It’s not easy to share a secret with someone you know, let alone the entire world.
But Amy Schumer decided that she was ready to open up about her lifelong struggle with trichotillomania in her new Hulu series Life and Beth. She shared that she doesn’t wish to keep a secret any longer in an interview. The Hollywood ReporterPublished March 25, 2005. It was my idea to add it here in an effort to relieve some of my shame, and hopefully help other people do the same.
In the ninth episode, it’s revealed that Beth copes with stressful situations by pulling her hair. And though she’s initially able to hide her thinning tresses under a hat, her mother eventually takes her to get fitted for a wig, albeit a totally noticeable one.
As with other stories, Amy experienced this in her teens. It was a source of embarrassment for her that everyone knew she was wearing the wig.
Now, she worries about her 3-year old son GeneWill inherit the disorder. “Everytime he touches his forehead I get a heart attack.”