There is an irresistible urge to remove hair from the body.People with trichotillomania may go to great lengths to hide their hair pulling.The majority of sufferers of trichotillomania are female, with around one percent of the general adult population meeting the diagnostic criteria.Some people start pulling their hair earlier or later than others.Depression and hair pulling can result in impairment of functioning in social and work situations.It is a condition that can be treated with great success.
Step 1: You should keep a record of when you pull your hair.
Take a look at what situations cause you to pull hair.Do you only do it when you're depressed?Are you angry?Confused?Are you frustrated?Understanding what causes hair pulling can help you find more positive ways to deal with it.Carrying bags with pulled hair in them will help you understand how much hair is being pulled out.Every time you pull your hair, write it down.As well as your feelings, document what happened just prior to the hair pulling.The time of day is important.
Step 2: Take note of how you feel when you pull your hair.
Pin down what could be reinforcing the behavior when learning the triggers.The hair pulling is reinforced by the feelings of relief if you pull hair when you are anxious.Take a look at how you feel after pulling your hair.If you know this, you can try to find another strategy that will bring you relief when you feel anxious, instead of hair pulling.There are three different phases for sufferers of trichotillomania.Some sufferers don't go through all three phases.There are at least one or more of these phases that you may experience.2.You pull out hair.It feels great, like a sense of relief and excitement.3.You might feel bad after the hair is pulled.You could try to cover the bald patches with scarves, hats, wigs, etc.When the bald patches become obvious to everyone, you start hiding.You could start to feel humiliated.
Step 3: Take a look at the hair that you are pulling.
Are you pulling hair because you don't like certain hair types?One way to work on this is to re-frame your perception of grey hairs, because one person might pull hair when they find them because they don't like grey hair and all greys must go.All hair serves a purpose.Changing your thought patterns can help reduce the urge to pull.
Step 4: Take your childhood influences into account.
Genetic or environmental causes could be the initial cause of trichotillomania.There are similarities between the causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder and chaotic, distressing childhood experiences or disturbed early relationships with parents or care-givers.A study shows that over two-thirds of sufferers have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives, and a fifth have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.It has led to speculation that it is a form of self-soothing for some sufferers.
Step 5: Take a look at your family history.
Do you have a family history of hair pulling, obsessive compulsive disorder, or anxiety disorders?If you have a family history of this disorder, you are more likely to develop it.
Step 6: A plan is needed to stop yourself.
One strategy that may help you stop pulling your hair is the "Notice, Interrupt, and Choose Plan".When you feel like pulling your hair, you need to interrupt the chain of feelings and listen to the positive reminders in your head.You can choose to do something that will calm you and relax you.
Step 7: A journal is a good way to keep track of hair pulling episodes.
You can get a good idea of the times through writing.You can record the date, time, location, and number of hairs you pull.At the time, write down your thoughts and feelings.This is a good way of getting the shame out, and of expressing how the hair pulling is impacting your life in general.When you tally up the amount of hair you've pulled out, this can serve as a reality check on how much hair is being removed; is the result surprising to you?Was the amount of time spent on it more than you thought?
Step 8: You can choose an alternative way to express yourself.
Write a list of alternative behaviors you can do instead of hair pulling once you have identified the warning signs.It should be easy to access and do whatever the alternative behavior is.Taking a few minutes to clear your mind is one of the suggestions for alternative ways of expressing your emotions.Listening to music that relates to your emotions, calling a friend, and playing video games are some of the things you can do.Stretching.
Step 9: It's possible to make yourself stop with a physical reminder.
If you accidentally pull your hair, you may need a physical reminder to stop.If you want to discourage pulling, consider wearing ankle weights on the arm that pulls.A barrier to pulling can be helped by finger covers and acrylic nails.Post-It notes may be placed in areas where you pull your hair a lot.These can be physical reminders to stop.
Step 10: You should distance yourself from your emotions.
