# Pulling facial hair



## its_a_rick (Feb 7, 2008)

Does anyone else do this too?
If I neglect to shave I get the urge to just pull the hairs out instead.
Can be very annoying on one of those days where it's not really necessary to shave just yet but if I feel a slightly longer hair I wanna pull it out.
Once I set my mind to pulling out a particular hair I can't really give up till I get it.
It's not really a problem but it is kinda weird I guess :um


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## QuakerOats167 (Mar 29, 2009)

I can't speak to facial hair since I've never done that... but I do have the tendancy (and have had it for a while now) to pull individual hairs out of my head, or to at least like scratch my head and bundle a few hairs up in my fingers and pull them out. It's hard to describe because I'm not pulling them out I just kind of roll them out if they're loose I guess? And no idea why I do it... I do it when I'm bored basically, like biting my nails. It doesn't really happen specifically when I'm nervous/anxious, I just do it in lectures and other boring situations.


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## Alys (Oct 29, 2009)

you might have a mild form of a disorder called trichotillomania...


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## lookingforpeace (Jan 20, 2009)

I thought I was the only one who did this. Somehow, I feel compelled to find the little spots I missed while shaving and pull the hairs out. I feel like I'm on a mission sometimes. It doesn't really bother me, and it is sort of entertaining at times. When I am anxious, I do it a lot more. Sometimes when I'm not paying attention, I'll start doing it while I talk to someone.

Now that I just typed all this, I realize how ridiculous it is. I think it's a habit I should break.


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## its_a_rick (Feb 7, 2008)

lookingforpeace said:


> Somehow, I feel compelled to find the little spots I missed while shaving and pull the hairs out. I feel like I'm on a mission sometimes.


Yeah... once I know there's a stray hair I have to 'get' it



lookingforpeace said:


> Now that I just typed all this, I realize how ridiculous it is. I think it's a habit I should break.


Agreed.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

I do this too when there's one that's way longer than the others. Never considered it to be a problem.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

From the face? OUCH! That's painful. If I miss a spot, I just hope nobody notices. :hide


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## KyleThomas (Jul 1, 2009)

its_a_rick said:


> Does anyone else do this too?
> If I neglect to shave I get the urge to just pull the hairs out instead.


Um, wouldn't that take a _*looooong*_ time?


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## its_a_rick (Feb 7, 2008)

millenniumman75 said:


> From the face? OUCH! That's painful. If I miss a spot, I just hope nobody notices. :hide


It's actually not that painful at all, or maybe I've gotten used to it heh.



KyleThomas said:


> Um, wouldn't that take a _*looooong*_ time?


Well I don't go pull em ALL out just bits here and there =p


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

millenniumman75 said:


> From the face? OUCH! That's painful. If I miss a spot, I just hope nobody notices. :hide


It's not painful at all. Get some tweezers, get a tight grip at the base of it and yank it out as quickly as possible. Comes straight out with no pain or fuss!


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## friend_Z (Jan 3, 2006)

I also pull at my facial hair, specifically my beard and mustache. I do it when I'm feeling especially anxious, just start pulling out one hair after another. Once I get started, it's really hard to stop and the hairs seem to pull out easier and easier. It's somewhat painful and embarrassing. After an especially bad bout, I find it hard to make eye contact (even with people I know) because it looks so bad and I feel ashamed.

I've had to shave for several months (even though I hate shaving) while waiting for the hair follicles to re-grow. Recently, I relapsed and pulled a bunch of hair out on one side of my mustache. It looks a little weird right now. But I'm still not going to shave, in the hopes that it fills back in soon. It also serves as a constant reminder to myself. If I keep pulling, I'll be forced to shave all over again. And I don't want that. For now, instead of pulling at the hair, I rub it with my finger.


