If you clicked on this story, then either you have trichotillomania, someone you love does, or you’re interested in learning more about the condition and how to manage it. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place because I’m here to tell you about a technological device that has changed my life.
Let’s start with the basic definition of trichotillomania. According to the Mayo Clinic, trichotillomania is a mental health condition that compels people to pull out their hair (most commonly from the scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows.) For me, it was my eyelashes, but everyone is different. This condition started when I was in elementary school and is something I’ve struggled on and off with for the past decade. It’s only in the more recent years that I’ve realized that unless I make a conscious effort to pull less, then it’s not going to magically happen on its own—that’s where Keen2 comes in.
What Is Keen2?
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Well, Keen2 is the device that changed my life. Founded by Aneela Idnani, Keen2 is a bracelet that sends a gentle vibration or what the brand likes to call a “hug” to your wrist when it detects motion in the areas where you don’t want your hands to be. Not only was this designed for people with trichotillomania, but also those with dermatillomania (skin-picking) and nail biting.
While the bracelet is helpful, it’s really the brand mission of love, strength, and awareness that helps curb pulling and picking. Think about it, taking care of your body is an act of love, you’re using your inner strength and bringing awareness to your hands and mind.
How It Works
When it comes to trichotillomania and other BFRB’s (body-focused repetitive behaviors), the action is typically done in the same setting. For me, that’s on my bed and desk as I’m working on my computer. With that idea in mind, users can set Keen2 to recognize up to four patterns of motion. The device essentially records the motion that occurs when pulling and uses that to send a vibration when that motion is being repeated. It took me all of 30 seconds to get my motion recorded.
In my case, I’ve set my Keen2 to vibrate when my hand is by my eyes at roughly a 70 degree angle so whenever my hand is at eye-level I receive a gentle vibration providing awareness that I might be at risk of pulling. I’m not surprised when I see the data that my Keen2 has vibrated 25-50 times a day, but it just goes to show how those are all moments where I was able to take a second to rethink what I actually needed in that moment.
The brand makes it super easy to set up and they even offer a free training session to help get you up and running. It is important to note that the bracelet might vibrate even when you’re not in danger of pulling if your hand is at the same angle. For example, sometimes mine will go off if I’m eating or driving, but it’s easy to play with the settings to find a happy medium. To resolve this, I take mine off while I’m eating just to make it easier, but it’s really not necessary.
The App
What I love about Keen2 is that it connects to your phone with the Keen2 app so you can track your progress in real time. Aside from training the different motions, users can track whether they’ve pulled or replaced the habit with a different healthy behavior. Users have the opportunity to answer follow-up questions about their episodes that include information such as the time, date, location and severity in addition to how you were feeling. This becomes helpful to look back at when trying to figure out where and when you’re most likely to pull or if there are any particular triggers.
Personally, since I’ve had trichotillomania for so long, I know my triggers, but if you don’t have that awareness yet, it’s super helpful.
Think of Keen2 like a Fitbit, but for your mental health. For those with trichotillomania and other BFRB’s, receiving that reminder that your hand is in a “trigger” zone can help you take a deep breath and actually recognize what’s going on in that moment that’s giving you the urge to pull. It’s in a way helping you check-in with yourself and practice an element of self-care even if that’s just stopping what you’re doing for one minute to sit back and breathe.
Overall Thoughts
Keen2 has changed the way I view trichotillomania as it has put more of the power back in my own hands, literally. It’s a lot more gentle than relatives yelling at me to “stop pulling” when they notice my hands in front of my eyes. If you have trichotillomania or any other BFRB, then you probably know what I’m talking about. While I know I’m still going to have periods where the gentle vibration isn’t enough to get me to stop, I know that it is there when I need it. Plus, at $149, it’s comparable in price to other fitness devices so it’s not much more or less than any other gadget giving it some major brownie points. I hope Keen2 helps you as much as it helped me because we all deserve to have some love, strength and awareness in our lives.
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