BeauTrichful Magazine 2013 Autumn

Autumn 2013

BeauTrichful

®

“I'm going to continue to use my

TRICH GIFT that God

has given me to help and inspire others...”

LastLashBlog Founder Reaches Out

HOW TO

Thicken Lashes Hair Puller’s Hair & Life Transformation Journey

BEAUTRICHFUL FOUNDER’S MESSAGE Autumn 2013

Founder, Charlene Blacer, experiencing water baptism by Pastor Emilio of Pocono Community Church, Tobyhanna, PA July 1, 2012

The young Charlene with her mother at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, New York City 1978.

I Thought God Punished Me. Growing Up, Leaving, Coming Back to God.

By Charlene Blacer

I don’t have Trich but we all face adversities in life. In my case, I was an unwed mother and when I got married, it was in a Catholic Church that ended in divorce. I assumed, that God punished me for getting a divorce and for disobeying to keep holy “The Sabbath Day”. Even though, I left my life in New York to seek refuge in Pennsylvania, my embarrassment about religion continued to haunt me; because I felt I was excommunicated from my faith. I have been lost for 18 years and turning 40, I decided to put an end to this. I needed the right guidance to lead me to Godly relationships.

On Easter Sunday 2012, I chose to attend Pocono Community Church (PCC) -a church for the unchurch.

Last year at PCC, I experienced water baptism before my 41st birthday as a spiritual cleansing experience. As I grew closer to God I started to understand His messages. PCC helped renewed my faith. Yet, still, something felt missing... and that’s when God spoke to me in prayer. In the beginning it didn’t make sense to me, but the stronger my faith grew, the more I understood.

So with God’s direction and with PCC Prayer Fellowship Groups, I got the courage to revisit a classmate, I went to Catholic school with, this past April. He encouraged me to reunite with my Catholic faith, go to Confession, take the Eucharist every Sunday and get an annulment. I was afraid, to take his advice, but prayed for guidance. Now, fast forward I did follow his advice and also went above and beyond. I also belong to a weekly Rosary prayer meeting and Bible study group.

Reuniting with my birth faith, helped me feel complete. And redemption was something I’ve been seeking for a long time.

I’m now 42 and feel like the innocent Catholic schoolgirl again.

I can’t wait to see where God leads me in my new path. I can’t wait to share it with all of you, till next time...

The lesson I learned is; our “mess” becomes our “mess”-age, which leads us to our calling, which leads us to the right path God has planned for us.

BEAUTRICHFUL DONATIONS Autumn 2013

Donated Hair Claimed in less than 24 hours

By Charlene Blacer

HelpMe2Stop connects sufferers to salons with a mission; “Stop Pulling Your Hair Out Waiting For A Cure; through salon services and self-confidence boosting products such as hairpieces.

Our mission caught the attention of Cate, who generously donated 4 hairpieces, many from the Jessica Simpson HairDo collection.

HelpMe2Stop took photos and published it on Facebook and Instagram. In less than 24 hours, Cate’s donations were claimed! This also brought more “likes” and awareness to the cause.

Because of this success and because HelpMe2Stop wants to give many a chance to claim these pieces, HelpMe2Stop recently requested to have an auction site with eBay. Application is currently pending. Please “like” us on Facebook for updates, We hope you can donate

gently used hairpieces, wigs, hair extensions, salon services, etc. to HelpMe2Stop, POB 202, Bartonsville, PA 18321 Please include a note and bag each item separately. Many thanks, HelpMe2Stop

For every hurtful wor

Wear the Awareness

Tell Your Story Buy a Ribbon Blog, Vlog Your Story

ds, try doing these.

BEAUTRICHFUL COVERGIRL Autumn 2013

TRICH IS OUR GIFT

“I broke my 14-week pullfree streak.

However, I didn't let myself get overly down or upset about it.”

-Annelise

Eyelash, Eyebrow Puller and Blogger of LastLashBlog.com

By Annelise Rowe

A couple months ago, I met a woman and her daughter for lunch and spoke to her daughter about my trichotillomania. The daughter, a beautiful 16year-old girl who also has trich, was looking for someone to talk to, since she had recently come out to her parents about her disorder. Despite emailing back and forth with people all over the world about trich, I had never met faceto-face with anyone else who

has trichotillomania. It was a wonderful meeting, and we ended up talking for over 2 hours. We departed with a giant hug and an exchange of phone numbers, and this girl and I still text back and forth to check on each other.

About a month ago, I got an email from her mother (who writes a blog about her daughter's pulling here). In the email, the mom said something that resonated deep within me. She said:

"Thanks for all your help thus far. I hope you know how much God has used you.

Which means……

TRICH IS YOUR GIFT. ;-)"

BEAUTRICHFUL COVERGIRL Autumn 2013

I had never thought about it like that before. My gift? I think she's absolutely right. We are all made a certain way for a reason, right?

