Hey, I've got a really nasty obssesion with plucking my leg hairs. I shave my legs but then I pluck out all of the ones that I've missed. Sometimes I don't shave, I just pluck. As you can imagine, my legs look horrible. Nasty red sploches and sores all over them. I've tried to stop but, it's a bad obsession that I have. I actualy get enjoyment from plucking them out, or digging our the ingrown ones. Please help. I would like to know if anyone else out there is as weird as I am. Is there any help or cure?

hey pp, i dont have this obsession on my legs, but i had the obsession on my chin/face, so you can imagine the dark pigmentation, ingrowns, redness and pimples in the area because of this obsession. what made me stop is electrolysis. knowing that if i keep plucking will prolong my electrolysis treatment, i stopped cold turkey!.. you might not be interested in electrolysis, but why dont you try letting the hair grow for two weeks or so and wax or sugar. that way you are hair free for 3 weeks or so and that can give you some time of relief to get over your obsession. good luck! and you are not alone!

why don't you try rotary epilators, like silk epil braun? they easily and with relatively very little pain remove hair from the root and it lasts for several weeks. i am very satisfied by my silk epil. the first day, your legs will look red, but that lasts only one day or less. after that your legs will be smooth for a month with no need to shave.

Try Tend Skin for the bumps. Are you clearing large areas by plucking? I would think that would take forever.

RJC2001

Read this page on Trichotillomania: http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/92.cfm. I also used to have this problem but I scarecely do it anymore.
I second the suggestion of using a rotary epilator. At least you won't be scarring your legs this way and the results will be more lasting so you won't have to think about it that often.
Just know that you are not alone.

YES! I have it very, very much so. So bad in fact that I have already thrown away two pairs of tweezers just to go out and buy more. That's why I shave daily early in the morning, so there will be nothing to pluck. This helps because then I can forget about it. Even at work when in the restroom I look down at my legs and try gripping onto hairs with my fingernails. I know where you're coming from, it turms into a real obsession and it scars up your legs. I've became better at just leaving them alone.

As for the rotary epilators. I have three and used them for years. I would advise against it. Why? because they increase that gratification feeling of plucking. It's like it gets you to like the plucking feeling more, and makes you think about it more. Plus, they can cause hair follicals to split and grow two hairs, you get more ingrowns, and you get hyperpigmentation spots if you have dark hair. Just shave, it's better in terms of exfoliation anyway. Your skin will be a lot healthier as opposed to epilating.

Thank you so much. I don't feel so alone now. I also am getting better. I used to pull out the tiny tweezers that I had on my keychain pocket knife and pluck while I was in the restroom at work. So, I know your pain. I also feel that shaving is the best.

Thanks again!

Yes, I am clearing large areas, and yes it does take forever.

In Elizabeth Wurtzel's book, More, Now, Again, she describes an extended bout with compulsive leg-tweezing.

Are you still plucking? I do every time I take a bath and also late at night when my daughter is asleep. Her dad serves on a submarine, so he has no idea what is going on. I spend hours and hours tweezing my legs. My daughter (two years old) has already gotten ahold of a pair of my tweezers ( I probably have about tweny pairs), and she acts out my tweezing. She doesn't actually do it because it hurts, but I'm scared for her to pick up this habit. Have you gotten any help? Jenn