People have tried many things to help them stop pulling. Some things work for some people. This includes taking MSM as a supplement - helps hair grow and for some it has taken away the urge to pull. Same with NAC - N Acetyl cysteine - you need to take vitamin C with NAC or else it can be hard on the kidneys. Inositol helps hair grow and is known to help some stop pulling. Psychotherapy could help. And joining this forum is a step in the right direction, and finding some friends on here you can relate to and message with. Eliminating or reducing stress / anxiety , getting enough sleep, and eating healthy are all important. Caffeine, sugar, etc are known to be triggers for many. I started pulling from the scalp at about 9 yrs of age - stress / anxiety and trauma were the main cause. I quit pulling off and on for long intervals, and to the point that it was years in between pulling. However, the last 11 yrs have been hard for me, with going back to pulling again, with brief spells of no pulling. Keep coming to the forum, read others' posts, and maybe you could start a journal for yourself, either here or privately at home. Keep researching and learning.

Hello :) I had suffered with trichotillomania for 16 years. My best advice to deal with it is to picture yourself with a full head of hair being able to do whatever you want without having to cover up your bald spots. Trichotillomania is so frustrating and embarrassing and it's so hard to stop because it feels so amazing. I would set a timer to 5 minute every time you feel the urge to pull your hair out. I used to snap a rubber band against my wrist while I pictured myself pulling out my hair without actually pulling it out and I would kind just ride out the urge. I would start finding pictures of hairstyles you'd love and focus on that. I used to use this product called great hair day by Joan rivers. It can be found on qvc.com. It's about 25 dollars. It's powder that clings to the tiniest hairs and it covers up bald spots. It got me through my most embarrassing hair days and gave me confidence. I recently found something even better though !!! I work for a company called It Works and we sell this product called "hair skin and nails" the results are so amazing. I wish I knew about it during my grammar school and High school days. It would have been a life saver.

Check out my website!!!

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Hoping this helps!!!!

Hi. Just wanted to say this is the first time I saw this here and was even aware this was a "thing"! I used to twiddle my hair as a teen when I was mentally trying to figure something out. Now a middle-aged adult saddled with financial stress that I can't seem to figure a way out of, I've been ripping the hair out of my scalp in clumps on and off for the better part of a decade!

No idea if this will help but everytime I feel the urge to pull, I find the hair/area of hair on my head that I want to pull and trace up the hair to my head, then gently press on the spot where the hair meets the scalp, sometimes closing my eyes and concentrating on holding my finger still. It allows me to both control what my hands are doing, preventing me from pulling, and placing my finger there also reduces my focus on wanting to pull. It looks a bit weird sometimes, especially when it's my eyelashes as it looks like I am poking myself in the eye for no reason, but I haven't pulled any hairs in 2 years. Thought I'd share in case this is any use and I hope you find something that helps you.

Hello, I've been pulling out hairs for a long time. I think for about 10 years. I started with my eyelashes went to my eyebrows then move on the the public hairs. It's become so embarrassing and wish I could. I really decided to get motivatation to see what was out there to help. I've been searching and learning but I'm a horrible pill taker. It there any natural ways I can go. I've also been low on money lately. So something cheap-ish. Please help me feel better about my looks and self-esteem.

Hey there! I have known about my trich for years. It used to be a joke in my family that I could not keep my hands away from my hair and that I was obsessive with how my hair looked. This was me trying to have control over something that I truly had zero control over. You mentioned that you are 20 years old, are you in college? My college counseling clinic is the place that seriously saved my life. I was able to have unlimited 1:1 services with a licensed psychologist, all paid for by my tuition and student fees. The psychologist and I worked on behavior modification therapy. I had to admit to the behavior that I was doing and then I had to find a healthy alternative to the behavior (which was hair pulling). The reason I reached out and received counseling services was because I couldn't function in my day-to-day life. I worked in a hotel and I would catch myself for 20-30 minutes at a time, zoned out and pulling. I swam at the Division 2 level and the stress that came with that made the urge to pull so much greater. After my psychologist and I made a plan, I took the leap and I reached out to those who were closest to me: my coach, friends and family members. It was one of the hardest conversations I have ever had with all of those people. But, when I had that conversation, they were not judgmental they only wanted to help. They were curious, and that was okay. I printed out a trich fact sheet for each person so it was somewhat easier for them to understand.

What I am trying to get to with this lengthy post is that help can sometimes turn up at the most random times / place. I never thought that my college campus would have saved my sanity. I never would have thought that I would become comfortable sharing my struggles of trich with my whole team. My suggestion is to start writing down instances when you pull. Write down the day and the time and then follow it up with: what were you doing before you started pulling? what were you thinking during pulling? and what did you feel after? Carry this with you everywhere so you can document no matter where you are. This can help you find triggers. For me, grocery shopping and college classes were my two biggest triggers. With this awareness you can do things to prepare yourself. You can do deep breathing in the car before you go into the grocery store. You can bring snack to class to keep your hands occupied. You will be able to learn what works best for you. Everyone is different. There is no one treatment for trich.