Author tells of struggle with hair-pulling disorder

When Ann Swindell couldn't stop pulling out her eyelashes and eyebrows at the age of 11, her parents didn't know what was going on.

After talking with doctors and reading about her symptoms, they discovered what their daughter was experiencing was a disorder known as trichotillomania.

Although most people have never heard of trichotillomania, or "trich," as it's often called, it's estimated that up to two in 50 people have the disorder in the United States.

Some, like Swindell, pull out their eyelashes or eyebrows, while others pull out the hair on their head or other parts of their body.

It's a poorly understood condition, and there's no cure for people who suffer from it. So while most of us likely have friends or family members who struggle with pulling out their own hair, they've probably never told us about it.

That's because those who have it feel it's shameful, especially women who are 80 percent to 90 percent of those who report having trichotillomania in adulthood. Trichotillomania impacts a woman's sense of beauty, self-confidence and social relationships.

Swindell knows those feelings very well. The Wheaton College graduate and former instructor in the English Department has become a speaker and advocate for the awareness and acceptance of the poorly understood medical disorder.

Her debut book, "Still Waiting," tells the story of her 20-plus year journey with trichotillomania and how she's learned to live with joy and hope as she continues to wait for a cure that may never come.

She will hold a launch party for the book from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Blackberry Market in Glen Ellyn. The event is invitation-only.

For more information on the book, contact mediacenter.tyndale.com.