Student who used to 'rip her hair out in chunks' creates device to help combat disorder

A student at Nottingham Trent University has created a pocket-sized device to help manage her hair-pulling disorder.

Eve Tollett, 22, has suffered from trichotillomania – a condition that makes someone compulsively pull out their hair – since childhood.

Now, she has created the ‘Hands Off’ device, to support people who suffer from obsessive nail biting, lip biting, hair pulling, and more.

Read more: Your Nottingham

The design aims to provide a distraction for a person’s hands and brain.

In place of the blades are a variety of interchangeable ‘tiles’ which the consumer chooses to his or her tactile preferences, and which flick out when needed to help them manage their condition.

The product is disguised as a Swiss Army Knife, rather than appearing to be a standard fidget toy, to avoid drawing unwanted attention to the user’s behaviour which they may feel personally conscious of.

“I’ve had this condition since childhood and when I was younger I used to rip my hair out in chunks,” said Eve, from Rodley, West Yorkshire, who is studying BA Product Design in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

“Now I just find myself twiddling with my hair more than anything, but then occasionally notice a small pile of hair next to me on the floor.

“So I wanted to use my final year project to develop something that would help other people who suffer from a range of similar things.

“Trichotillomania is such a niche and under-researched topic. A lot of the behaviours relate to stress, anxiety, and nerves, so I thought it would be useful to develop a bespoke self-soothing tool that people can tailor to their needs.

“Because of the stigma against compulsive behaviours, I wanted the tool to look like anything but a general fidget toy to avoid people feeling self-conscious.”

Eve’s research involved surveying more than 100 people with similar conditions, which was an enlightening process that she says made her “feel less alone”.

She chose her final design to take a ‘thumbs-up’ shape to reinforce positive body language and which is universal sign for acceptance.

Made from aluminium, ‘Hands Off’ can accommodate up to five tiles and weighs roughly the same as the average Swiss Army Knife.

The consumer orders their preferred tiles and constructs the product themselves at home. It features a loop so it can be used as a keyring.

The bespoke tiles are made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, and metal. They incorporate other materials such as string, yarn, and more to provide a variety of tactile surfaces.

There is also a range of tiles with sliding mechanisms, magnets, snapbacks, friction and bumps. New tiles are available for people to buy as their needs evolve.

Eve thinks that the starter product could be sold for up to £30 on the open market.

“Unlike regular fidget toys, this is a very personal product that’s unique to you,” says Eve. “One size doesn’t fit all, so it’s important that people can create something that is unique to them.”

James Dale, Head of Product Design at NTU, said: “Eve has taken her personal insight into a little-known about condition and used it to create a product that has the potential to help many others.

“Her prototype proves how this product would work in reality and help people manage a variety of behaviours in a discreet and personal way.”