Do you compulsively pull out your hair? It can be from your head, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard or anywhere else on your body – the point is that you sometimes aren’t even aware you’re doing it until you see the sad results. Trichotillomania (sometimes called trich) is a body-focused repetitive behavior that affects both men and women, resulting in embarrassing bald or bloody patches, or thinning hair. Worse, the disorder seems to come and go. Before you seek professional help from a Cognitive Behaviors Therapist, try these day-to-day self-help techniques.
Try to Recognize Your “Danger Times”
Many people can link trich to certain anxiety-producing situations or times. Keep a notebook. When you catch yourself feeling the urge to pull, note it down. You’ll eventually recognize a pattern, which will help you be prepared with an alternative. You can also identify your favorite places to pull.
Speak Up!
When you catch yourself pulling your hair, just say no or stop. Don’t accuse or berate yourself. Just be aware of what you’re doing. Ask friends or family to pick a code word to say when they see you pulling. Talk to others who pull, or find and join a support group for trichotillomania.
Keep Your Hands Busy
Learn to knit, crochet, embroider, weave potholders, play with Silly Putty. You can even buy some fidgety toys. Anything repetitive that keeps your hands occupied is good. Cut up some small rags of loose-weave fabrics and pick the threads apart.
Make Hair Harder to Pull
It’s hard to get a grip on slippery hair! Try petroleum jelly on your eyebrows, lashes or body hair with a clean mascara wand or a short brush. Keep your hair wet. If you use tweezers to pull hair, throw them away until you have more control over your condition.
Keep your nails short, or go the other way and get a regular acrylic manicure with long nails. Both techniques make hair hard to grip.
Wear wigs or try hair replacement. They make it harder to pull your own hair, and make you more aware of what you’re doing. You can wear bandanas anywhere, even to bed if you pull at night.
Wear bead bracelets to make you more aware of your hands. They come in men’s or women’s styles.
Things That Feel Like Pulling – but Aren’t
Try running your fingers through your pets’ fur, or buy some cheap paint brushes and pull those hairs instead of your own. You could also pull the feathers out of an old feather pillow, or unravel a worn-out sweater.
At Transitions of Wisconsin, we want to help you find the comfort that comes with looking and feeling like yourself. We will create a wig for you that is exactly what you want. If you’re suffering from Trichotillomania, we’ll find a solution that fits you perfectly. If you’re interested in scheduling a free consultation, contact us today!
Sources:
https://www.bfrb.org/learn-about-bfrbs/treatment/self-help/104-50-ways-to-stop-pulling-your-hair
https://www.buzzfeed.com/annaborges/trich-tips?utm_term=.fmeg0ZOg6#.iaoy6E1yL
https://www.bfrb.org/find-help-support/find-a-support-group