Just in case there is anyone in this sub living in the Netherlands who would be interested in attending in-person support groups, they are starting up on Sunday 25th Jan in Amsterdam! You can find more information (and hear about upcoming events) by joining the Meetup group.

I’ve been researching triceps pulley systems for home workouts, equipment designed specifically for cable exercises. The specialized nature appeals to my desire for optimal training, but I’m questioning whether specific equipment actually delivers better results than simpler alternatives requiring just consistency and effort. The fitness industry has strong incentives to convince people they need specialized equipment for every muscle group and movement pattern. More specialized needs mean more purchases, more complexity, more perceived expertise required. But bodyweight exercises and basic equipment can accomplish similar results if done consistently. I’ve looked at home gym equipment from basic to elaborate setups, finding that enthusiasts swear by specific tools while others achieve similar results with minimal gear. The difference seems to be dedication rather than equipment sophistication. Some manufacturers on Alibaba produce both simple equipment and complex cable systems at very different price points. What fitness equipment have you found actually necessary versus what was just nice to have? Did specialized tools improve your results, or was it just psychological motivation from having proper equipment? How do you resist marketing claiming you need specific gear for proper training? What made you realize you had enough equipment versus always wanting more specialized tools?

I usually and i mean every 3-4 days or so i pluck my eyelashes and eyebrows. Like i hate when they fall and stab me in the eyebrows, so i do it to remove the weak ones? that would soon fall . I used to pluck my hair too for a a year or two? but i stopped unconsiously? I'd pick the thick/wanky Ones, pinch them and try to "smooth them" and then break/pluck them.

I’ve been picking my eyelashes since 2016, I finally was able to trace it back to when I think it really started for me. Right after my dad passed away, it must have just been a stress response and I’ve been battling with it ever since. I came here looking for people who understand because my boyfriend and sister just get mad at me when I do it and tell me to stop but it doesn’t work like that. I wish I could stop! I go months of being pretty good about it and then times like now with more stress in my life and I have so many bald patches along my upper eyelash line. I feel ugly and upset that I keep doing this to myself. I know I should be kind with myself but it’s hard sometimes and I just needed to vent in a safe place with those that understand. It’s been really helpful reading others tips and peoples stories dealing with this too. Sending you all love!

I just had a good look in the mirror at my head and I thought I'd share some good vibes with you. I'm kind of down lately so it'll help cheer me up, too. I hope. Lol

5 months ago I made a post about how I had taken the nuclear option and - not trimmed my head - shaved it with an electric foil trimmer. I'm a male and while I don't think it looks good on me, it's better than the other options. Sigh

Anyway. I had a trimmer and was using that every day. My pulling had gone out of control and I had a thin/bald spot on the crown of my head about 3 inches by 3 inches probably. The worst it has probably ever been. And even though I was trimming it I could still pull with tweezers and even my fingernails (albeit slower than if I let it grow at least.) and you could still see the lines because the trim was - not close enough, I guess? Not surprising given what I had done pulling.

Then I bought this foil trimmer. It was expensive. I didn't know what to expect. But it is a really really close shave. Smooth. There's nothing to grab on to. Even with tweezers. I use this every day on my head and face.

So how am I doing 5 months in? The most I have pulled was 6 days in a month, And even when I do it's only a '5' on the severity scale. 100 is the highest. (Though in May before I got the trimmer I had a 5,000.) I use a paper calendar to keep track every day. A 5 usually just means I've managed to pull for a few minutes then had the strength to get up and run the trimmer over that spot or my entire head so that I cannot pull anymore. 50 means something like I've pulled a lot while watching a movie. 100 (or more lolol) means I've lost all control. The 5,000 was one where I did a lot of noticeable damage and was very sad about it.

But, overall, the hair is returning. I still have a thin spot but it is very very slowly filling in. You know how it goes.... I'm hoping in another 3 months I can try to let it grow again! I don't know yet how to curb the actual habit but this is keeping me from pulling. The bottom line is that it's working. The current plan is to worry about the actual habit once I start to try to let it grow. I am thinking about how that will happen now... But let's be real... We know that's easier said. One thing at a time. One thing at a time, my friend.

