BlondiePA

BlondiePA's Pull Free A Thon

Posted on 06/24/08, 10:59 pm

Hey Everyone,
I have been battling Trich for the last fourteen years and am finding it harder than ever to control my urge to pull. I pull my head hair, eyebrows and lashes, and although I have had short stints without pulling, I am struggling with this disorder.
I was advised to check out this discussion board from another member of your group who has experienced success from the support and knowledge she has gained from this site. I am hoping to follow in her footsteps and break this vicious cycle I have become trapped in.
Trying to kick trich!

• Reply #1 06/25/08  12:26am
  
  bballv
  i'm not a great one for advice because i struggle with my pull-free-a-thon as it is...but i can offer you all the support in the world. i have no doubt that one day all of us on this site will be pull-free
  
  my best advice: learn your triggers, become aware of when your hands wander up to those eyelashes/brows/scalp hair. is it more often when you are stressed? when you are sad? when you feel rushed? when you're doing nothing at all...like watching TV and not noticing that you are pulling? is it after you eat a lot...or eat a certain food?
  
  i have found that when i am really tired, i tend to pull. for example, when i'm on the computer wasting time because i'm too tired to get ready for bed. if you are in the same boat, stop!! just go get ready for bed, hit the sheets, and throw on an eye mask. i'm telling you that you will save tons of hairs just by doing that. well good luck. i'll check back with you to see how you are doing. the first step is seeking help and look where you are!! haha. crzychick is an awesome founder of this group and you can get a lot of helpful hints from her!
  
  good luck!
• Reply #2 06/25/08  2:29pm
  
  BlondiePA
  Today I am doing "ok" with the pulling. I pulled one head hair out so far, but at least I was able to stop after one rather than continue my search for the next hair.
  I def. find that I pull when I am stressed, tired, bored, irritable, sad, or angry. I pull for relief but have been working on finding another more productive way to blow off steam.
  I can relate to pulling when I am on the computer and I also am in the habit of surfing the web before bed....dangerous! I will work on going to bed when I am over tired and also on wearing an eyemask (it sounds like a good suggestion). I have trouble sleeping too, so perhaps the mask may help with that issue as well.
  I am excited to be a part of this group and feel so thankful that forums like this even exist. When I first started pulling there was not much on-line about Trich. It is so great that now there is more information available to people. Thank god for technology!
• Reply #3 06/26/08  10:09pm
  
  BlondiePA
  I am so pissed! Today was an AWFUL pulling day. I must have pulled some 20 hairs out. My hair was down, since I had just showered and blow dryed my hair and I was alone in my room reading my e-mails. Before long, I was petting those new hairs and major damage was done. My best friend is getting married in two weeks and I am the maid of honor. I am so upset because I feel like shit about myself. It is hard to feel attractive when you are so concerned about hiding your bald spots. Oh, and did I mention I am required to get my hair and makeup done??? It is my own worst nightmare. All of my insecurities will surface for the big day. I am already having anxiety about being browless, lashless and bald in front of all of these girls. UGH
  Down in the dumps....PA
  ps-bbally...good job being pull free for one whole day, perhaps soon I will join you in your streak!
• Reply #4 06/27/08  1:34am
  
  bballv
  okay here's my advice. i always worried about this before getting ready for homecomings and such. i don't pull my scalp hair so i don't have much advice for you there. but i can say, on that day, wash your face, throw some lotion on and then pencil in your eyebrows anyways. if they ask to wash your face for you, tell them that your skin is easily irritated by different soaps...that it is already cleaned and ready for application. also, if you normally wear false lashes, put them on anyways. they can work around the make=up you already have on. remember that those people are there to work with you, not to demand what they want you to have on your face. wear what your normally wear, but just come with the rest of your face clean! don't stress tooo much. i say take a little time tm to pamper yourself. put a face mask on, make some popcorn, and watch ur fav movie...anything to get your spirits up. also, if the bride is aware of your struggle with trich, she can offer advice as well, and maybe not MAKE you get the make-up done or the hair ya know! and for the hair, the only thing i can think of would be to say you want a right side up do or a left side twist up-do so that she pulls all the hair to whichever side you pick and it covers up the bald spots on the side of your head that is worse...wow did that make any sense at all?? haha i can picture it in my head, but not sure how to describe it. kinda like the picture on the right in the first set of pics on this site: http://www.latest-hairstyles.com/p...
  
  you could have her go to the side and tease to cover up any spots.
  hope that helped
  
  keep your head up!
• Reply #5 06/27/08  6:19pm
  
  crzychick
  How many would you have normally pulled? Is 20 a lot less? If so then you are gaining control!!!!
  
