Hi, Del. Welcome to Alopecia World! This is a great place for great people, so be sure to make your positive presence known. :-) - rj, Co-founder

Hi Del,
Hello and welcome!
How are you today?
LeslieAnn

I'm doing great! A lot of women have been helped by my book, and I'm continuing to work on my new painting series. I am having lots of fun!
xox!

What is trich del?

Hey Del :)
How is everything going? I'm doing okay over here :)

Liz x

Hey! Umm....I think my aunt used to have that! Actually tonight i am seeing her and i will ask. all i know is that she used to pull her hair out. It probably does suck bigg timeeeee!!!!

xoxo
Taylor

Don't be afraid to be who you really are...You are beautiful and will always be beautiful..I love you kay.

Hi Del!!! I've thought of you so much since I read your "About Me" blurb. Gosh, where to begin. There's so much I could share with you, Del. I, too, began my struggle with trichotillomania when I was a teenager. I think I was 16. You know, I thought I was crazy for so many years, and tried desperately to hide this bizarre situation from everyone - including myself. I avoided any and all situations that might expose my "dirty little secret", and until recently I really thought I was the only person in the whole world who did this hair pulling thing! I now know that I am not the only one, and am told that there are thousands and thousands who also have this condition. Funny thing is, I've still never met anyone else who has ttm. Anyway, I've read some books and literature, and I'm a member of the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC). There are so many theories and studies that claim you can overcome ttm -- and I'm certain that this is true for many. For me, I spent years meeting with a wonderful therapist, about every year or so. I tried various different types of therapy, hypnosis, medications, books, etc.. And what I was to learn, after over 35 years, is that for me there was no cure. There is no solution. There is no end to this "thing". For me, I guess, this ttm simply was too strong to get it under control. So, guess what!! I didn't quit. I just made the decision that ttm would no longer consume me or drive me crazy or make me unhappy. On October 1st I shaved my head and I've never regretted this decision for a single second. For me, it was the most freeing and liberating thing I've ever done. I bought a cute blonde wig and for months I wore it. Then a few weeks ago I got brave enough to go it bald. No wig, no hat, no scarf. Of course I'm not quite ready to tell everyone the whole story -- I tell them that I've had this "hair loss" situation and that I decided I was sick of bad hair days. Anyway, I'm not sure I'll ever make sense of trichotillomania, or why I have it. But I do know that I didn't want to spend my entire life battling it. I wish I could offer you some magic cure, but I can only offer my support and friendship. I'd be happy to chat with you any time, and I can suggest books and resources, if you are interested. If I met you, I'd give you a huge hug and tell you that you are beautiful. More than anything I wish for you that you not have to go through so many years of struggle and pain as I have. I would wish you acceptance and confidence and assurance that it's only hair -- and you are far more significant than whatever happens to be on your head. Best wishes, Del. Keep in touch and have a wonderful day!! With love, Kathy

Hey Del :)
Yep, Every thing's going okay over here thanks :)
Well, I'm sure you wont turn into Ramon Noodles, although that would be quite interesting :)

I remember being hooked on sunflower seed :) Mum my used to tell me I'd start growing a sunflower out of my head, I was quite disappointed when it didn't ^_^


Liz x

Hey,
I'm 18, enjoying the joys of Alevel exams.....fun stuff...
yourself?

Liz x

lol your precious

Hey, Del:

First, if you've been able to stop pulling - congratulations! You must have a lot more willpower than I do.

You mentioned people ripping your wig off in public. They should be really, really, really ashamed of themselves; and you're brave to stand up to them.

To answer your question, I've been shaving my head on and off since about 1996 (when I was 25). The longest (no pun intended) I've been able to go without shaving has been about a month. My hair grows pretty slowly, and after about four or five weeks it grows out long enough to where I can (and do) start pulling again. And unless I want my scalp and hair to be a mess from all the pulling, I have to shave my head again.

The problem with shaving is that almost everyone either wants to know why (which I don't feel comfortable telling them); or they read something into it - assuming I'm in the military/police, or a political or religious extremist, and once in a while someone assumes I'm on chemo.

I get the impression that shaving is a little more widely accepted in some foreign countries (the Middle East, etc.) and in some other cultures in America (a lot of Hispanic and African American men shave their heads). But I'm the only white Jewish Southern Californian I know who does it.

Do you know if anyone (a doctor, a sufferer, etc.) has ever written a good book on this?


Best,

J.

Hi Del, thanks for accepting. Would love to chat with you. Hope you are doing well. Take care!

I am just happy for you and wish you well for your marriage!

Hi Del, I'll soon be off - still wanted quickly to say: pretty tired today - tiredness goes, prettiness remains :-) - Enjoy your wigs or your bald head, whatever you want to sport in public! U R GREAT