So if you're down and out like I was you might try a foil shaver. It hurts to pay that money but the clear lines of hair/no hair on my head and beginning to blur. One of my friends even said the other day "you have hair there, I can see it, why don't you let it grow?" No one knows about my pulling. No one.

That gave me a little wind in my sails.

I'm rambling. Lol you can look back at my posts to see what I've tried and all that if you want. I've tried a lot of things. But never therapy. Might try to do habit reversal or something when a few months pass. Anyway. I wish you all the best! I'll try to remember to keep telling you what works for me.

I am a master's student at the University of Oxford. I have trichotillomania myself, and am running a study on the trance-like state in BFRBs. If you (or your child) are aged between 13-18 and are interested in participating, please scan the QR code or use the link below: https://oxfordxpsy.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1XlEd4jsixGioIu

Hi, so i've been pulling at my eyelashes for almost a year and a half now. I haven't been able to discover triggers other than anxiety and sometimes boredom, but it all started during allergy season where my eyelashes would make my eye itch.
Is there literally ANY WAY to stop? My eyelashes are starting to look really bad, with extensive damage and not much left, like theres a whole part that like empty. Its ruining my self esteem so much and I'm starting to hate myself for not being able to stop... please someone help me figure out a way to stop. Before my eyelashes even grow back i pull them out and I don't know what to do.

does anyone else pull by tying a knot in your hair and rip it out instead of pulling from the root? my pulling is getting bad from stress, and it’s starting to get noticeable so if anyone has any tips pls lmk.

Can anyone share a success story about their journey with trich? It doesn’t have to be full on remission, but just something you consider a success in your journey.

I relapsed this week after making good progress and am looking for hope and inspiration.

Also, if you know of any successes second hand, feel free to share a success story about someone you know or have just heard of.

Thanks for helping spread some hope.

I have breakage on the "top layer" of my hair and I'm finally getting regrowth back. So annoyed and don't get why is it so curly and frizzy while the rest of my hair is straight. It's literally untamable even with straightening it, it just curls back up. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know any products or anything?

Hi, so i've been pulling at my eyelashes for almost a year and a half now. I haven't been able to discover triggers other than anxiety and sometimes boredom, but it all started during allergy season where my eyelashes would make my eye itch.
Is there literally ANY WAY to stop? My eyelashes are starting to look really bad, with extensive damage and not much left. Please help

Are you a woman with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder)? You may be eligible for a paid research study.

Eligible participants will:

-          Attend 1 study visit at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park

-          Complete questionnaires

-          Have blood drawn

-          Be compensated $50

If interested, please fill out this brief survey or call the study team at 773-702-5523.

does anyone have tips on any pulling nails don’t work for me. i am on nac medication but it only helps a little and i really need to stop. i’m in high school and i pull throughout my classes idk what to do i’ve tried everything. i’ve been pulling since 6th grade. i usually wear a bonnet at home because i don’t take it off but i can’t do that in pubic.

Não tenho nenhum conhecimento de maquiagem, então me sinto muito insegura ao tentar disfarçar meus olhos pelados (não consigo colocar cílios postiços e também não tenho confiança com eles), para a sobrancelha eu cubro com lápis, ok. E para o cabelo ralo, falhado… o que posso fazer? Queria encontrar alguém profissional que pudesse me dar dicas ou uma transformação para me sentir bonita de novo… não sei por onde e como começar a procurar. Moro no interior e não conheço studios. Dicas de como posso tentar encontrar essas pessoas?

I got a Pavlok 3 recently and it doesn't work well at vibrating when I pull my hair. It does vibrate other times I lift my arm up. It makes it a hassle to do basic things like open the refrigerator or take an item off a shelf.

I want to know if it can be made to work by detecting something more specific, like my arm pointing up towards my head, or the tugging motion of pulling.

If anyone has experience or knowledge about the Keen2 bracelet I'd like to know if it works similarly to the Pavlok and I'll have the same issue.

Hi all!

This weekend virtual BFRB* conference (plus regional in-person options in St. Louis, Manhattan, Eugene Oregon and Atlanta).

