Hi all,
I’m thinking of using this app to help me with my hair pulling. I have anxiety, ASD and a history of depression, and have been pulling hair from my eyebrows and head for about ten years. I’ve quit before with varied success, but never using an app or any kind of online support group. Just wondering if anyone on these forums also has this problem? I know it’s not an addiction per se but is a form of OCD and a vice I use when life gets hard.
Love to all xx
I have dermatillomania and it’s gotten much worse/harder to control since I quit drinking. So I’m also curious to hear suggestions on how people cope with anxiety/OCD. I do find that it is getting easier as time passes to interrupt myself and ask myself what am I feeling, what can I do about it. I’m wondering if creating rituals or habits that can create a periodic interruption or reminder to slow down would help. Still working on ways to make this happen.
Dermatillomaniac here, I’ve gotten better with years but still suffer from it.
Yes. Been pulling hair from the top of my head since I was 10 and I’m 25 now. I’ve recently started noticing baldness on the top of my head so I had to stop but it’s really hard. I find what really helps is fear and vanity. Not the most positive motivators but whatever works right? You’re not alone!
Hi there!
@Hope91, I’m 27 and can’t remember since when I’m suffering with trich. Actually, despite pulling my hair off since when I was a child, only today I recognized myself as someone who has a problem, and only due to my life-partner support.
Contrarily to your history, I’ve never suffered from anxiety or depression, but I guess that I have an issue about dermatillomania too.
I’ve started using this app in order to get more aware of my movements and trying to get rid of, or at least replacing, this constant automatic repetitive habit.
Hope you doing well! 
Ps. Sorry if my English is not soo good, I’m Brazilian and consequently not an English native speaker.
My 14 year old daughter does this (mostly her eyebrows) so I would LOVE to hear advice on how to help her.
I have dermatillomania, and like @BattleMage, it’s gotten worse since I quit drinking. I just added a tracker to break the habit and haven’t even made it five minutes yet. It’s an unconscious soothing behavior for my anxiety that I’ve used since I can remember, but I think it’s gotten worse in recent years. I notice I feel itchy and then get the urge to pick at any bumps on my skin. I’ve heard fidget toys can be a good replacement for the behavior, but I haven’t tried them myself. The one I heard about wasn’t a fidget spinner, though that may work.
I have trichotillomania since 15, and it’s already 10 years. Every time when I want to stop, it feels itchy and uncomfortable like quiting drugs and alcohol…Besides, what really makes me frustrated is I will EAT all the pulled hair, even when I am wearing a wig!!!
Yes I do. I absolutely hate it. I’ve been on a bender for a while now and can’t seem to stop.
I’ll definitely check in here if you keep posting on this thread.
I know you already know this, but eating your hair can actually have serious consequences 
Yes I know. That’s why I’m trying to use Sober to break this annoying habit. Honestly, can’t achieve even 1 day goal, but I will keep trying 
Well I am here if you want to check in daily with me on this thread, I’ll always respond, every day.
Maybe we could get something to keep our hands occupied.
I read in an article recently about a woman that died from doing this-eating her hair. I don’t have the eating issue, as I have an actual phobia with lose hair, especially anywhere near my mouth.
I’ve been keeping my hair in a bun and putting lotion on my hands to keep me from touching it. Putting it in a lose but tight bun will keep any lose ends from coming out but won’t damage the hair more.
I don’t deal with trichotilomania, but I have dealt with dermatilomania since I was a little girl. I sure do understand those OCD spectrum behaviors; my fingers regularly bleed. Far worse when I am feeling anxious.
I’ve never heard that expression, but I’ve dealt with the "skin picking disorder’ since I can think of, my fingers arw bleeding regularely as well … could be the same thing? This obsession of mine seems to go hand in hand with my social anxiety and the stress of early sobriety made it worse 
anyways, this is a habit I tried to quit for years … I’m ready to give it another go!
That’s exactly it, @pixie. For me, it’s usually my cuticles on my fingers and toes. Sometimes worse than that. It’s maddening and embarrassing- and I would love to be free of it.
Oh man, I can really relate. It’s not like I’m intentionally trying to hurt myself, but I end up picking all the skin surrounding my nails. I’m also really embarrassesd about how my fingers look like and tend to hide them in my pockets 
I’m very selfconscious about it, but can’t seem to handle stress without picking my skin 
I have to sanitize my hands all the time at work - that really burns on scratched up skin, so annoying … so let’s beat this! We can do it! 
I am also affected. It’s so nice to hear that I’m not alone. It is (as probably with every addiction) super exhausting to stop and I used to have the feeling that it was useless. Only therapy and the right partner really helped me.
Trichotillomania occurs so early in most cases I’ve heard of…
@joy_555 It’s incredibly powerful to shave your hair completely. So brave! I would never have dared to do that even though I have no experience with trich on the scalp.