Aneela Idnani Kumar, CMO of HabitAware, is open about her decades-long struggle with trichotillomania – a disorder that, for her, resulted in the irresistible urge to pull out her eyebrows and eyelashes. She and her husband, Sameer Kumar, developed a device called Keen to track and alert her to the repetitive behavior.
HabitAware had a big year: The Minneapolis-based startup won the Minnesota Cup and was one of Time Magazine’s best inventions of 2018. Idnani Kumar said she’s encouraged to see so many more startups focused on helping people access quality care and attain mental healthiness, like she is.
Who is the pilot? Who is at fault? What can replace shame? What is more satisfying than a BFRB? How do we organize ourselves? When am I allowed to pull?Featured guest: Ellen Crupi, Director of Awareness at Habit Aware
This post was kindly contributed by Aneela Idnani, Co-Founder of HabitAware.
"For more than 20 years I hid my hair pulling out of shame and fear of judgement.
Hair pulling actually started as thumb sucking as a baby. My parents and grandma did everything in their power to get me to stop – including handmade knitted mittens. My thumb found a way through those holes but eventually I stopped and graduated to hair twirling. Every night, I drank a warm glass of milk & twirled my hair as I fell asleep, all cuddled in my pink comforters."
Not sure which size is right for you?
It's important that Keen has a snug fit on your wrist. Here's a quick guide to help you decide which bracelet size to order:
Small/Medium
Fits kids and adults with small-medium wrists
min: 5.25 inches (13.3 cm)
max: 7.50 inches (19.0 cm)
Large
Fits adults with large wrists
min: 6.15 inches (15.6 cm)
max: 8.50 inches (21.6 cm)
Small/Medium
Fits kids and adults with small-medium wrists
min: 5.1 inches (13.0 cm)
max: 6.8 inches (17.2 cm)
Medium/Large
Fits adults with medium-large wrists
min: 6.3 inches (16.0 cm)
max: 8.2 inches (20.8 cm)