Pulling my hair out (trichotillomania) ... hard to stop, any help?

Posted by goingcrazy @goingcrazy, Mar 14, 2012

Hello I am a 41 year old female, every since i was around 16 i started pulling my eyebrows out. to where i had to draw them on.. Then later on it started with my eyelashes.. then about 2 years ago, it went to the hair on my head. It got so bad that it was a spot as big as an half dollar. It was so bad I didn't want to go out in the public. much less work! I am trying to stop, but its hard. I don't have the money to go to the doctor, and no insurance. I just need some Ideas on how to get it to grow back faster, anything to help?????????

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Mental Health Support Group.

Do you have any lead mental health agencies where you live? They treat folk without insurance. You sound like you have an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Trichotillomania - and have had it for a long time. I'm not judging at all but if you grow back your hair how will you control the urge to pull it out?
I would suggest dealing with the underlying issue. Treatment may include anti-depressants and talk therapy to help you control negative thoughts and behaviors like hair pulling.
Please, let me know if you need assistance looking for services in your area.
Best,
Rox

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@roxie43

Do you have any lead mental health agencies where you live? They treat folk without insurance. You sound like you have an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Trichotillomania - and have had it for a long time. I'm not judging at all but if you grow back your hair how will you control the urge to pull it out?
I would suggest dealing with the underlying issue. Treatment may include anti-depressants and talk therapy to help you control negative thoughts and behaviors like hair pulling.
Please, let me know if you need assistance looking for services in your area.
Best,
Rox

Jump to this post

Hello, thanks for your reply. I'm not sure if there is anything around here like that or not. I just moved here in savannah, ga about 3 months ago. And to get to what you were saying about finding the problem, well thats why I moved here, I was in a very vary bad relationship. he was very abusive and controlling. I think that was a big part of it. because since I have been away from him its no where near as bad. My hair just wont grow back. I still think about it but do everything I can not to. And yes I agree, I do need someone to talk to, but like I said, no insurance. But I will look into what you said to look for. Thanks for the info. Regina

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@roxie43

Do you have any lead mental health agencies where you live? They treat folk without insurance. You sound like you have an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Trichotillomania - and have had it for a long time. I'm not judging at all but if you grow back your hair how will you control the urge to pull it out?
I would suggest dealing with the underlying issue. Treatment may include anti-depressants and talk therapy to help you control negative thoughts and behaviors like hair pulling.
Please, let me know if you need assistance looking for services in your area.
Best,
Rox

Jump to this post

Hi Regina,
If you live in the states you should have access to free mental health treatment. I work in one of the hospitals in the US and we take all who walk in through the door needing help and eventually you are assisted with applying for entitlements.
I am so sorry that you have endured so much. Even though you left him and I AM PROUD OF YOU for that, you probably have some things you need to get off your chest??
Then, by pulling out your hair you feel even worse when you look in the mirror. Try to find services in your area and like I said if you need me to search I will. Just ad to me to friends list so we can communicate in private.
Now, a temporary solution is at Sally's hair Supply and it is a Shampoo & Conditioner that helps hair grow but it's not overnight. I believe it's called MainGrow and it is used on humans as well as horses so they have can those long and silky tails.
I actually own them and they are $5.99 a bottle. As we age, our hair thins out and I must say I love it. Another route would be rogaine for women but that's expensive.
Another method, and I do this as well, is wear stylish hats that match your outfits. I am not bald but I love hats and you can still look professional, beautiful, lady like etc.
Lastly, a wig or a weave where you go to a shop and they sew a little hair on.
I have given you temporary ideas but I do hope and pray that you deal with your trauma/OCD because you will feel so much better overall.
God Bless, Stay Strong and Take good care,
Roxie

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Hi not sure if you’re still available, I just signed up here today. First thing I did was type in Trichotillomania and saw your post.
I’ve been suffering from this since I was a little girl. I’m now 66 years old. It’s hereditary so you may want to see if anyone else is doing it, my Mother didn’t pull hair but she picked at her skin really badly and somehow the two conditions are related. One of my Sisters did it and one of her Daughters does it, my own Daughter does it.
Over my many years I have actually had several pull-free years. One lasted longer than ten or eleven years. But since about the late eighties those periods have been very rare.
Until then though I didn’t even know what I did had a name and that other people suffered from it as well.
I have a lot of other problems too. I’m sure you’re suffering some others too.
The very very sad thing about Tric is there is no real treatment for the problem. Sure you can take antidepressants, you can go to talk therapy, you can do the cognitive therapy. I’ve done everything that’s been suggested and as I sit here I have small bald spots all over my head.
If you or anyone else gets a chance to read this I will check back and look for updates.
Good luck to one and all.
One day someone has to break through.
Trish Madden
Virginia Beach

