Trich Talks!

Tesa (@tesa.heiney) has lived with trichotillomania since the age of 8. Her journey has been filled with periods of stopping and starting, learning that even when you stop pulling, the urge never truly disappears. Over the years, she has learned different coping strategies and ways to manage the urges, while navigating the emotional side of living with a disorder that can feel incredibly isolating. Tesa is passionate about sharing her story openly and honestly in hopes of reminding others with trichotillomania that they are not alone—and that recovery doesn’t always mean the urges disappear; sometimes, it means learning how to live through them.

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You’re probably here because you too live with trichotillomania or another BFRB. What if I told you there was an online community just for us that I’m also a part of? Let me introduce you to the HabitAware Collective, a safe and supportive place where people with BFRBs feel successful in their journeys. The HabitAware Collective offers daily accountability, two support groups each week, webinars led by experts, among other amazing resources. Learn more by visiting habitaware.com/community today

Aneela Idnani, the muse and co-founder of HabitAware and my incredible boss, released her memoir, Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows? This year. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and I truly believe it is something you should read too. You will feel seen in these pages, quite possibly, for the first time ever. Get your copy of Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows today by visiting habitaware.com/memoir

On today’s episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down with Aneela Idnani—her boss, mentor, personal hero, and BFRB advocate extraordinaire—to talk about her memoir, Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows? and the core belief that continues to guide her: love is the answer.

Aneela is the co-founder of HabitAware, a company dedicated to helping people with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), and has spent years using her own experience to advocate for greater awareness, understanding, and support for the BFRB community.

And this isn’t Aneela’s first time on Trich Talks—it’s her third!

If you’ve listened to her previous episodes, you already know there’s always plenty to learn, laugh about, and maybe even get a little emotional over. If you’re new to Aneela’s story, this is a wonderful place to start.

Listen to today’s episode—and then go back and catch her first two appearances!

Aneela’s first appearance on Trich Talks: here

Aneela’s second appearance: here

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You’re probably here because you too live with trichotillomania or another BFRB. What if I told you there was an online community just for us that I’m also a part of? Let me introduce you to the HabitAware Collective, a safe and supportive place where people with BFRBs feel successful in their journeys. The HabitAware Collective offers daily accountability, two support groups each week, webinars led by experts, among other amazing resources. Learn more by visiting habitaware.com/community today

Aneela Idnani, the muse and co-founder of HabitAware and my incredible boss, released her memoir, Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows? This year. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and I truly believe it is something you should read too. You will feel seen in these pages, quite possibly, for the first time ever. Get your copy of Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows today by visiting habitaware.com/memoir

Leanne Christian (@thoughtfully_human) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina with a special interest in working with people with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), including skin picking and hair pulling. She also lives with a BFRB herself, giving her a unique perspective as both a clinician and someone with lived experience.

Leanne’s work with BFRBs grew from noticing how often clients would disclose picking or pulling only after they felt safe enough to talk about it. She became interested in the gap between knowing a BFRB is a problem and actually having the space, tools, and support to address it.

Her approach is grounded in compassion, awareness, acceptance, and curiosity rather than shame or perfection. She helps clients understand the functions and patterns behind their BFRBs and build practical, individualized toolboxes of skills they can practice in everyday life.

Through her practice and educational work, Leanne is creating accessible tools, exercises, and short-form resources designed to make BFRB support feel less intimidating to begin—and to remind people that their BFRB deserves attention and care, even when it isn’t the most important thing happening in their lives.

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You’re probably here because you too live with trichotillomania or another BFRB. What if I told you there was an online community just for us that I’m also a part of? Let me introduce you to the HabitAware Collective, a safe and supportive place where people with BFRBs feel successful in their journeys. The HabitAware Collective offers daily accountability, two support groups each week, webinars led by experts, among other amazing resources. Learn more by visiting habitaware.com/community today

Aneela Idnani, the muse and co-founder of HabitAware and my incredible boss, released her memoir, Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows? This year. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy and I truly believe it is something you should read too. You will feel seen in these pages, quite possibly, for the first time ever. Get your copy of Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows today by visiting habitaware.com/memoir

In this episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down with Samantha, administrator of the NYC Trich Support Group, to talk about her personal journey with hair pulling and the powerful role that community has played along the way.