When I began blogging about my trich in 2010, I was putting my story out there since (at the time) there wasn't another blog about trich that I could find.

I never knew the impact that my one small blog could have on OK, and tomorrow was a new If you're struggling with trich (or so many day. And guess what? It is. Today anything, really) think of today as IS a new day, and your starting point. Today is a new day. It's your time to shine. people all over I'm going to the world.

And now a question for you, no where you're from or what continue to use matter you do/don't struggle with or But now? It's a way to offer whether we have the same beliefs support, guidance and inspiration this gift that to many who struggle with this on God has given or not... this a daily basis. It's a form of ministry to me, and I'm using it to applies to share my faith and how powerful I me to help and believe prayer truly is. everyone... inspire others.

I have mentioned before that my What is your trich has been less of a problem recently, but it's not gone. In fact, I may have pulled one eyebrow since May 1st, I had been pullgift? hair, my first in over 14-weeks, but free. Notice I said HAD. Last night, I pulled an eyebrow hair.

Just one, from my left eyebrow while watching TV, but still... I did it. I broke my 14-week pull-free streak. However, I didn't let myself get overly down or upset about it, I just told myself that it was

you know what? My eyelashes and To read more of Annelise’s eyebrows are THERE. They are Trichotillomania Journey, visit full, they are long... and just www.LastLashBlog.com because I pulled one doesn't mean I'm going to pull any more.

BEAUTRICHFUL AWARENESS Autumn 2013

How to Use Trich As Your Gift Trichotillomania Awareness Week

By Charlene Blacer

October 1-7, 2013 was National Trichotillomania This is why HelpMe2Stop partners with Beauty Awareness Week. Many fans showed just how big of Salons. Salons LOVE doing community services.

When was the last time you read an article or heard something on the radio about a “Cut-a-thon?” a When was the last time you passed by a salon and saw a flyer for a charity fund-raiser? Salons LOVE helping the community and reaching out.

“Mean,

Green Trich Fighting Machine”

they are! Some got

dress in green and shared their photos, others got creative and made a green ribbon, one guy started a blog about how he confessed his story to his boyfriend, while others shared fun banners taken from the HelpMe2Stop Facebook page to share on

“Just because I have Trich, doesn’t mean it define who I am”; tweeted a their page.

Just how could we connect to salons while using Trich as our Gift? Well I could tell you to start a blog, volunteer or start a support group, right? But that would be too common...and you’ve probably heard that already. What you can do which would also benefit you is, turn to the back of this magazine, make a photocopy of the

‘Dear

Hair Stylist’

card and give it to the salon. Then while you’re having your makeover (and you know how badly you are in need of a professional makeover), you both Trichotillomania doesn’t own your inner beauty. It can talk more about the cause. The conversation is, from what I have experienced, more common than those with Cancer and Alopecia. My specialty can lead to fund-raising events, awareness, making is Cosmetic Hair Restoration and the majority of my new friends...well you get the picture :-) clients have medical hair loss. I have seen more Trichotillomania clients than those with Cancer and How long are you going to wait? Isn’t it time to Alopecia. But do you see how much the public does become proactive? Tweet @HelpMe2Stop some of your questions, comments, success stories! for those with Cancer- Pink Walks, Race For The Cure, Pink Hair Extensions, and so on? While there isn’t much help for Trichotillomania? Why? How do we get the word out? How do we get the help we need? Well for one thing, if we are silent about it, how do we expect to get help? fan. And she is right.

1 Samuel 16:7

How HelpMe2Stop Stops For almost a decade, HelpMe2Stop salons have been helping Sufferers become pull-free. The longest pull-free client, reported, is

Trich! over 8 years. HelpMe2Stop provides training to any salon or sufferer interested. For details: www.bit.ly/DreamHairClass

BEAUTRICHFUL INSPIRING STORY Autumn 2013

CBSN Founder, Sarah, Shares Hair & Life Transformation Journey and Her Hunt For Canadian Salons & MUAs

By Sarah Robertson

Many of you were aware that I (Sarah) was having a hair process done in late April of this year to help with my Trichotillomania. I was driving over 7 hours to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where I would meet the fabulous Charlene Blacer, Founder of HelpMe2Stop, to have this life changing hair process done over a span of 2 days.

(My story was even featured on the FRONT page of the local Paper! Read the story here!)

I arrived in Stroudsburg the night before the process was going to take place. I had driven all day with my friend and CBSN Partner Suzette, and was exhausted but excited that tomorrow I would wake up and my life would change dramatically.

Before I made the journey down to Pennsylvania, I had done my research regarding what was so special about this hair process. First off, the process itself wasn’t a surgery, it wasn’t going to be painful, and it was something that I could take back to Canada and do myself. The life changing part was the actual “Hair Piece” that Charlene had developed specifically for those who have Trichotillomania. It wasn’t a wig, it

wasn’t extensions… but sort of a combination of the two.