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## art ardvark (Nov 27, 2009)

This sounds a lot like trichotillomania and it's usually symptomatic of some form of anxiety. I used to have something similar called dermatillomania which is a reacuuring urge to get rid of any spots or elevated areas of skin by picking at it, even though it just makes thing's worse. The advice I was given (it never worked mind you) was to substitute the anxiety relieving effects of the pain with something else like plucking at an elastic band on your wrist.


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## No Surprises (Nov 1, 2009)

I do it, except not with facial hair (since I don't really allow it to grow beyond stubble length anyway). My prime locations aren't the most savory of places, so I'll spare you guys the details, but let it be known that just thinking about it makes me want to start yanking...

Must... control... urge...


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## N3XT2NON3 (Aug 10, 2009)

I just use tweezers to get out my longer hairs


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## neurotic1 (May 17, 2009)

I guess its like an obsessive compulsive behavior, which i do too.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

art ardvark said:


> I used to have something similar called dermatillomania which is a reacuuring urge to get rid of any spots or elevated areas of skin by picking at it, even though it just makes thing's worse.


I have this too.
I pick at and bite the skin around my fingernails. It often gets so bad that the area will bleed and hurt even when I'm just sitting with my hands folded in my lap.
I also pull my eyelashes and eyebrows (eyelashes more than eyebrows).


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## its_a_rick (Feb 7, 2008)

art ardvark said:


> I used to have something similar called dermatillomania which is a reacuuring urge to get rid of any spots or elevated areas of skin by picking at it, even though it just makes thing's worse.


Hmmm, I do ^ that too.

Since I posted this thread I've been trying to not pull any hairs, so far I've been largely succesful but the urge is still there. I guess it's just related to anxiety.


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## contranigma (Jun 24, 2009)

I have a really thick beard, so I agree, it would take a looong time.


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## spaceygirl (Dec 4, 2009)

yep i do that all the time with body hair. I will actually squeeze out the roots of hairs on my leg one by one, pull out eyebrow/eyelash hairs, cut off moles etc..Any sort of picking/plucking/squeezing/scratching is extremely addicting and cathartic for me. I would probably be diagnosed with that dermatillomania thing or mild OCD.


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## solitarian (Nov 14, 2009)

I compulsively pull out my eyelashes and eyebrows. This problem was once so bad that I had no eyelashes on either of my eyes for a while. My focus as of late has been eyebrows. I can stop myself for a while, but then it starts creeping back. Sometimes I will experience a wave of anxiety or depression and within a few minutes I'll be missing a chunk of an eyebrow before I even know what happened. This problem makes me shy away from people even more because I am afraid they will notice. It's a really embarrassing problem. Interestingly, I have a beard, and I have no compulsion to pull out my beard hairs.


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## mp333 (Apr 24, 2010)

millenniumman75 said:


> From the face? OUCH! That's painful. If I miss a spot, I just hope nobody notices. :hide


it sounds like it does but omg it really does feel soo good i hate that i have tric but the feeling you get when you get one is pretty amazing for me atleast (im doing it right now)


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

I've been compulsively doing that, incl. head hairs, all morning because I have to visit my parents later. I now feel zoned out and nauseous.


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## Manic Monkey (Sep 6, 2010)

When I have been angered, I tend to pull at my hair in an attempt to control said anger, never hard enough that I pull the hair out, but feel the pain. It is a habit I need to kick, I admit.


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## kiirby (Oct 8, 2010)

There's this one spot, just near the side of my mouth, where, for some reason, I've always felt inclined to pull the hairs out. I've done it to such an extent that the hair grows thicker on that area of my face now, making me look really weird. Broken the habit though, hopefully the other side will catch up soon


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## THearthstoneman (Oct 14, 2006)

I use to pull my eyelashes out and my beard and some parts of my eyebrows. It was like an uncontrollable urge. I have been on 100mg of clomipramine for about 3 months and I haven't had an urge to pull since, It is great stuff for me.


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## Knowla (Feb 23, 2010)

OH My GOSH!! I cannot stop picking at my face. I have pores you can drive a truck through and it really bothers me because I used to have such great skin. It's like just another think anxiety has taken away from me. 

