Trichotillomania

Hair pulling and resultant hair loss

Trichotillomania (TMM) is a condition where people feel an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair. The urge affects mainly women, with up to 2% of the world’s population in its grip. In the USA, that means almost 6 million people are currently struggling with this very secretive form of self-harm.

In July 2010 Channel 4 in the UK featured a documentary about the specialist services offered by Lucinda Ellery for clients with Trichotillomania.
“Girls on the Pull” told the story of two of our Trichotillomania clients – Harriet and Amelia.

At The Lucinda Ellery Consultancy we meet clients with TTM daily – and for many women their initial consultation with Lucinda Ellery is the first time they feel able to speak to anyone about pulling their hair and allow them to see the resultant damage. Our clients tell us that knowing they need professional help and finding the courage to seek it is in itself an important first step towards healing.

What is TTM?

TTM is an extreme version of other self-harm conditions like skin-pulling or biting your nails. Women with TTM pull out their hair to try calm feelings like anxiety or anger, but struggle in the aftermath with feelings like deep remorse, shame and self-loathing. After all, hair is so important to our identity and self-esteem, seeing we judge and are judged by our crowning glory. The fact that we have harmed our own hair then sets off a fresh round of pulling for more temporary relief.

In our 25 years of experience in managing TTM, we know that the earlier the urge to pull can be intercepted and controlled, the better your chance of freeing yourself from what is ultimately no more than a very bad habit.

A personal service, tailored to your individual needs

We meet every client personally so we can discuss exactly which option is best suited to you. Some women have very mild areas of TTM, where hair-pulling is no more than a mild, occasional reaction to stress. Others have large areas of scalp they have systematically plucked clean. For others still, they pull in a distracted state, almost not noticing what they are doing until they look down and see a pile of discarded hair around them.

All Lucinda Ellery clients are encouraged to ask questions and to tour our salon and examine case studies to get a sense of environment and commitment. We understand it can be daunting to take that first step and ask for help with such a personal condition, but your physical and emotional wellbeing is paramount to us and we will only advise on what is best for you.

Helping younger sufferers

We have clients as young as 16 and many girls do best in an Intralace System because the physical barrier of its mesh base actually prevents them being able to pull from their usual sites. The emotional boost girls get from having a full head of hair that looks normal, from being able to do sport and swim without fear, and from fitting in at school again also boosts their determination to stop pulling.

Disguising permanent damage

Other clients have areas of permanent damage as a result of many years of pulling. They may also choose the Intralace System as it can be washed, brushed and styled exactly as your own hair. We recommend that clients have the system adjusted every six weeks so they can monitor their progress and keep their hair looking its best.

Encouraging overall well-being

We also encourage everyone with TTM to explore wellbeing options that include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, meditation, neuro-linguistic programming, other therapies of your choosing and exercise, including swimming, running, hiking, Yoga and Pilates. This, combined with your new hair, gives our clients a tremendous boost.

At Lucinda Ellery, we see the massive sense of relief women feel when they are again able wash, brush and care for a sustainable head of hair just like their own. Many of our clients have never been to a salon for fear of having their TTM exposed. Our environment offers all clients the opportunity of visiting us for regular hairdressing services, as every woman should be able to experience this. Throughout our 25 years in hairdressing, we are humbled and grateful to see how restoring the sense of normality has a profoundly positive impact on our clients.

How the Lucinda Ellery Consultancy can help you >>

Trichotillomania - Before and After Library

Before and after images of women using the Intralace System™ or Medi Connections™.

before	after

In less than a year this client managed to control the urges to pull out her hair with the use of the Intralace System™ (cranial hair prosthesis) and experienced almost total hair regrowth.

 

before	after

This form of mild Trich can have the same psychological effect as the more severe cases of Trich. Often Trich is most difficult to control with exam pressure as this client experienced.

 

before	after

This client has an aggressive form of Trich, currently there are no medical catagories for the different levels of this disorder. Mild Trich, generally affects a small area of the scalp, whereas people with widespread hair loss have stronger urges to remove the hair.

 

before	after

This young lady with the use of Lucinda Ellery Consultancy management system did experience considerable re-growth within eighteen months. However, six months later she had a difficult personal time and as a result had a setback with further hair loss. This is quite possible with this difficult to manage condition.

 

before	after

This client achieved impressive regrowth after two years of using the Intralace system™ the mesh was reduced by 80% to just a small area of the scalp. This client continues to manage her Trichotillomania successfully.

If you wish to speak to us about hair pulling please call 866 912-6932 or use our Trichotillomania Contact form

Trichotillomania Background Information > >