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@trishie1m

Hi not sure if you’re still available, I just signed up here today. First thing I did was type in Trichotillomania and saw your post.
I’ve been suffering from this since I was a little girl. I’m now 66 years old. It’s hereditary so you may want to see if anyone else is doing it, my Mother didn’t pull hair but she picked at her skin really badly and somehow the two conditions are related. One of my Sisters did it and one of her Daughters does it, my own Daughter does it.
Over my many years I have actually had several pull-free years. One lasted longer than ten or eleven years. But since about the late eighties those periods have been very rare.
Until then though I didn’t even know what I did had a name and that other people suffered from it as well.
I have a lot of other problems too. I’m sure you’re suffering some others too.
The very very sad thing about Tric is there is no real treatment for the problem. Sure you can take antidepressants, you can go to talk therapy, you can do the cognitive therapy. I’ve done everything that’s been suggested and as I sit here I have small bald spots all over my head.
If you or anyone else gets a chance to read this I will check back and look for updates.
Good luck to one and all.
One day someone has to break through.
Trish Madden
Virginia Beach

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@trishie1m, I want to say Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am a volunteer mentor, and as I was scrolling, I came upon yoiur post. I found this information that I would like to share with you as we wait for others to join the discussion with their experiences. - You will see that it is a recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop. -Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trichotillomania/symptoms-causes/syc-20355188

Have you received any kind of therapy or trearment that was helpful to you during the pull free periods?
I want to encourage you to check out all of the discussion Groups, and to know that you are welcome to join in anywhere. Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you as you try to locate anything.

REPLY
@trishie1m

Hi not sure if you’re still available, I just signed up here today. First thing I did was type in Trichotillomania and saw your post.
I’ve been suffering from this since I was a little girl. I’m now 66 years old. It’s hereditary so you may want to see if anyone else is doing it, my Mother didn’t pull hair but she picked at her skin really badly and somehow the two conditions are related. One of my Sisters did it and one of her Daughters does it, my own Daughter does it.
Over my many years I have actually had several pull-free years. One lasted longer than ten or eleven years. But since about the late eighties those periods have been very rare.
Until then though I didn’t even know what I did had a name and that other people suffered from it as well.
I have a lot of other problems too. I’m sure you’re suffering some others too.
The very very sad thing about Tric is there is no real treatment for the problem. Sure you can take antidepressants, you can go to talk therapy, you can do the cognitive therapy. I’ve done everything that’s been suggested and as I sit here I have small bald spots all over my head.
If you or anyone else gets a chance to read this I will check back and look for updates.
Good luck to one and all.
One day someone has to break through.
Trish Madden
Virginia Beach

Jump to this post

Hi, @trishie1m - I wanted to add my welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, along with @rosemarya, whom you have met. A family member of mine did a lot of hair pulling especially when she was a little girl, and I remember her mom feeling so anxious to help in any way possible.

I also wanted to introduce you to @ryman, who has talked about hair pulling and whom I am hoping will come back to join this conversation and offer some thoughts on the undergoing various therapies, yet still having small bald spots all over your head. @georgette12 @suscros68 @mari @parus @karen00 and @gingerw may also have some input.

Of all the treatments you tried, @trishie1m, were any more helpful than others?

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@trishie1m Welcome to Mayo Connect. We are a very diverse group here, and we have a lot of different life experiences. It was not until I read your post and then clicked on the link in @lisalucier 's post, that it became clear that this something I do. I can't remember not doing it, even as a child. If my hair is longer than four or five inches, I will spend time just combing through it with my fingers to harvest loose hairs, not necessarily to pull anything out. I find that it is a comforting feeling and makes me feel more calm. I don't know if that makes any sense to you. It may be a habit, or something that has triggered us to feel "less than, not pretty enough". I hope you might look in to how your life has been, and think about triggers or events that would lead up to a hair-pulling session. It may be beneficial to write down what you discover.
Ginger

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