Heather (Seattle, Wa, Usa) on 12/28/2009

Some may say that two months of success is too soon to post results, but I have had this experience occur for me in the past... Back in 06, I did the exact same diet/anti-fungal regime, and had the exact same results (no more hairpulling), but I didn't know what was causing the healing to take place.. I had been doing a strict no carb/anti-fungal regimen for 4 months (Doctor Supervised!!), was able to go hat-free after three months. I decided to take a trip overseas to celebrate my success, and after a week of drinking booze, eating carbs/candy, and staying up late, the hairpulling returned with a vengence. It's taken me two and a half years to pull up the courage to embark on this diet/lifestyle again. It can take a tremendous amount of commitment, planning, and resources, but quickly becomes a habit, and the results are sooooo worth it (try to avoid starting the diet during the holiday season... it's really tough to avoid all the treats. I ate some fruit and got a horrible detox rash on my belly). After the initial detox period, the diet is not hard to do, especially if you can wrap your head around Dr. Weston Price's nutritional principles. The slower you transition into the diet, the easier the intial detox will be on you (meaning no trips to the emergency-room with bizarre gastro-intestinal pain). If you drink soda or alcohol, be kind to yourself, and go really really slow. You have more work to do.

My hairpulling started at 18 when I went on birth control pills. my hair fell out in clumps when I ran my fingers through it, and then I just started to coax it out, which developed into trichotillomania. I was on other meds for ADD and depression at the time, as well as having used a copper-based shampoo/conditioner for many years (gave me a weird scalp rash occasionally). I was also living in a moldy dorm room. Never in my life had I pulled out my hair prior to this time, and the bcp seemed to be the catalyst.

Just for comparison, I want to list all the other treatment options I've invested in over the years, which haven't worked: two years of lenient vegetarianism, half a year of veganism, another half a year of raw foodism, 5 years of brain meds, two years of behavioral therapy, 6 years of psychotherapy, two years of neurofeedback, 4 months of neural therapy for tonsils (to treat PANDAS... worked for other stuff, did not help hairpulling), anti-fungal shampoos and coconut oil on the scalp, NAC, TTO, ALA (worsened hairpulling... mercury yeast connection??), sugar, alcohol, kefir and sourdough (Yeasts!)

PANDAS Theory has some weight to it (strep caused tic disorders), but is not the whole picture (for me at least). I probably had varying degrees of Pandas through out childhood, and I'm almost positive that it has been partially responsible for me acting to the bcp's the way I did... Gargling with salt water can help control the urge to pull sometimes, depending on how much sugar I've consumed.

I embarked on the no-carb diet in late october and was completely hairpull-free within two days (before starting on antifungals). After 8 years (give or take)of daily pulling, that is nothing short of a miracle.

So, to recap, hairpulling, for me, seems to be related to a fungal issue on the scalp and elsewhere within the body... google "John Kender and fungus" to see an "experts" view on the issue.(I'm 26... started pulling at 18.)

I hope this isn't too much oversharing, and that it helps someone!