I'll have to look into getting tangles. Right now I just put a hair clamp on my two fingers while watching films on the TV- (Sometimes too tight). It seems that is the one place I like to pull! So frustrating!!

I'm happy to hear you are doing so well-congrats!!

I was going really well! Most of my hair was growing back. However I've been really stressed with revision and applying to uni and my work load has been huge. As you can imagine this has had a effect on my hair and I'm getting a few thin patches again. I've noticed I only seem to be pulling from the left side of the top of my head. Have to try to find out why that is!

Ugh that's where I'm pulling at the moment too. Booo. In times of great stress I find I need barriers. Bandaids, hats, head scarves, wet hair, whatever! I'm rocking bandaids right now as my stress levels are up there.

Ha ha ha ha everybody's stress levels are so up there right now! Boooooo. Why can't we all live on farms or tropical islands and not have to worry about modern living......

How are things going? I hope you are staying strong!

I've started pulling from the sides of my head for the first time, not sure if that's good or not. It's easier to cover it up but it's still not great. Though for the first time I found a headscarf helping as for some reason I had an urge to pull from one particular spot on the side of my head as it feels different to to the top but I was wearing my Buff as a headscarf at the time and I just kept finding my hand going to that spot and pulling at the headscarf. So that was interesting

yeah i recently started pulling from the right side of my head for the first time, it used to always be from the left.

headscarfs and hats have never really worked for me because i would just pull around them.... ugh!

How about trying some aloe vera gel or olive oil on the new areas in question? This will make pulling and grooming behaviors a bit more difficult. Then tie up the rest of the hair in a scarf for the day. The oil or gel will condition the hair and stimulate growth as well as stop you from pulling. Trying new things is always a good idea as well as switching up all your comfortable places where you tend to pull in the house. Find things to do out in public so you won't pull, exercise, find time for relaxation techniques, or take an art class in your area to create something with your hands. Keeping busy is the best revenge to stay pf....Hugs!

I tried covering all my hair with a headscarf and I kept finding myself pulling on the scarf. I couldn't get hold of any hair and I couldn't stop pulling on it and I was getting so frustated trying to pull it while being unable and it was stressing me out. I just wanted to take off the scarf and pull. I have really been pulling again and I can't find the willpower to stop, I have so much to do and I'm so stressed. I just don't want to focus on not pulling but I can see the bald spots reappearing.

Maybe you could try a different barrier, such as a hat or bandaids on your fingers, or wetting your hair. It takes time to find barriers that work for you, so keep trying different options and don't give up!

Maybe you just need to pull now while you are stressed, and then when you enter a not-so-stressful time, aim to try to cut down on the pulling? If you have in this cycle of pulling right now, I can understand how it may seem like waaaaay too overwhelming to try to break that cycle right away... especially if you have a lot to do and stressed. One thing that helps me is not trying to use barriers or to be pull free, but to make sure I ***COUNT**** every hair I pull out using a cell phone app. This means I'm not trying to "fight" against the pulling or hating myself for lacking willpower for not trying to stop, but I am just observing and tracking the behavior.

In short, don't feel like you have to focus on "not pulling." Just try to count the number of hairs you pull out. anyway, that was one strategy that recently worked for me!

Sometime it is just really hard. It was definitely one of those times for me lately. I don't know. Just keep trying, and know that some motivation is just around the corner. I find the easier barrier (but only if you're at home) is washing your hair. You could also try a leave in conditioner all night, or an oil treatment all night. Just keep trying, but without putting too much pressure on yourself. Accept that it's hard now but that it will get easier at some point, maybe soon.

sending hugs your way! sometimes its just way harder than other times, but keep your spirits high :)
it'l get easier, and during a time when you're less stressed, you'll be able to make more headway with beating it

Curbing your exposure to and absorption of the negative energy and negative thoughts that come at all of us through the local, national, and world news. Towards this end:
*Watch the evening news for no more than thirty minutes- Or not at all..read a newspaper where you have the control.
*Turn off cell and technology during meals and creating at least one twenty minute free zone daily.
*As much as possible, stay away from people who don't bring you joy. To my mind, negative people can do as much damage to us as spending a week listening to nothing but bad news from around the world.

Start building stillness into each day. Schedule two stop-everything-you're-doing ten-minute breaks at work, or daily routine at home with the following:
*Prepare a cup of tea and drink it while visualizing a beautiful place where you feel at peace.
*Get out of the office or home to walk around the block, inhaling the "good" air and exhaling the "bad."
*Go off by yourself and listen to some soothing music, or better still, take a walk and listen to the sounds of nature.
Helping yourself find relaxing nourishing things for your body and mind goes along way in stopping the triggers that contribute to pulling. Hugs.

So been a while. Updates: the top of my hair is a lot better- the front is a little thin but people don't really notice. There is some serious damage to the underside of the sides of my hair where I keep pulling clumps from- it feels like I can constantly feel something isn't right there and like there is a tiny voice telling me to pull from there but most of the time I can ignore it but I've been spending more time then I'd like looking and cataloging my hair. The actual pulling has improved though, I can now go a day without pulling but then a couple of days later I go into a pulling frenzy. But things are fairly good, but I'm getting more urges.

I've also been on the local news talking about my condition and am talking on my 2nd local radio station about it tomorrow so that's cool. I've been working with fixers to make a website and a fb page and things like that to raise awareness and provide support for people/young people with trich and their friends and family. I met other trichsters for the first time which was cool! I'm 18 tomorrow as well which is quite exciting... not that I'll do anything different (I don't drink or anything). I have to revise constantly and I won't see anyone and am celebrating my birthday a month late after my exams but oh well.