I can only explain it by showing it: The photo in my website, http:// canadianbfrb.org/2013/07/17/update-tosarahs-adventure-in-stroudsburg/ how my piece looks like flipped over where the glue is applied around the edges. Charlene custom cut the piece to fit where I needed it to cover. The hair came originally as 16 inches long, but I decided to cut it to my own length I would normally wear.

Now what is so special about this piece you may ask? It is a semi-permanent solution to the hair pulling and baldness created by pulling. It is more of a “cosmetic process”. The actual piece itself is made from human hair, allowing it to be straightened, curled etc. The reason I ultimately chose to do this process was because although a wig would allow me to feel confident and cover my spots, this hair piece actually PREVENTS me from pulling the typical spots I would on a daily basis, sort of acting as a barrier.

A wig can be removed at night, making it tempting to pull. This piece if on permanently for 3-4 weeks making it difficult to pull where I normally would.

Most people have asked me, “Well can’t you just pull from somewhere else?”.

The answer is simple, “YES”. But I feel that this hair piece gives me a reason not to pull.

I owe it to every single person who donated money to

Complete Story, Photos, Links: wp.me/p3b7wn-sj http://canadianbfrb.org

help me get this process done, not to pull.

With them constantly on my mind, I have gained strength and will power to resist the temptation to pull elsewhere. The other important reason why I picked this hair process, is that it allows the hair to grow underneath while it is on for the 3-4 weeks. For me it was the following three reasons for ultimately deciding to have this process done.

1) Preventing pulling.

2) Allowing me to have my confidence back.

3) Allowing my hair to grow back.

BEAUTRICHFUL INSPIRING STORY Autumn 2013

The first day I spent learning about how to take care of the piece, and apply it. This took a full 8 hours to learn and practice. At times I was afraid I might not be able to do it, but with reassurance from Charlene, it became so easy. The second day was a brief refresher of what I had learned the previous day. But the most exciting part was actually having my piece applied by Charlene, and being able to walk outside without a hat on in public for the first time in over a year. I cannot explain in words all the benefits of having this process done, but you can see it clearly from my “after” pictures which seemed all to good to be true for the first few I took. Now back home and far from Stroudsburg, I have removed the piece several times by myself and have had nothing but positive responses from those who see it. Many people don’t even know it’s a hair piece, and I can confidently leave my house without worrying if someone will notice anything out of place. I was able to even swim with the hair piece when I went to Cuba in early June! I cannot explain how incredible it is to feel this way again after not feeling good about myself for over a year.

I was lucky enough to be able to receive such generous donations and support from friends and family, and even people I have never met before. For some this process may seem too far fetched because

This is why as part of CBSN’s goals, I would like to be able to fund a few people of the price, distance, and overall support.

from Canada to go and have this process done. Many people are not as lucky to have a great support system like I have, making it hard to ask for help.

Charlene has offered to come to Canada and train salons and hair stylists to learn how to do this process so Canadians with trich will be able to have the process done closer to home. But we need those salons to come forward first!

This is the first time anyone other than my close family will see my trichotillomania damage. I was embarrassed to post my pictures initially, but I feel so many people need to see the physical damage to fully understand what it is we are talking about.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you. I hope you leave understanding a little bit more about trich.

CBSN is on the hunt for CANADIAN Hair Salons/ Stylists and Makeup Artists info@canadian bfrb.org

BEAUTRICHFUL TIPS Autumn 2013

BEAUTRICHFUL BEYOUTIFUL Autumn 2013

Make the most of what you have Why hide when you should flaunt?

Start a new trend. Become a leader instead of a follower. Be unique. Just become...

Healing Henna Crowns

banner by www.poconocc.com

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BEAUTRICHFUL SPONSORSHIP Autumn 2013

HelpMe2Stop Advertising Info BeautTrichful is a seasonal magazine that can be viewed online or purchased through- helpme2stop.org/magazine Sponsorship as low as $50. To include your salon in our worldwide listing locator guide, bit.ly/BeautyHelps For Trichotillomania Hair Loss Solution Classes bit.ly/DreamHairClass Send ad for the Winter 2014 issue to press@helpme2stop.org by Dec 31.

To be our CoverGirl/Guy for future issues, please email your edited story to board@helpme2stop.org To send donated hairpieces, wigs, head coverings, etc, please mail along with detailed description to HelpMe2Stop, POB 202, Bartonsville, PA 18321 HelpMe2Stop wishes to thank social media for many of the images in this issue.

HELPME2STOP POB 202 Bartonsville, PA 18321 570.HELP.020 Press@HelpMe2Stop.org

$200 $60

$125 $50 $40

$100 $30

$20