Hair Pulling

I have a 5 year old and she pulls her hair out quite frequently to the point that half of her head will be bald.  Sometimes she stops, her hair grows back in, and I think that she is done doing it.  Then before I know it, I start to see the baldness again.  She's smart enough now that she does it when I'm not around, usually at night.  We've been to a child psychologist who thinks its just a habit.  We've also tried lots of different things like something to play with rather than pulling.  Anyone else in the same situation???  Any ideas???  Is it just a habit or something else more serious?

[Encephalomalcia]

Wondering if she feels stressed.  If a person feels stressed they can pull hair out.  My aunt did this when she went through a divorce.  Not sure why else a child would do this.  

[jdtm]

Pulling out one's hair is called Trichotillomania.  It is an anxiety disorder.  I might suggest you google the word to find out more about this issue.  Hope this helps ...

[nursemomma]

You should consult your child's doctor.  It is most likely due to stress.  My daughter did this and ended up with an intestinal blockage because of a "hair ball"  
We had no idea!