Black root when hair pulled out

Guys,

I'm a NW 3.5 in mid-30s. I'm also dealing with other hair-related issues- extra body hair, on upper arms and back, and even on my ears for the past 4 years. Now, whenever I have vigorously rubbed (towelling) or intentionally pulled out a hair on my ear, it often seems to have a black root to it, a somewhat sticky tale-like thing. There's no big surrounding white enclosure, so I think I'm not pulling out an entire follicle. This happens with especially thicker hair shafts.

Any clues as to what might be going on here? Am I dealing with some infection here? And anyone gone a clue why hair seem to be migrating from the temples to the ear (of all places)?

As an aside, here's an interesting phenomenon I've noticed. I've been trying out a lavender oil based soap for bathing for the past month, and I am shedding more chest hair than normal during this time. No other visible side effects on the body.

Try looking for stress related symptoms specially if you have been under a lot of stress in recent weeks or months. ... just a suggestion.

barefoot wrote:Try looking for stress related symptoms specially if you have been under a lot of stress in recent weeks or months. ... just a suggestion.

Thanks barefoot, any particular reason for your suggestion?

Let's just say I don't want to hard sell anything. I am no expert.

I think some experts believe Areata is stress related. So you should review any changes in your work/lifestyle recently or any extra high level of stress.

barefoot wrote:Let's just say I don't want to hard sell anything. I am no expert.

I think some experts believe Areata is stress related. So you should review any changes in your work/lifestyle recently or any extra high level of stress.

Barefoot, thanks for your posts. I've been going through some of your posts and they have been in helpful spirit, whether appreciated or not. The linked book excerpts in your profile (and a review on the forum) is interesting, and I think many of the observations are spot on.

Talking about stress, I agree that modern sedentary man has a big problem. He can't fight or flight in the workplace, and there's no way to release the stress physically, or to boost the testosterone levels with physical activity while one is in a meeting or bending down on a desk.

There is a problem with this lifestyle- it's artificial. We weren't meant to be this way. I would not be surprised if the 'stored up' stress, and the chemicals triggered thereby do a lot of harm to the body. Think of it, its not easily possible even to pull out our shoes and socks and even ground ourselves physically using the feet.

How do you feel can one best tackle stress, then? It is not always possible to walk away from such situations. Shouting out is not a possibility, bottling it up equally harmful :-) Pranayama or breathing exercises do help a bit, but I still don't feel 'released'.

Would appreciate your take on this.
best,
9r5

"One of the biggest concerns for trichsters is hair re-growth. It is also one of the most difficult questions to answer. Re-growth will largely depend on the duration and intensity of the pulling. There have been cases where people who have pulled for 30 years have achieved full coverage once they have become pull free, whilst other have permanent damage after 5 years of pulling.

First lets look at the structure of the hair. KERATIN, the same strong protein that makes fur and feathers in animals, and the outermost layer of skin and nails in humans, is the main protein composition of our hair.

Each strand of hair consists of three layers. MEDULLA - is the innermost layer which is only present in larger, thicker hairs. CORTEX - This is the middle layer and is responsible for the texture and color of hair. CUTICLE - This is a thin, colorless protective layer. Below the surface of the skin is the hair root, which is enclosed within the hair follicle

At the base of the hair follicle is the DERMAL PAPILLA The dermal papilla is fed by the bloodstream, which carries nourishment to produce new hair. The dermal papilla is very important to hair growth because it contains receptors for ANDROGENS, which regulates hair growth.

Thanks, Petermark,

that was a nice summary of the structure of hair. To clarify, I do not suffer from Trichotillomania, or habit of pulling out hair. My OP was just about the observation that some thicker hair when pulled out have a sticky black root, and whether this was a healthy or infected hair. If infected, then I would consider some natural/ herbal treatment for it.

best,
9r5

I'll post the answer to another thread since you're on to another topic.