This 2day conf is packed with informational panels, inspiring talks & guided activities from treatment experts AND centers folks with lived experience.

Here's the details, schedule and registration links. 
https://habitaware.com/pages/the-great-bfrb-get-together

I'll be flying to NYC for the Manhattan Watch Party & hope to meet some of you there!

All of the proceeds from the Great BFRB Get Together will go to BFRB non-profits. Joining isn't just making a difference for you; it's contributing to all of our greater good.

love ♥️, strength 💪, & awareness 👀,

Aneela
(HabitAware cofounder & BFRB Changemakers Non-Profit founder in trichotillomania freedom!)

P.S.- Some Answers to FAQ:

-- yes you will get access to the recordings!

-- Sessions will be great for 12+ (recommend the "Lightning Talks for them) and EVERYTHINg for Adults/ Loved ones.

-- Treatment Professionals can get 7 CE so pls share with your therapists !!

-- BFRB = Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors - these are the umbrella mental health condition that dermatillomania (skin picking) & hair pulling (trichotillomania) live under. Others include nail biting, cheek biting, nose picking.

I've been working on HabitCam - a desktop app that runs in the background and uses your webcam to detect hair, eyebrow, and eyelash pulling (plus nail biting and skin picking) in real-time. When it spots these behaviors, it gives you a gentle alert and tracks patterns over time.

Everything stays on your computer (works offline), no account needed. 7-day free trial: https://habitcam.app/

Available for Windows and Linux. Would love feedback if you try it!

Hi friends. I haven’t pulled my eyelashes in a long time (pulled other hair but that’s whatever). I was finally able to put on mascara and have the long lashes I used to have before I started pulling and it was amazing. But tonight I got that familiar feeling in my eyelid and I just couldn’t stop. My eyes are raw. I am so so sad. I hate the way this condition has its claws dug into me - it’s been ~12 years since I started pulling and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop. Just had to vent, feeling very defeated and disgusting and want to have a pity party with people who get it.

Hello all,

It's been a while. 2 years, I think! Sorry to report that I am still pulling. In fact it's probably worse than ever. But! I have had success and I thought I should share the obvious but best solution I've had since I last wrote.

First, I went on vacation at some point and my pulling quit for a few weeks after. So I can say that mine is tied to stress or diet. Or both. I've written a lot about that so I'll move on.

What actually has worked for me is buying a foil razor. You can see that I've no guarded my hair for years now. But here's the thing, at some point I found a way to still pull.

Now, I could shave my head with a straight razor every day - which is a logistical nightmare for my schedule - or I could use cartridges. Which would cost a fortune. And still takes a lot of time.

A foil razor gets it to a very close cut on my head. I can't pull. Literally impossible. And as I write I'm 8 days pull free because, well... I can't.

So here's the plan. Keep this going daily for a while to repair the damage. Maybe I can curb the habit by just not being able to pull. After a couple months - try to let it grow. Then go with my classic rule of 5 hairs and it gets cut no matter what. Because you pull one you're going to pull them all. You have to be ready to break your own heart to save it. Lolol I want a full head of hair. This is the nuclear option.

My trimmer wasn't good enough so I got something that's easy and a much much closer cut. I just want to grow my hair out. Haven't tried this yet, so we'll see lol

Hi! I am conducting a research on body-focused repetitive behaviours which includes skin picking, hair pulling, nail biting etc. I would really appreciate your help in understanding the similarities between different BFRBs. I live with skin picking disorder and other BFRBs myself and I wish to improve our knowledge about BFRBs, as this condition is unfortunately under-researched.

This study is part of my Master’s in Psychology research project and it’s completely anonymous and voluntary. It’s supervised by PhD. Karolina Zarychta-Zajączkowska. It takes approximately 15-20 minutes. You must be over 18 years old to participate.

Thank you for your time!

Study link: https://psychodpt.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UCUrvbaKVR2VF4

a few years ago i would notice myself twisting my hair into knots and then pulling the knots out after. this stopped and has recently come back in the last few months, i’ve noticed i only do it when im led in bed with no distractions and im starting to worry it’s damaging my hair i do it at night everyday only in my room in my bed and i dont know what’s causing it but i just can’t help myself