Hey everyone!

I will be shaving my head for Mind UK to raise awareness for trichotillomania.

What is trichotillomania? Trichotillomania or 'tric' is a hair pulling disorder that effects about 1-2% of people every year and is currently classified as an “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder”.

I have been struggling with tric since I was 13 years old. It is so important to me that awareness of tric is raised, as it effects millions of people each year and in most cases is incurable. Almost all people with tric develop additional mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and serious body image issues.

Tric is not a socially 'glamorous' mental disorder, therefore very little research has been conducted. This is why I have decided to shave all my hair off in support of raising money for a charity that means a lot to me. Mind UK aims to connect with affected individuals to supply support and treatment services as well as designing and funding research projects aimed at understanding why BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours) develop and how to overcome them.

It took me years to finally tell people about having tric. When it first developed I was so embarrassed and ashamed as I had never heard of someone pulling out their hair. This meant it took me 2 years to tell my family and friends, and this was only because they noticed my bald patches. This was incredibly damaging to my mental health and I struggle with it every single day. Awareness needs to be raised so other people don’t have to struggle like I did, won’t get bullied for having no hair, won’t have to hide their condition with a hat, or be embarrassed. If tric became a more widely known mental disorder, more people would reach out for help, and hopefully less lives would be damaged.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

Let's Talk About Tric!