Image via Behence

I've been meaning to write about my hair stylist- I love her!  I don't think she realizes how much she has done for me.  Prior to see her, I rarely got my hair done.  I dreaded it.  Every six months or so, I'd muster up enough courage to go to some random place, have a random person trim my hair, leave and hope to never see them again.  I was embarrassed.  The anxiety was awful.  And I felt like they were just staring at my damage.  On my list of things I hate- haircuts was near the very top!

Then I found out that someone I went to high school did hair... First she started cutting my kids' hair.  And eventually I got a enough guts to tell her about my trich.  She had actually heard of it and knew someone that had it.  Phew!  I was so relieved and actually excited.  I found someone who could style my hair and I would feel comfortable!  Not once have I felt anxious going to see her.  Not once have I thought that she's judging me.  I've felt... normal.  You know?  Like what most people feel like when they get their hair done.  And feeling normal is one of the greatest feelings! 

I figured she'd be my stylist for life- I mean, did she really have a choice? :)  Well... turns out she does.  She's having a baby this fall.  And I knew she'd obviously be taking time off, some sort of maternity leave.  But when she said her last day was in October- I didn't realize she meant her very last day.  She's done.... like done done.  

I'm... sad.  I don't know- not really sure what I'm feeling.  I guess that anxiousness is starting to come back cause I know that I now need to find a new person and explain my disorder.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that ever again (as open as I may seem- it's a lot easier on the computer than in person).

I'll keep you posted... hopefully in a few months you'll be reading a post about my new favorite stylist.  Fingers crossed.

Great news!  Trichster has reached their goal of $10,000!  But pledges are still needed.  They ultimately need to raise $20,000 to produce this film.  "Funds raised through kickstarter will go towards all aspects of production and post- production from equipment rentals to travel and film festival applications."  

To give you an idea of expenses, here's a list of costs that they shared:

$25 will pay for an SD card, XLR cable, or microphone windscreen

$100 will pay for a tripod, adapter, or small hard drive

$200 will cover the cost of a hard drive, or travel expenses

$500 will cover costs of camera rental for one week

$1,000 will cover the costs for two people to attend the trichotillomania conference or retreat

$5,000 will cover the total cost of post-production, including editing, composing, audio design and mixing, and color correction.

I personally have nothing to do with this film; I don't know the people involved.  But, I think it is very important that this documentary gets made and see by (hopefully) many!  So if you haven't help yet, please considering donating (even if its' just $1).  If you can't donate, then help by spreading the word!

Eh!  Sometimes I want to just rip out all my eyelashes and start over.  Sometimes I think having no lashes wouldn't look as bad as having huge gaps.  And then they could all grow into together and be the same length. 

I don't really remember pulling that much lately, but somehow both my right and left set of lashes look awful.  Like awful awful!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Not alone

Trich is estimated to affect 2-4% of the population, or two to ten million Americans.  It's more common than my blood type!  Yet I've never actually met someone else that has it.  Well, I've "met" people through online support groups, but that's different.  With millions of people being affected, there's a great chance that I know someone with trich and I just don't know it.  Well... yesterday I found out that someone that I already know and have known for years also has trich.  Such a strange feeling.  Wish I had known sooner (and I'm sure they do as well).  And while we can't go back in time and be there for each other, we can now.  

I'm not alone... never was, but now I feel it more- I'm not alone!

I would never wish trich upon someone... but I have always hoped that a celebrity, someone famous would come out and say that they have trich.  Simple because they could be a voice for the trich community.  They could bring awareness to this disorder.  Well, TLC's shared today that actress, Olivia Munn has opened up and revealed that she has trich (article can be found here at the Christian Post and here at the New York Daily News).

Image via Elle

"I don't bite my nails, but I rip out my eyelashes," Munn told New York Daily News. "It doesn't hurt, but it's really annoying. Every time I run out of the house, I have to stop and pick up a whole set of fake eyelashes."