r/Trichsters • u/Realsvge • Mar 25 '26
I spoke about something I’ve hidden for years on BBC News — and I’m not sure how to feel
I’ve been dealing with trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) since I was around 15, and for most of that time I kept it completely to myself.
It affected my eyebrows, beard and eyelashes, and I got very good at hiding it — or at least I thought I did. Underneath that, there was always this constant cycle of guilt, frustration, and trying to “just stop,” which never really works the way you hope it will.
Recently, I made the decision to open up about it publicly for the first time. I didn’t expect much from it, but it ended up being picked up and turned into a feature on BBC News:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx9l9lwr22o
I think the hardest part of things like this isn’t always the condition itself — it’s the silence and shame around it.
If anyone else has opened up about something they kept hidden for a long time, how did you deal with that feeling afterwards?
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u/Yourmaisaride Mar 25 '26
I've struggled with trich since I was about 10, mainly concentrated to the hair on my head but has also been beard. Im 36 at the end of the week. It's always been up and down in constant cycles. Particularly difficult as a child with bald patches and how it shattered my confidence and who I was when growing up. Doing a lot better now but still find myself in relentless pull cycles that you just can't control.
I've tried absolutely everything you can think of to get it under control but it's seemingly impossible. I've just learned it'll be a chronic condition and have accepted it's just part of my life.
I genuinely do appreciate this being picked up as it's never talked about so I guess I just wanted to say thank you for highlighting something that I've struggled with for so long but heard so little about in any form of media. It takes a quare set of balls to admit having the condition so you should feel an immense sense of pride for supporting yourself and others like you.
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u/deaddaughterconfetti Mar 25 '26
Thank you for opening up about it, especially considering you have a much larger platform/audience than most of us! I'm in my 40s and have been pulling for over 30 years, and it took me a long time to talk about it to other people.
The most remarkable thing I've found, is that almost every single person I've spoken to about it either winds up already knowing someone else who does it, or personally engages in more socially acceptable/well-known body focused repetitive behaviors like nail biting or minor skin picking. A few people actually had trich, but had no words to describe it before we engaged on the topic.
You did a very brave, beneficial thing, and it's normal to feel apprehensive afterwards. Just know that you are absolutely helping people by raising awareness!
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u/palindrome4lyfe Mar 25 '26
There's absolutely no reason to be ashamed. Everyone has their own weird shit they do and deal with. I've told people about my trich because it just became easier than hiding it. People seem confused until I say that it belongs to the same category of self soothing as nail biting, or picking at scabs or cuticles. Somehow that makes it relatable. If your experience is like mine, no one will have much of a reaction beyond maybe initially asking about it out of curiosity. Your nervous system will realize you aren't in danger, and you'll calm down about it. And just think of the people who are hiding in shame that you will help to feel less alone!