Petting

I have gone four complete days without pulling. This is a great accomplishment! I have little hair stubs growing in on one eye. This is nothing new...this is just when things start getting hard.

I have only petted my eyes once or twice a day for about 5 minutes each. If you are unaware of what I mean by petting, let me explain. I'm not going to say that every person who has Trich does it, but every one that I have talked to does. Petting is when you rub the hair that you pull before you pull it. You run your hands or fingertips over the hair that is just calling your name.

Don't have Trich and wondering what it feels like to pet? Well, I only pull out my lashes, and I can only tell you what it feels like to me. It probably feels different to someone who pulls out their scalp hair or anywhere else. When I pet my lashes, it's many different things put together.

First of all, it's like my fingers are little scavengers on the hunt for food. They search out and find the hair that feels the best. When they find that hair, they play with it. Feel it lightly, push on it, rub it back and forth, push it up to where it pokes the eyelid. After a while of playing with it, it gets plucked out.

Sometimes, petting is not at all my fingers hunting for hairs, at first. Sometimes, it starts out as simply trying to make myself comfortable. When your eyelashes are nothing but little hairs just starting to grow in, they don't curve upward yet. They grow straight down, then eventually they start curving upward when they get a little longer. Before they start curving outward, they are little pains. They poke the bottom lid every time you close your eyes (including just blinking). They make your eyes itch like crazy. Your solution? To rub the small eyelashes. Try to train them to stay upward. That leads to a petting frenzy and eventually a pulling frenzy. No more little hairs to poke your bottom lids.

Other times, petting is something subconcious. It's not a thought, my hand is just up there and I'm thinking about a million things BUT petting.

It's an odd thing. Trich is something that doctors have not yet understood. They are coming close to finding medicines that will help us, but have not yet. My biggest help: dailystregnth.com. Having people that know exactly what you are going through, are behind you 100%, and also look to you for support as well helps tremendously. If you are reading this blog, have Trichotillomania and you are not a part of daily strength, I encourage you to join. We'd love to have you!