You may be able to reduce some of your exposure if you eliminate all of thetriggers that make you pull your hair.Is your girlfriend to blame for most of your episodes?Maybe it's time to rethink your relationship.Is it your boss who is causing this stress?Maybe it's time to find a new career.For some, change of schools, abuse, newly realized sexuality, family conflict, the death of a parent, or even pubertal hormonal changes are behind hair pulling.It's not easy to get away from thesetriggers.Continue to work on self-acceptance, retraining your habits and getting social support if you can't get away from a Trigger for any of the above reasons.
Step 11: It's a good idea to reduce itching or strange feelings on your head.
Use an all-natural oil to soothe the follicles and reduce itching, but more importantly to modify behavior from picking and pulling to stroking and rubbing.Make sure to use all natural products, such as a mix of essential oils and castor oil.During Habit Reversal Training with your therapist, try a cooling or numbing hair product.You can reduce your hair pulling behavior with training, patience, and practice.Some prescription numbing creams are not safe to use on your head.There are new cooling hair products that are also safe to use on the eyebrows.If you have a "itchy" or "urge" to pull hair, this may be useful.In a case study of a 16-year-old girl, it was found that temporary use of numbing cream in combination with therapy was successful in eliminating hair pulling behaviors.
Step 12: In the moment, be present.
Hair pulling can be a result of a refusal to sit and be present.As a natural part of the human experience, you can useMindfulness techniques to help you become more accepting of these negative or uncomfortable emotions.They don't need to be avoided.Hair pulling will decrease when the urge to avoid discomfort abates.If you want to do a meditation exercise, sit in a quiet spot.Take deep breaths.Hold for a count of four, breathe in and exhale.Your mind will wander as you continue to breathe.Allow these thoughts to go without judgement.Return your focus to your breath.
Step 13: Your self-esteem will increase as you build it.
Many people who are affected by this disorder have low self-esteem.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be used to build self-esteem.This approach can help clarify an individual's values.Recovery involves building self-esteem.You are a wonderful person.Your life is precious and you are loved.You should love yourself no matter what anyone tells you.
Step 14: Negative thoughts should be replaced with positive ones.
Negative thoughts about yourself can make you feel like pulling your hair.Negative thinking will make you feel as though you are not enough.To build yourself up and increase your confidence, start changing your mental habits.If you have a thought like, "I don't have anything interesting to say, so I can see why people think I'm pathetic," you can change it.It is okay if I don't have much to say.Replacing critical thoughts with productive thoughts is what I don't have to keep others entertained or take on the entire responsibility for this conversation.There is no way I am going to meet everyone for dinner.I was embarrassed when I went last time.I was embarrassed at the last dinner, but I know that I make mistakes and that is okay.I'm not stupid.You will notice that your self-esteem will increase as you practice catching these thoughts and changing them.
Step 15: Take a moment to write down your strengths and accomplishments.
Writing down a list of your strengths and accomplishments is another way to improve your self-esteem.Refer to this frequently.Talk to a trusted friend or family member if you are having trouble coming up with a list.The person can come up with some ideas.For this list, no accomplishment is too small.Continue to add to the list.
Step 16: Communication with others should be assertive.
Better self-assertion techniques can help you overcome situations in which you feel challenged.Learn to say no.Say no to people who are making requests of you that you don't want to fulfill.Do not be a people pleaser.Things shouldn't be done just to get someone else's approval.Do you know what is important to you?Ask what you want.Use "I" statements.You can convey responsibility for your own emotions and reactions with these types of statements.You can say, instead of saying, "You never listen to me," "I feel ignored when you are looking at your phone when we talk."
Step 17: Some of your stress sources should be eliminated.
Stress can cause sufferers to want to pull hair.Do anything you can to reduce stress in your life and learn how to deal with stress better.List the things that make you stressed out.These can be large things, such as money or work, or small things like long lines at the grocery store.You can minimize your exposure to things that cause you stress.
Step 18: Relax your muscles.
It is possible to reduce stress by using progressive muscle relaxation.This type of relaxation sends a signal to your body to relax.By slowing down and releasing the tension in your muscles, you can bring your body back to a calm state.Release your muscles for six seconds.Keep an eye on how each muscle relaxes.Work from your head to your toes until you feel better.
Step 19: Try not to think.