  The area you pulled from is it causing a noticeable thin area? Where is it? Does the bride have a style she wants everyone to wear that is the same or just similar? If you know the style you could go to your reg. hairdresser and see if the style can still be done or modified enough to look close. Wear it to the brides house and show it to her for her approval. Tell her that you feel that you look better in this new style (if it's the modified one) that it fits your face better. If she approves then just have your hairdresser do it for you the morning of the wedding. Then go in like Bballv said to get the makeup done.
• Reply #6 06/27/08  11:25pm
  
  shebepo
  Wow! I love all this practical advice! I hope some of it comes in handy. It sounds like that mangy dog trich knows his time is limited so he's waging an all out attack to stay on top and make you feel powerless. Don't let yourself get discouraged. There is a way out of the nightmare of trich! Just believe it! I speak from the nightmare of my own experience and I am (was) a brow and scalp and pubic hair puller. If I can do it so can you! I am as nervous a person as it's possible to be and stay bored pretty much all the time.
  I've found that giving myself a small reward got me through that first rough few days and then into the first few weeks. Have you tried something like that?
  Also try keeping something for your hands to do near you at all times to ease the hardship of not allowing yourself to pull. I find that works wonders!
  The important thing is to stay aware of triggers and be watchfull all the time.
  You can do it! !
  
• Reply #7 06/28/08  1:20am
  
  BlondiePA
  After a rocky road yesterday, I am proud to report that today I did NOT pull all day! I am really happy with myself, which is rare, because I have not been having a good week, and my mood greatly influences my tendency to pull. Fortunately, I was able to drag myself out of the house and keep busy. I even treated myself to a manicure and I got a rather obnoxious color painted on my nails to send the message to my brain to STOP before I wander with my fingers. I will let you know if this approach helps at all, but either way I figured that it was worth a shot.
  
  
• Reply #8 06/28/08  1:27am
  
  BlondiePA
  Did I mention that I really appreciate all of the advice you guys gave me on the wedding? I plan to pre-select a hairstyle so that I can cover my spots and I also will wear my brows to the make-up artist's studio so that I feel more comfortable. I do think that the stress of this event is making the pulling worse not better. When I think that all eyes will be on me when I walk down the isle I feel sick to my stomach. Don't get me wrong I am not a quiet or shy individual but the Trich has surfaced all of my insecurities.
• Reply #9 06/28/08  1:29am
  
  Blumoray
  I'm so glad that you had a good day :) Manicures are so nice to get, unless your mother is your manicurist then it's sadistic (in my case, lol). Congratulaions on your pull free day...one day down, many more to come.
  
  You should be happy with yourself...and not just for the pull free days. I've come to see that you are a very caring person, one who is full of support and the ability to make someone feel better with just a short comment on their journal. I commend you for that, because I've been known to be a bit awnry, alright, alot awnry, but whenever you post in my journal or any support it makes me smile.
  
  We just need to figure out how to turn that abundance of support and caring back into yourself. I know you can do this and you're certainly on the right road. Thank you again for all of your support. And here's to another great day tomorrow :)
  
  ~Blu
• Reply #10 06/28/08  11:21am
  
  BlondiePA
  I do feel great and am proud of myself. I thank you girls for the awesome words of wisdom and support.
  Blu, thanks for saying such nice things about me. I try to be supportive, but at times I am a better advocate for other people than I am for myself. You know the saying, "I am my own worst enemy?" Well, that is the story of my life! I am working on myself and I am aware that it is a lifelong process. I am quite certain that up until the day I die I will always be trying to better myself because we all are works in progress.

You mean that there is a name for IT? Im not weird? Oh what a relief. This board is for people that are serious about learning all they can about Trichotillomania. Yep that big old long word that is the bane of our world. Trich is tricky. But with knowledge and support of others we CAN break free and live without this disorder interfering with our lives. So lets keep this uplifting and supportive and give each other the encouragement the other needs to make it to that next day.