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Plucked: The Calm And Chaos Of A Hair-Pulling Disorder

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An illustration of a femme-presenting hairstylist with dark-tone skin and long hair, as they use a comb and scissors on a client’s hair. The client is femme-presenting with light-tone skin and sits in a salon chair while wearing a smock. Their afro is tied back in a ponytail, and they have a few bald patches around their hairline. Also at the stylist’s station is a long, wavy wig displayed on a styrofoam head.
Charnel Hunter

Anita agrees to a suggestion posed by a listener: Explore why the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania is so taboo. She talks with an artist who started pulling their hair more than two decades ago but only recently told her parents…after publishing part of their story in a national news outlet. A psychologist on the front-lines of studying trich treatment talks about the importance of acceptance; and a hairstylist with trich takes us into why her salon is a safe haven for other folks with hair loss.

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Audrey Smith is a writer, educator, and temporary producer of "Embodied" based in Greensboro, NC. She holds a Master's degree in Secondary English Language Arts Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2018) and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from Oregon State University (2021).
Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.