Ok this is in response that we need to post some meaningful threads...whether it is meaningful or not you decide

Okay as Hair geeks I want to ask you some questions....

If a client came to you and said 'I have trichotillomania and I would like some advice on the best way to style my hair' would you know what trichotillomania is first and foremost...
and would you know how to respond?

Secondly....could you spot the signs of it and have you ever come across anyone with it....(tricho that is)

Now I am talking scalp hair here specifically...

I will tell you why I ask this later....

Hi,
I am not a Hair Geek........so didn't have a clue!!!!
Good old Google.............wow I knew people did this, but it is so serious.
I have never met anyone with it.
Very interesting though.
Thanks for getting my brain into gear.
Lotsa luv x x

I'm also not a hair geek and the only reason I know what Trichotillomania is because a girl at my school did it when she was in high school and had the HARDEST time ever because at that age we didn't understand, but I've seen her recently and has the most amazing locks and alot happier and I'm glad you've brought this up as many people suffer from it xxx

I have first hand experience of this. It' compulsion for hair pulling or rubbing. Generally head, lashes or brows.

yep , ive seen it

Hi, I would have to see how much hair she had left to see if I could style it for her,
but... there is a mesh cap that can be placed over the natural hair with hair woven in it and spaceto allow the natural hair to grow and it helps to stop the pulling ,
I think the person in question may need counselling too ,
as its a form of OCD isnt it ? which I can fully understand because my friend had it also

i know someone who does their brows.
i believe some people not only pull the hair out ,but eat it as well.

Yep I know what it is and I've seen it (fairly severe case)
Wanna know why you asked now!

I know its about people pulling there hair out and eyebrows and lashes , Ive not come across it in my job, but I do know someone thats has it its got to a point she doesnt even know she is doing it , and right at the front of her hair especially the middle section is very very thin, I do agree with minky with the counselling the problem needs to be addressed phsyically and mentally to help over the long run.

I saw it many times during my stint on psych wards.
I assume from your user status that this is something you've experienced personally.
Not a hair geek, but I do have clients who have this, and unless they mention it I don't. I'm no longer in an appropriate role to do anything but listen.

Hi, well I think in my experience if she revealed her scalp to me and asked me to look at it there would be no infection hopefully , just bald patches or bald all over with fine weaker hairs showing through (if she hasn't pulled them ones too)
but if there was infection she would need to see a trichologist or her GP

and I dont think its hairdressing she would be after if she was terribly bald

unless she was holding her false hair in her hand ,
or she wanted advice on styling her wig / mesh hair or false hair

or if she wanted some advice on how to cover up and style what she had left of her natural hair
is this a trick question ? have we all missed something here ?
come on spill ?

Thank you very much for you replies...some very interesting posts

Now sorry for not getting back sooner....

but it isn't a trick question no

The reason I brought it up is I DID have trichotillomania up until 4 months ago.
I say DID because I am being positive enough to use a definite word....it will always be in me lying dormant I suspect.

I had it for about 4 years ( I'm now 39 ) which is fairly unusual because most sufferers start earlier in life, usually in their childhood or their teens.

I was a scalp puller and it started off by fiddling with my hair, moving on to sucking the ends, to biting them off, to twisting it around my fingers, to pulling it out....and to eating it I have never admitted that before on here anyway. Eating the hair is trichophagia.
That was my cycle until I was pretty much totally bald....( I have photo's for anyone genuinely interested but they are shocking )
It is also related to nail biting, skin picking and chewing the insides of the mouth I have done all three....I'm a classic case!!!

It is classed as OCD but it is more of an impulse disorder.....
There is too much for me to go into here but there is lots of info on the net.... about 2% of the population have it in some form.

So thats the background....
but why I aimed this specifically at hair geeks is........

CASE 1While I still had my hair and I had pulled out the underneath of my hair (so the long hair still kind of covered up where I pulled so to speak...or so I thought! )
I decided it was time to get it cut short.
Now I have a friend who is a hairdresser and I plucked up the courage to tell her of my problem.
She knew quite a bit about trichotillomania as her friend has it. She was sympathetic and really put me at ease. She cut it the best she could and made a big effort to style it to cover up the worst patches.
She never tried to advise me on dealing with my tricho but she did suggest a weekly head massage.

CASE 2 While I was in the UK a few months after having my hair cut short I wanted some sort of colour done. My hair was pretty sparse by this time and about 1 inch long.
I went to my mum's hairdresser who she is friendly with.
I walked in and explained I had trichotillomania but wanted a colour done if possible to funk it up a little...

The reaction was ''what on earth is trichotillowhatsit???? and I can't colour 'that' there isn't enough hair.''

So eventually my point.... lol...

Do you think as hairdressers you should at the very least know what trichotillomania is?
I'm not suggesting you should know how to treat it etc.... I just mean to have the 'people skills' to handle someone who has it? ( my mum's hairdresser just lacks people skills full stop )
Is it ever mentioned in any hair courses at college or anything?
It can often be mistaken for someone who has PCOS or alopecia....and often the person with tricho will perhaps put it down to something else so could you tell the difference?

I'm only interested and please do not for one moment think I am putting anyone in the hair profession down....

I know this is a long post so congratulations to anyone who has got this far lol...
if you want to know what I did to 'cure' myself then I will tell you...it involves a hairdresser

well I will be honest and say I had never heard of the condition, but well done to you for beating it

anne xx

well i knew about it and i'm not a hairdresser.
i guess i wouldnt be able to tell what problem had caused the hairloss though.

i should think it ought to be covered in college.
i would expect a hair professional to have at least the same level of knowledge as i do.
and to be able to suggest a strategy for covering the sparse patches up.

well done to you for kicking the problem.

Hi Hun,
I and I am sure others reading this thread would love to know how you managed to control this problem.
Please do a blog, I am sure it will make good reading.
I will follow this so where ever you put it I can read it.
Well done to you.
Lotsa luv x x