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!
Replied By Bee (Usa) on 12/29/2009
Replied By Jenna (Fresno, Ca) on 02/24/2010
I'm 28 and don't know what is wrong with me. I've been pulling hairs out of my body for as long as I can remember, but it hasn't been until the last couple of years that I've felt out of control about it. I'm good at hiding, so I mess with my scalp or parts of my body covered by clothes. I also pick quite a bit at imperfections on my skin. In high school I got the feeling that I was more prone to ingrown hairs than other girls who never had issues with shaving. I'd fish out my ingrown hairs and then make things a lot worse. I'd get little pimples on my head and pull those hairs out. And then I have combination hair where some are really coarse, so I'd go find those. Now I'm sitting here with weird patches on my scalp. They're not too noticeable, but there everywhere. And all of these little, coarse hairs have started growing back and they stand straight up. I'm so so tired of deliberately pulling out hairs and justifying my reasons for doing so. I know they don't make sense, but I can't get my hands to stop. I'm also terrible with mosquito bites. Maybe our skin is just more sensitive than most. That's got to have some positive sides.
Anyway, aside from the straight TTM, I feel like there are more things that are related, especially if we're talking about fungus. Then--and I know this seems totally unrelated--I felt like I had a permanent UTI or something strange for about a year. I went to the doctor a few times, not an STD, and was either given antibiotics for a UTI or told that there was nothing wrong with me. THEN I had a really stressful time about a year ago and had this weird outbreak of folliculitus, mostly on my chest. Then a few months ago I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and am just now in the beginning stages of getting some perspective on my life--what's real and what's not. Anyway this was a really long way to say that I think all of it--not the ADD, just the weird health and TTM problems--is related to fungus. I'm starting ACV tomorrow.
Until tomorrow, I'll share something that has been a little beneficial. The only thing that I've noticed has ever helped me is fish oil. I've taken it off and on over the years for brain reasons, but have recently become more diligent because of the ADHD. I've found that the calm it gives my brain helps me to get my hands to listen to my head. I've also heard it has anti-inflammatory qualities which might help heal what I've broken. In Dr. Hallowell's ADHD books, he recommends up to 5000mg a day (make sure it's good enough quality that it does not contain mercury!) I try to take around that.
Replied By Kitty (London, Ontario Canada) on 06/24/2011
Replied By Trina (Minneapolis, Mn) on 04/19/2018
"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."
If you properly detox from mold as well as heavy metals and environmental chemicals (which everyone has to varying degrees), all those issues would clear up along with the hair pulling. And you wouldn't need to follow such a strict restrictive diet, which is very hard to sustain for a long time.
Trichotillomania (hair-pulling) is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), many of which are caused by toxicity. You will find many articles if you google OCD and mold toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, copper toxicity, mercury toxicity etc.
Also, might want to try taking probiotics. They are beneficial to everyone in general. This article written by an MD gives information and an amazing success story. https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2016/8/10/examining-the-gut-brain-connection-and-its-implications-for-trichotillomania-treatment
But keep in mind that it's best to find an alternative health practitioner to help you do a safe, proper, supervised detox protocol. Just doing a short term detox diet, liver cleanse, bowel cleanse, foot baths, or fasting is not going to be enough to alleviate any serious symptoms like OCD or anything else. Detoxification has a long list of benefits, especially over the long term in alleviating symptoms, chronic conditions, and preventing future illness and disease.
Hope that helps someone!