Reducing stress can be done with meditation.A regular meditation regimen, even 10 minutes a day, can help clear your head and refocus your energy into a positive space.If you want to meditate, sit or lie down.Take slow breaths as you begin breathing deeply.Guided visualization allows you to imagine a calm place such as a beach, a rippling creek, or a woodsy area.
Step 20: Get enough sleep.
If you don't have a regular sleep pattern, you're not getting enough sleep.Try to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep a night.If you can't fall asleep, listen to some soft music.Before you go to sleep, stop using any screen devices.
Step 21: Try to exercise.
A regular exercise regimen can help reduce stress.Your body will make you feel more positive.It is not necessary to pound the pavement for an hour every day.It is possible to participate in exercising that you enjoy.This could include yoga, martial arts, or other activities.Gardeners give you an energy boost.
Step 22: Talk to a friend or family member.
Tell someone you trust about your problem.Write a letter or e-mail if you can't talk about it in public.Talk to this person about your feelings if you are afraid of talking about this disease.You could tell your friends and family what triggered you.When you are at risk of pulling your hair, they can remind you.They can help you find a different behavior.When you engage in a healthy alternative to hair pulling, ask your friends and family to give you positive reinforcement.
Step 23: You should talk to a mental health professional.
You can get help from a counselor or therapist.If you have depression or other problems that may be contributing to your self-injury, this person can help.If you feel like you aren't being helped when you visit a counselor or therapist, look for another one.You aren't chained to a single doctor or counselor.It is important to find someone who can help you.Behavioral therapy, including habit-reversal training, may be of benefit to you.
Step 24: Discuss your medication with your doctor.
Several drugs have been shown to be effective in treating the disorder.Fluoxetine, Aripiprazole, Olanzapine, and Risperidone have been used to treat cases of trichotillomania.The drugs help regulate the chemicals in the brain to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other emotions that can cause hair pulling.
Step 25: You can consult a support group online or by phone.
You can access other sources if you don't have immediate access to counseling.There are online support groups at the Trichotillomania Learning Center.You can get a free support hotline from Seven Counties Services, Inc.The number is unlisted.
Step 26: There are certain actions or reactions that signal this disorder.
Along the lines of pathological gambling and pyromania, trichotillomania is classified as an impulse control disorder.When hair pulls, you may act or react in certain ways.These could include chewing or eating hair.Pull hair out of your face or lips.An increasing sense of tension before pulling out hair.Pulling out hair feels good.This is called hair pulling without even noticing.Knowing that you are pulling hair.Tweezers are used to pull out hair.
Step 27: There are physical signs of this disorder.
There are some symptoms that a person may be suffering from.Hair loss can be caused by recurrent pulling out of the hair.There are patches of bald areas on the body.Sparse or missing eyebrows.There are hair follicles.
Step 28: If you have other body issues, observe them.
Hair pullers may find that they nail bite, thumb suck, head bang, and pick at their skin.You should keep a record of these types of behaviors for several days.How often do you do them and when?
Step 29: Do you have other disorders?
Do you know if the only disorder affecting you is trichotillomania?Depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette's disorder are some of the disorders Compulsive hair pullers may suffer from.It is possible to determine if you have other disorders by visiting your doctor or mental health professional.It is difficult to say which disorder is causing which.Is the loss of hair causing the depression because you feel bad about yourself?Treatment for any co-existing disorders is necessary for successful recovery from Trichotillomania.
Step 30: Talk to your doctor if you have hair loss.
Someone who believes she suffers from Trichotillomania should be examined by a qualified doctor to rule out other hair follicle disorders.Alopecia or tinea capitis can cause hair loss.A doctor will look for evidence of hair problems when he examines you.
Step 31: It's time to recognize that trichotillomania is a disorder.
The first thing to know is that this can be treated, it's just a disorder.Genetics, moods, and background all contribute to the disorder.It's a condition that needs to be treated, not something to beat yourself up over.There are differences in the brain of people with and without trichotillomania.
Step 32: This disorder is a form of self-destructive behavior.
Even though it isn't talked about as much as other forms of self-injury, trichotillomania can be considered a form of suicide.Like all forms of self-destructive behavior, trichotillomania can become addictive.It's best to bring it under control as soon as possible because it becomes harder and harder to stop with time.