Leg Hair Plucking - is it just me???

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Help!!! I spend up to an hour nearly every day plucking the hairs from my legs!! Weird I know but I found it somehow soothing. I know I did this as a child from about age 12. Is it part of my anxiety? Is it because I was emotionally abused by my parents and sexually abused by my grandad? I know I don't need to stop doing it but to waste an hour every day is becoming ridiculous - I could be doing something much more worth while. Is it just procrastination??

Any thoughts anybody?

Hi, probably not much help here, but I did have a friend who used to pluck out all her armpit hair with tweezers when she was feeling stressed and anxious. I think she has stopped it now and uses an epilator instead. I don't know why, maybe it just gave her something else to think about for a while. Sorry couldn't be anymore help.

Hi Clarelou, have also tried that but sent me cross eyed!!!

I have hardly any eyebrows either as apparently when I was younger I over-plucked them and now they won't grow back!!!!

I know that problem! I have hardly any brows left too. And to think that my once bushy eyebrows are now back in fashion!
Is there something that triggers you off into plucking your hairs?

I do it too. Also these little bunches of hair I get on my tummy. I also will pick spots until I bleed. Like you, an hour will go by with out me noticing. My counsellor is helping me with ways to stop and suggested upping the dose on my ads. Sometimes I don't go out because I'm ashamed of how red and blotchy my face gets. Even my 3 yo dd has learned to say "Mummy stop picking"

I'm not sure what the trigger is Clarelou, but I feel it might now be a compulsion. Maybe at first it was a way to escape from things but now I start to feel stressed if I try and stop myself doing it.

Thanks toughas I am waiting to be referred for CBT, my counsellor has recommended it for anxiety. I have never spoken about my plucking as I was too embarassed!

Thanks for all your thoughts, I feel better knowing it's not just me.

I do it too. it's stress relief but I never realised before your thread. Thank you.

I've just been reading about trichotillomania - I definitely have this. I just thought it was something strange that I have been doing for the past 30 years!! I will be mentioning this next time I see my GP. I am taking 30mg paroxetine which are supposed to help with this but I am actually plucking more and more each day so perhaps need a medication review.

thanks

Yes me too I pluck my legs and underarms, but have only been doing so for about a year. I find it lessens my anxiety and it has distracted me from self-harming on a number of occasions. I've recently found it difficult not to pick at scabs (out of compulsion rather than a desire to self harm).

Marilyn Monroe used to do this (allegedly) - but it's also claimed she had 6 toes, so who knows?

Eyelashes for me. Have always done it. Not to the point i have none so i dont actually want to stop being as it isnt a problem and doesnt harm me.

I have done my belly hair since about 13, isn't quite so bad now a days but def stress relief. I also spend at least a hour a day on imaginary chin hairs.

I do it, too. It's a recent "bad habit", and is a combo of stress relieve and "thinking" for me... other bad habits I've had in the past are picking at spots, picking at scabs, picking at my knees (when i was little and getting my first leg hairs, I got confused and thought they were spots!), picking at my hair, and trimming off split ends. And nailbinding and knitting, but those were productive ways of managing these feelings! :o

My DH does it and he has depression.

He plucks his chest and nipple hair out.
Amongst other hair areas.

He also has to have short hair otherwise he pulls chunks out.

He has trychalomania sp??

Its definatly related to stress and worry.