What do you do for it??


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## skunkus (Dec 5, 2011)

Ihave been doing this for 4 years now ever since things started happening to me and faster like my marriage, buying my corvette and more things. every day there is one that is long enough below my bottom lip long enough to get it, i just hate having there, but so greatful when i get one i'm after. I know its strange but i also looked up to see if anyone else does this.


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## RonM (Jan 5, 2011)

I do this too, but in my case it's because there are areas below my jaw where I get in-grown hairs a while after shaving.

If I don't get to them with tweezers it becomes a zit and/or infected.


I do have a tendency to pluck body hairs that are ready to come out (they're a bit redish around the root) and I definitely have a touch of this dermatillomania- someone once asked if I had a rash on my shoulders because I can't leave them alone.


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## Revenwyn (Apr 11, 2011)

its_a_rick said:


> Does anyone else do this too?
> If I neglect to shave I get the urge to just pull the hairs out instead.
> Can be very annoying on one of those days where it's not really necessary to shave just yet but if I feel a slightly longer hair I wanna pull it out.
> Once I set my mind to pulling out a particular hair I can't really give up till I get it.
> It's not really a problem but it is kinda weird I guess :um


Classic male trichotillomania. Actually the one where you're set on a particular hair is pretty much true for all trichotillomania patients, or "trichsters" as some groups call them.

I've suffered from the disorder for nearly 2/3 of my life now. I've had it since I was 11 and I am now 29. There's quite a few of us here; perhaps someone should start a group.


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## skunkus (Dec 5, 2011)

its_a_rick said:


> Does anyone else do this too?
> If I neglect to shave I get the urge to just pull the hairs out instead.
> Can be very annoying on one of those days where it's not really necessary to shave just yet but if I feel a slightly longer hair I wanna pull it out.
> Once I set my mind to pulling out a particular hair I can't really give up till I get it.
> ...


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## skunkus (Dec 5, 2011)

EVERYDAY I do this, one slightly longer and I have to get, even small tweezers, I even push with my tongue so it sticks my cheek out to get it. There have been times where I tried so hard and a small scab formed over it, then i'm in with a knife to lift it out and small blood starts come with it. This is horrible and its straight up anxiety and stress and worry. There aren't many left in that chin area other than new ones that try to grow back and they are white color now. 6 years this has been going on. Your definitely not alone.[/QUOTE]


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## jaysunsd (Nov 13, 2013)

*Hair Puller*

I have been doing this very same thing for the past 10 years. For some reason, it became obsessive lately (41 years old). It starts when I feel an "uneven" hair (beard, eyebrows, hairline, and knuckles). Once the feeling starts, there is no stopping it and I will pull hair out until it is all gone. I will catch myself and stop, but then can't focus on anything else until I get them all. Started seeing a therapist and Psychologist last month. Started taking Zoloft for OCD and my racing mind. Feel calmer, starting to stop the process of plucking, and feel at peace. Amazing. I don't think I have ever been this content with my life. Hair pulling was just a piece of the entire problem!


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## Simonl0111 (May 25, 2014)

*Plucking and can't stop*

I too have been pulling out my facial hair. Eyelashes, eyebrows and nose hair but the worst is the little hairs around my mouth. Worst is the corners of my mouth and I will dig for an hour until I get the one stupid hair out. Even go as far as getting a needle to lift the hair that is so far down under my skin until I can get the tweezer to grab it. I am left with a deep divot and once a scab starts I have to lift the scab off and pull out the new hair starting otherwise the hair will ingrow and it never heals properly. It's a vicious cycle and drives me nuts. I have to do it for relief and it's nuts how much time goes by while I'm on this mission. I thought I was the only person to do this especially the corners of my mouth thing. I tell myself over and over that this will be the last time but everyday I'm back looking closely in the mirror for new hairs to pluck. How can I stop this?


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