HabitAware is pleased to announce our collaboration with mental health advocate, actor, and comedian Howie Mandel, who is lending his voice to spreading awareness of chronic conditions like hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (dermatillomania), and nail biting (onychophagia). It’s fateful timing that our campaign lands on Mental Health Awareness month, an important time for the body-focused repetitive behavior community to come together and share stories, information, and resources with whatever platform we can. In terms of this specific collaboration, Howie and Team HabitAware are utilizing podcasts, television spots, advertisements, and even a billboard spot in Times Square to get these conditions in front of as many eyes as possible. These clips include messaging of HabitAware’s Keen2 bracelet, the only smartwatch designed specifically to help individuals stop their trichotillomania (hair pulling from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and facial hair), dermatillomania, onychophagia, and a select other few body-focused repetitive behaviors.
This collaboration follows on the initial introduction of Howie and Team HabitAware on the Marcus Lemonis Podcast, where Howie appeared as a surprise guest and connected with co-founder Aneela on mental health advocacy, and how hiding his condition only brought more problems.
“Thank you for being an advocate. As someone who deals with issues each and every day, the first step is being aware… [Keen] really is a brilliant idea.”
–Howie Mandel on the Marcus Lemonis Podcast
Our collaboration not only spreads awareness of trichotillomania, dermatillomania, and onychophagia but spreads reassurance, offering Keen2 as a solution to a problem that many people aren’t aware is a diagnosable mental health condition.
While there is no “cure” for body-focused repetitive behaviors, and no medication has proven to be effective, Keen2 has seen that 5 out of 6 of our users report their awareness of their behavior grew (92%) and their behavior reduced (84%). It is wonderful that Howie Mandel and his team saw the value of Keen2 and the need to spread awareness, and decided on this collaboration.
"Having Howie's seal of approval is very validating. We know we're doing great work in the BFRB community, we hear it from our customers, but it's always been a challenge to get conversation about BFRBs into the mainstream. This collaboration is exciting for many reasons, but most of all for the opportunity to educate and help a wider audience." –Sameer Kumar, HabitAware CEO
The body-focused repetitive behavior community can do their part by sharing the 30-second advertisement on whatever social media platform they use, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TiKTok, or Youtube. Those looking for help with their body-focused repetitive behavior can use the code HOWIE15 to get 15% off of the Keen2 System, which includes the eCourse and the smartwatch.
