Back pain as a result of bent over plucking? Help?

Hair Removal Methods Tweezing/Plucking
#1

Hi, I’m new here, but could really use some advice. I have been an obsessive leg-hair-plucker, chin-hair plucker, and eyebrow-plucker (using tweezers) for several years. My legs get disgusting, but I hate them anyway, so I wear pants always. And my chin gets scabby and dry and whatever. Anyway, I sometimes spend an hour just on my face, right before bed. This process relieves something b/c it’s satisfying, but the major downside? It KILLS my back! The best way I’ve found to pluck is to sit bent over w/ mirror on my lap to get the best angles, and then the same for my legs. So I’m sitting bent over my legs for an hour a night, sometimes. Does anyone have any suggestions or ways to do this that doesn’t strain one’s back? I guess I’d like to stop, as well, but not until I find some substitute that gives me the same satisfaction. Plus I freak out if I feel too many hairs on my chin and feel like they are HUGE and everyone sees them and judges me. So insecurities abound.

Any help/words would be awesome,
eyeris

#2

You handle this two ways:

  1. Plan to have the hairs on your face permanently removed
    by electrolysis. Blend or Microflash / PicoFlash would be
    good. Be sure to find a SKILLED electrologist with
    excellent equipment and vision wear, if possible. Get laser
    hair reduction for your legs if you are a good candidate.
    Find a good practitioner who uses a good laser.

  2. Continue tweezing, but set a timer and for every 15 minutes
    you tweeze, get up and walk around your house, jump up and
    down, go outside for a walk, pick up some hand weights and
    do some proper stretching activity for 10 or 15 minutes.
    Alternate back and forth between tweezing and activity.
    That is the healthy way to to tweezing for long periods
    of time.

I’m totally against tweezing anything on the face, except for the eyebrows. You may be setting yourself up for bigger, sturdier hairs someday, but a good electrologist can still “get them” good.

Dee

#3

One might also want to investigate nutritional imbalances. Trichotillomania, (uncontrollable urge to pull one’s hair out) can be caused due to a lack of properly balanced amino acids, B vitamins, and Essential Fatty Acids. Use of artificial sweeteners and artificial colors is not all that helpful for one trying to get over this problem either.

#4

This is not a hair problem. It’s a psychological issue, a form of OCD. There are centers around the country that deal with it. You can start by having a consultation with a counselor at one of them. This particular OCD is called Trichotillomania as James mentioned. You can Google for support groups and forums discussing it. There are actually quite a few people who have suffer from this. It’s related to control as most OCDs.

I actually used to overpluck my eyebrows in the same way and this is in part why I got electrolysis done on them. Of course, it helps with that specific issue, but you just move on to another body area or resort to another issue like face picking which is also a related OCD.

Most forums recommend things like covering up mirrors in your house, or making sure you’re busy in the evenings when you tend to do it, or having whoever lives with you regulate.

Good luck.

#5

We all have degree’s of OCD behavior that we engage in to relieve anxiety and hair pulling is one of the most popular behaviors associated with OCD. The extremes of hair pulling vary and does not interupt daily lives all that much for most people that do this, but if you think your life is being disrupted severely by your hair pulling, then seek help.

#6

The extent that she describes though is a pretty serious one, though relativey common. There are entire centers devoted to this. Spending hours on this to the point of having constant scarring is something that probably should be addressed, especially since it progresses with time. I have a feeling she started with one area like most and then moved on to others. I’ve experienced several forms of it so I know first-hand it can become a big part of your life and affect your other activities.