Biomaterix

07/14/2019

Prohibere back in-stock July 20th. Limited quantity however so order now. You will find something new in the box as well.

New updated version of Prohibere! Stronger, less oily formula. Made by Temple University start up, Biomaterix. Prohibere is a leave-in hair conditioner designed to cool the scalp (NOT FOR USE ON EYELASHES). Created by an engineering student with trich, Prohibere can be a valuable tool to manage i...

05/18/2019

We sold out of Prohibere last week so please stay tuned! Looking to do a study with the few we have on hand and re-formulate for next year's formula!

04/22/2019

Another reason I think inflammation is a key driver of trichotillomania. We need to start looking at the skin and sensory neurons. Part of the human body is involuntary. Do you have to tell yourself to itch after a bug bite? Why not? Why ignore this part of the disorder?

04/09/2019

New research shows a new method to regenerative hair

Mechanical stimulation is known to affect cell proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration. Here, the authors demonstrate that stretching mouse skin recruits macrophages and polarizes them into M2 cells that facilitate hair regeneration through the release of growth factors, including HGF and I...

04/03/2019

Why you don't see me in mascara everyday.......

03/21/2019

THIS is exciting. I have been wondering about the "urge" part of TTM for a long time and wondering how the immune system could have been playing a role. If you ever wondered why it was so hard to stop, you have your entire immune system working against you. Not to mention the muscle memory and the brain circuitry pathways ingrained as well. This is also why Habit Reversal Therapy is not that effective over the long term for TTM. It's neglecting the role of the immune system. So many cancers kill people because the drugs only targets "some" cell types in the tumor tissue but not ALL of them. It's very complicated. Don't let anyone shame you to "just stop". Your immune response could be dysregulated to the point hair pulling doesn't hurt you like it would someone else. Read more on the blog on the studies!

https://www.biomaterix.com/blog

03/14/2019

I love this and need this

03/11/2019

This week on the blog, I review a research article on "StopPulling.com: An Interactive, Self-Help Program for Trichotillomania".
Results showed a reduction in hair pulling frequency (31%) that is consistent with long-term follow up after traditional CBT therapy.

It's not "online therapy". It's self-driven help from an algorithm. It takes 10 weeks to do the program and it's $30 a month. Its particularly useful for people who don't have access to a treatment specialist. It can also be used as an adjunct tool for people already in therapy.
https://www.biomaterix.com/blog

"StopPulling.com: An Interactive, Self-Help Program for Trichotillomania" Research Study StopPulling.com is “an internet-based treatment programs for both trichotillomania and skin picking by Dr. Keuthen, Dr. Suzanne Mouton-Odum, and Dr. Melinda Stanley.” (TLC website). Dr. Keuthen is the author...

03/02/2019

Tourette's syndrome, trichotillomania, and obsessive–compulsive disorder: How closely are they related?

It's an interesting review article. I liked going beyond "Two types of puller" idea (it's a bit reductive) and that TTM is a spectrum/gradient of mixed characteristics of both TS and OCD and also distinctly different from either one. This is a more representative picture for TTM. Knowing which "phase" you are in and why, might shed light on better treatment options that are more lasting than current options.

https://www.biomaterix.com/blog

02/19/2019

What does it means on a deeper level to have this physiological urge that others don't have? Do we experience the sensory part of the world differently? A study looks at the connection between people with TTM (trich) and Sensory over-responsivity. Do sounds bother you? Can you barely stand smells? Do you hate tight clothes? A non-puller might not like fire alarms or cigarette smoke but they won't not be as bothered by it. Why is that? Do people with TTM exhibit a perfectionist mechanism to their sensations? Is their tolerance less because they feel it more? It remains unknown but there is evidence that people with TTM are not experiencing sensations the sameway.

I have wanted to write more about research on trichotillomania. No product out there is a going to "cure" anyone and I wonder if it's something that should be cured sometimes. I understand the shame aspect but I also now understand the freedom to say "This is me. If you think I am wei

02/05/2019

Happy Lunar New Year! 新年快乐

01/29/2019

I grew this dahlia over the summer. I was not impressed at first because I expected a different variety. The more I looked at it the more I realized it was special. Most flowers have a more regular looking geometry. This has petals going in different directions with delicate curls. Then I felt bad when I was disappointed in it. I wanted to remind myself that there's a better way to look at things even if it's not what you had in mind. .