From attending her first support group meeting as the youngest person in the room, to now finding herself right in the middle—and serving as the group’s administrator—Samantha shares how far she’s come, what the support group has meant to her, and why finding a community that understands can make such a difference.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

In this episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down with Hania to hear her honest and inspiring story of living with trichotillomania. Hania shares how her experience with hair pulling began and how, through that journey, she discovered a passion for hair that sparked her dream of becoming a hairdresser. It’s a story of turning a challenging experience into a meaningful path forward.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

In this episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down with Heidi (@thelifeofatrichster) to talk honestly about relapse, recovery, and what it means to keep showing up for yourself. After nearly five years of being pull-free, Heidi recently experienced a relapse. Together, they explore the emotions that can come with returning to pulling after such a long period of time and how Heidi is choosing to move forward with self-compassion instead of shame.

Heidi shares how she is bouncing back, reconnecting with herself, and continuing to show up not only for her own recovery, but for the BFRB community she cares so deeply about. This conversation is an important reminder that a relapse does not erase your progress, your growth, or everything you’ve learned along the way. Healing isn’t about being perfect. It’s about continuing to show up.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

In this episode of Trich Talks, host Barbara takes a deep dive into the history of her eyelash pulling—from how it all began after pulling her eyebrows as a child to the specific sensory triggers like "sharp" growing lashes that make it so challenging. Barbara walks listeners through her journey from ages 10 to present day, sharing the tools that have helped her along the way, including liquid eyeliner, fake lashes, and support groups.

She also gives an honest, real-time update on a recent intense pulling episode that caught her off guard for the first time in 20 years. Rather than letting shame take over, Barbara shares how she uses self-compassion, awareness, and a big-picture mindset to reassess her management strategies, offering reassurance to anyone navigating their own BFRB journey.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

In this episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down with her close friend Sara (@saracannonportraits) for a lighthearted, honest conversation about the hidden financial costs of living with hair pulling. They each share their top 10 items—from least to most expensive. Some of their items may surprise you!

Sara shares the origin story behind coining the phrase "Trich Tax," breaking down how recognizing these unpredictable out-of-pocket expenses helped shift her perspective from shame to self-compassion. Together, Barbara and Sara reflect on the practical tools and comfort items that have genuinely made a difference in their healing journeys, offering listeners a space filled with validation, shared understanding, and a few laughs along the way.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

In this episode of Trich Talks, Barbara sits down to answer community Qs. No gatekeeping here—check out the full list of questions covered in today's show below!

1. How often do you pull? I notice that I pull more when my period is close.
2. What do you think about the poor representation of BFRBs in the movies?
3. How did you start feeling comfortable sharing that you have trichotillomania?
4. It’s only been a year and I am 16. Will it get better?
5. Will it stay with me forever? Is there any way to end it?
6. Will my eyelashes grow back?
7. Any experience with trich getting better post surgery?
8. Do you think trich could ever be cured?
9. What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
10. Current song obsession?

Have a question of your own? Send Barbara a DM on Instagram or keep an eye on Barbara’s Stories for the next Q&A prompt!

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.

Sally (@_sallyval_) is an advocate and BFRB warrior from the country of Georgia. Living with both trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) and trichophagia (hair swallowing), Sally uses her lived experience to raise awareness and foster international connection within the body-focused repetitive behavior community. By speaking candidly about the emotional and physical aspects of her diagnosis, she aims to shatter the surrounding stigma and offer hope to others navigating similar struggles worldwide.

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Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpower, it’s about awareness.The Keen2 by HabitAware gently vibrates to help you notice pulling or picking in the moment, so you can pause and choose what comes next. It’s not about stopping perfectly — it’s about building awareness with compassion.

If you’ve been looking for a tool that supports you without shame, the Keen2 can be a powerful place to start. Use code LallyLove at checkout to save 10% on your Keen2 when you visit barbaralally.com/habitaware today.

You don’t have to navigate BFRBs alone. HabitAware’s peer coaching connects you with someone who truly understands what it’s like to live with a BFRB because they’ve been there too.

Peer coaches offer guidance, encouragement, and real-life strategies rooted in lived experience, not judgment. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for extra support, peer coaching can help you feel seen, understood, and supported on your journey. Visit habitaware.com/coaching today.