Trichotillomania
Hair is forever talked about in the Black community. You can literally tell someone you like their hairstyle, and you’ll be in a long ass discussion about what Instagram page they took inspiration from, how long they intend to keep that style for and a whole leap more. You probably won’t get told where they got their hair done though. Those answers are secretive. I know people that will not share their hairstylist with their sister… Its gets like that
One phrase that always comes up is “good hair,” so I’m often met with confusion when I talk about my decision to keep my hair short. I’ve written about my experience for Black Ballad, a black-owned news platform giving centre stage to Black women, read the article for more details.
Good hair is a term that I don’t like. It gives the notion that certain hair is better than others and I’ve seen the insecurity it causes people. Google good hair and you’ll immediately see images of people with straight to wavy long hair. There’s no such thing as good hair. There are good hair care routines, and there is also good self-love. But good hair is mythical. It’s generally used to describe hair with loose curl patterns.
But I want to focus on Trichotillomania specifically. This isn’t going into alopecia and loss of edges due to wig wear etc but the act of pulling compulsively at your hair to gain a release. This can be your scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, underarms and any other body part. It’s like an urge that you have to fulfil to release stress.
I’ve had this issue for a few years now and honestly couldn’t explain it to others, especially to those that seemed more into my hair then I was. I definitely think that cultural elements and the way afro hair is critiqued so closely, were factors influencing why I found it hard to explain this issue to others.
It’s not something I was doing very often at first but when I was pulling at my hair, generally the front of my hair, I was gradually ripping chunks out. About 2 weeks ago, after getting back from holiday and feeling overwhelmed I pulled my hair constantly for 2 days. It got to the point that I had a banging headache and my scalp was bright pink but even then I kept grabbing at my hair. After 2 days I finally woke up one morning, grabbed hair clippers and shaved off all my hair. It seems extreme but I knew that I wouldn’t stop pulling, I literally couldn’t stop. I’ve even found myself when stressed out in the past 10 days running my hands over my head trying to find long enough hair strands to pull. Newsflash… there are none.
If anyone has suffered from trichotillomania or has any tips/tricks please share them in the comments section below. In the meantime, I’m testing out some methods and will share a new post when I’ve figured out some positive coping mechanisms.
I’m sharing my experience with trichotillomania for a few reasons:
1: I could help someone else on their journey. Maybe they’ve been doing this and hadn’t even noticed.
2: I’m beyond tired of being told that I have “good hair” so should grow it back. Awareness can help people avoid these unnessecary encounters,
3: Mental Health issues do not discriminate yet for the most part when I read/hear about Mental Health issues it’s not by someone in my demographic.
