anyone else obsessively pick at their skin / pull out their hair? (dermatillomania & trichotillomania) i just had an episode of both and i’m so tired of it like i want to stop but i can’t 😭

Just pulled a piece of my hair out right now before reading your post. I didn’t know that was a thing. I just assumed it was a bad habit.

I’m 30 and I really struggle with trich. And skin picking as well. I have gone thru really bad anxiety episodes where I pull my hair and have to cover it up by wearing head scarves or hats. It is very frustrating. There are periods of time where I let it grow back bc of the guilt/ shame I feel for pulling in the first place. However, its not really something I feel I can control. Working with an ocd specialist and a trichotillomania specialist has helped me find some coping skills to help with it, but it is definitely a subtype of OCD and has its challenges. I have found some of the best suggestions given to me are to get a fidget toy that has a similar texture to hair(I bought “monkey noodles” on Amazon), wear cotton gloves in situations where I am most likely to pull/pick, or to put hair gel, water, or even numbing gel on scalp to change hair texture or numb the scalp( bc pulling is very much a sensory compulsion, my therapist said this would help). Let me know if you have any suggestions or coping tools you use to help avoid pulling. Struggling with trichotillomania is not an all or nothing thing, I try to think positive thoughts like “progress, not perfection” because there are days I slip and get discouraged or mad at myself for acting on the compulsion.

I am sorry that you guys struggle with this too but am glad we can relate and talk openly about it. If anyone wants to talk about it or needs tips on how to deal with active trichotillomania or helping new hair growth message me bc I have been pulling for 9 years and know of pretty much every option out there for helping to cover bald spots or helping with new hair growth.

Of course! I recently saw a dermatologist who specialized in hair/ scalp issues and she recommended a few things. First, she told me to brush my hair ( or lack of) and to massage my scalp twice a day to get more blood flowing to my scalp which is supposed to help with new growth. She also gave me this hair growth serum( i know there are a ton out there but I personally didnt find rogaine or other over the counter hair growth products to be helpful). I will try to find out the name of it becuase it was specially packaged by their dermatology practice but whatever is in it really has helped with new hair growth. Honestly seeing a dermatology specialist in person who could take a look at my hair situation and make recommendations for me was probably the most helpful thing I have done. New hair growth varies on a case by case basis and one product that may help someone might not be helpful for another person. So I highly recommend finding a dermatologist who is familiar with trichotillomania and other scalp concerns.

I have a sore under my chin and I can't stop picking. I keep wanting to stop too You arent alone

There’s a name for this? I have soo many scars on my body. I pick at my skin absentmindedly sometimes, but even more when I’m anxiously working on an assignment or ruminating. Come to Think of it, it makes sense that there’s a name for something like this lol. Learn something new every day!

I have Trichotillomania... Had it for years but it's gotten really bad the last 6 mos. It controls my life