Draft:Ruben Chorlton-Owen

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Ruben Chorlton-Owen
Born (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001
Abersoch, Gwynedd, Wales
OccupationSocial media creator

Trichotillomania

Chorlton-Owen was diagnosed with trichotillomania at around the age of 14, approximately 10 years before speaking publicly about the condition. The condition involves compulsive hair pulling, and he has said it mainly affects his eyebrows and beard, particularly during periods of anxiety.

At its most severe, he removed most of his eyebrow hair and told others the loss was due to shaving accidents. In March 2026, he told BBC News that living with the condition had been difficult due to the associated stigma, including the challenge of discussing it openly.[1][2]

Chorlton-Owen has also written about his experiences with trichotillomania for YoungMinds, a UK mental health charity.[3]

The condition was also covered by the Daily Mirror, WalesOnline and Daily Post.[4][5][6]

He has said that speaking publicly about the condition was to help reduce stigma and make others feel less isolated.

AI-generated imagery incident

Chorlton-Owen was also featured in reporting by Metro News regarding concerns about AI-generated sexualised imagery on the social media platform X, where he described having manipulated images created from his publicly available photos and raised concerns about the ease and speed at which such content can be generated and shared.[7][8]

Hair transplant complication

In November 2022, at the age of 22, Chorlton-Owen travelled to Turkey to undergo a hair transplant procedure. He was advised to avoid sexual activity for approximately one week during recovery.

After returning to Wales, he did not follow this advice and the following morning experienced swelling to his face and scalp. He later told media outlets that his head had “blew up like a balloon” and that his face appeared as though it had been stung by bees. The swelling lasted around a week before subsiding.[9][10][11]

The incident was also featured in a segment on the Brazilian television programme Fantástico, which covered medical tourism and hair transplant procedures in Turkey.[12]

References

  1. "Man shares experience of trichotillomania to raise awareness". BBC News. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  2. "Dwi'n tynnu fy ngwallt allan - mae angen siarad am y cyflwr Trichotillomania". BBC Cymru Fyw. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  3. "My hidden struggle with trichotillomania". YoungMinds. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  4. "I suffer with rare condition that makes me pull my own eyebrows out". Daily Mirror. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  5. "Welshman suffers rare condition that sees him pull out his own eyebrows and beard". WalesOnline. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  6. "I suffer rare condition that makes me pull out my own eyebrows and beard". Daily Post. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  7. "X allowing users to post sexualised images via AI raises concerns". Metro. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  8. "Ofcom launches investigation into X over Grok AI content". Metro. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  9. "Man ignored 'no sex' advice after hair transplant and soon pays the price". Daily Mirror. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  10. "Horny hair transplant patient says his head 'blew up like a balloon' after ignoring a surprising post-surgery rule". New York Post. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  11. "This is what happens when you break the 'no sex' rule after a hair transplant". Vice. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  12. "Turquia vira capital mundial do transplante capilar e atrai pacientes de todo o mundo". Fantástico (TV Globo). 28 September 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2026.

Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:People from Gwynedd Category:Welsh people