need to be emabressed or ashamed, because this is something very common people struggle with one way or another. Getting professional help doesnât make you weak - it makes you stronger and helps you build a team to help you recover. You are not alone in this and professionals are more than happy to help you come up with a recovery plan. This can even be someone in your schoolâs counseling center to help you out! Please reach out!
