The Trich Prof

26/11/2025

I'm sometimes asked 'how can neuroscience help people with BFRBs?', which is a good question, so I thought I'd devote a post to giving an answer.

Neuroscience is the study of the animal nervous system, and there are lots of quite different types of neuroscientist, who study different aspect of the central (brain) and peripheral (rest of body) nervous system, and we need all of them to understand something as complicated as behaviour.

In this post I describe how neuroscience, alongside other areas of science, are needed if we want to understand both the initiation and maintenance of BFRBs. I think this is important both for reducing the stigma, blame and shame around BFRBs, and for developing new ways to help people.

I'd love to know your thoughts!

20/11/2025

14/11/2025

Great to see this getting some attention...

NEW: Researchers found that shame partly explained the link between hair-pulling and depression, and fully explained the link between hair-pulling and anxiety.

Hair-pulling, or trichotillomania, often starts in early adolescence – yet most research has focused on adults.

The study of 128 young people aged 13-18 found that shame plays a major role in the link between hair-pulling, anxiety and depression. Those who pull their hair reported high levels of shame, depression and anxiety.

Researchers also found that 88% of participants entered a trance-like state during hair-pulling, and many didn’t realise they were doing it.

The study highlights the urgent need to better understand and support young people with BFRBs.

Find out more ⬇️
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11-11-research-finds-shame-significant-factor-hairpulling-young-people

13/11/2025

Check out the story here:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11-11-research-finds-shame-significant-factor-hairpulling-young-people

12/11/2025

I only managed to sn**ch this one quick photo yesterday while I watched the brilliant present her masters project, which was co-supervised by me and the wonderful . It took some effort to hold it together...

Laura did a qualitative research project in which she conducted interviews with 12 young people who experience problematic hair-pulling. She did a 'thematic analysis', which means extracting lots of statements from the transcript of each interview and identifying the common themes that emerge.

What she found is POWERFUL, and you'll have to wait another week or two for us to share the results (it's being submitted in the next few days).

But this moment yesterday was special. I got to sit in the audience, while a brilliant young scientist talked with passion and conviction about the stigma and shame surrounding BFRBs to a room full of future clinical psychologists and researchers.

Thank you for your (prize winning!) project, and for a brilliant presentation.

It still feels surreal that my secret shame is now on the curriculum at

04/11/2025

I really enjoyed this chat about nail biting and other BFRBs - and why they're things we just don't talk about. Thanks Oxford Sparks for helping to raise awareness and bust stigma!

04/11/2025

I was delighted to be invited to contribute to this podcast on BFRBs for the American Psychological Association. It's brilliant that the APA are using their huge platform to help raise awareness!

03/11/2025

More BFRB art opportunities ahead! Liz’s workshops are always great - highly recommended for a bit of reflective, creative me-time.

Friends, If you experience or disorder or any other , check out a new series of calming and mindful online drawing workshops I’m offering between now and December for .uk.ireland, designed with BFRBs in mind and to help you take important time for yourself to refocus, relax and recharge.

10 November bring felt tips and colouring pencils for a session drawing household objects and our homes inspired by Michael Craig Martin and Do Ho Suh 7-8pm for just £10!

Book here https://buytickets.at/lizatkinartist/1845315

I have lived experience of skin picking disorder and use drawing to refocus the condition. Eacht session is stand alone, I will guide different approaches to drawing, taking inspiration from the work of different artists. These sessions are designed with BFRBs in mind, and will help reduce anxiety by channelling attention through simple yet captivating drawing activities. Bring simple art materials that can be adapted to whatever you have at home. There will be freedom to experiment with your own drawings and have fun. No previous drawing experience is necessary, and family members are very welcome to join

Book here

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lizatkinartist/1845315

02/11/2025

A bit late for Halloween, but...

Meet the dementors of shame. They're powerful, they're scary, they get under our skin and have negative consequences for all sorts of aspects of our lives.

Not everyone with a BFRB lives with chronic shame, but it's very common in treatment-seeking samples.

For decades I assumed that I would feel better once I stopped pulling out my hair. I.e. the hair-pulling was the problem, and fixing it was the key to feeling better. For all of those years I was focused on the wrong thing.

I had help that was focused on shame. Compassion-focused therapy helped me to peel back the layers of coping mechanisms that kept shame hidden. Only once the dementors were named and in the open was it possible to start to challenge and weaken them. It wasn't quick or easy, but it changed my life.

I still pull out hair almost every day, but I live free of shame, and therefore I no longer have a disorder. My pulling is much more manageable (I rarely cause major bald spots) and I think that's because shame kept me trapped in a vicious cycle (distress -> pulling -> (brief) relief -> shame -> distress).

What do your dementors say to you? Can you imagine life without them?

30/10/2025

Last week we heard the sad news that the TLC Foundation for BFRBs will be closing their doors in the coming months. You can read the full announcement here: https://www.bfrb.org/announcement

It felt like quite a blow, and it's taken me a few days to collect my thoughts.

Although I understand the decision, and am sure it was very carefully thought through, I'm left feeling that BFRBs have been demoted, and that our disorders deserve to be more than a subgroup in another organisation.

I think it is important that we have an internationally recognised, inclusive, professional organisation that is devoted to the needs of people with BFRBs and those who care for them.

For now, I’m so glad to be connected to many fabulous people doing amazing things for people with BFRBs, including: BFRB UK & Ireland BFRBChangemakers etc (sorry - it's too hard to find and tag everyone on FB - see insta post for better list!)

Finally, a huge thank you to Christina Pearson for everything you poured into TLC. We all owe you so much.

30/10/2025

Two new podcasts landed in one day!

First a great chat with Emily at , which can be found on their website:
https://www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk/podcasts/why-do-i-bite-my-nails/

Then a great honour to be invited to speak to Kim at for the Psychology Speaks podcast, alongside . That can be found here:

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/body-repetitive-behaviors.html

I hope you enjoy!

27/10/2025

Today I'm thinking about lenses.

We all view the world through the lens of our own experience and expertise. We don't always see things the same way, because we are all the product of our unique combination of upbringing, experience, training, etc.

When it comes to BFRBs I have a sense that there are at least 4 distinct lenses through which we might see or think about them:

- normal behaviour
- neurodivergence
- dermatological condition
- psychological disorder

These are not mutually exclusive categories - there is lots of overlap, and we might think of them as being intertwined.

However, the psychological disorder lens is - I think - quite dominant. The research I've done over the last couple of years leads me to question whether it should be, so here I'm describing the alternatives, which I think haven't had enough attention.

I'd love to know what you think!