hair, hair, HAIR!

[IRainI]

Since my daughter was a year old, she started pulling out her hair on the left side, she'd wrap it around her finger and suck on it, chew it, play with it ect... by the time she was 2 is when i really noticed she was PULLING it out, one side of her head and on the top was short....way short(above ear) and the other side was long with the pretty little baby curl. I became worried, i'd heard of trichotelamania(dont know how to spell it) or trich, which is the compulsive disorder where a person pulls out there hair uncontrolably, so i went to the Dr. she was 2 1/2 at the time, she told me not to worry, it was just a comfort thing, so i decided to break the finger sucking habit, that seemed to be the only time she would pull her hair. I created a chart that she would get stickers on everytime i'd see her without her finger in her mouth it worked!!! 2 weeks and the finger habit was gone! her hair began to grow out, we got her a haircut so the sides would be even, and it never really seemed to become even, she is now 4 and I'll catch her with hair in her hand atleast twice a day, this is during relaxing time, watching tv, and occassionally playing. So I started a hair chart! it doesnt seem to be working as well....she is aware of the fact that she is pulling her hair out, but seems to not beable to control it. She has also begun bitting her nails for about 6 months now, that I dont mind so much, she seems to need a habit unfortunately.....I just need help, tools to get her to stop pulling her hair out!

[jdesouza]

Sorry to hear about this. A friend of mine had a similar problem and she resorted to cutting the baby's hair really short so she could not pull it out. She kept it short for a few months and then let it grown back out and the child stopped doing it. Might be worth a try.

[AfricanGrey]

I think that's a great idea about the really short hair cut.

[IRainI]

we did cut her hair when she was 2, but she is now four, and will throw a fit if we cut her hair....She does want it long, I suppose i could explain to her that if she continues to pull her hair out we'll have to cut it, that may work, i just dont want to go to that extreme yet, her hair just started looking good, its not as bad as it was, and she does still pull it not nearly as much though, i really need tools to use for rewarding her when she doesnt pull her hair, or someething like that, i appreciate the advise, but dont want to chop her hair off at this time, i feel that there is still SOMETHING else i can do to break this habit, considering she pulls from the top of her head, i'd have to shave it.....

[tannersmom36]

I have a 12 year old son who has been pulling his hair out (trichatelomania) since he was 7, he doesn't know when he is pulling.  We call it picking.  We have tried negative and positive reiforcement and neither have seemed to help at all.  I am most concerned with him going into Jr. High next year with the social stigma that will be attached to his splothy bald head.  We try to keep it short and it just makes it worse, it show up more.  He has gone to school with the kids he is with now since kindergarten, so they know what is going on and help him when they can, but next year there will be kids that have no idea what is going on with him, I am afraid that they will pick on him and that will only make it worse.  I have not been able to find a doctor that specializes in this type of disorder.  He has been on many medications that I essentially had to take him off of due to them not working.  I am tired of having him on meds that are not needed.  Who knows what kind of damage I have done to my child now.  If there is anyone out there that can help with this please let me know.

[Joymom]

I have a 16 year old daughther who has pulled her hair out since 1st grade.  It was just a little bald patch here or there that would be covered by parting her hair differently.  When she went to Middle School, all hell broke loose with her hair pulling (there were other problems between her and the teachers/principal, etc) that made it worse.  They didn't understand the problem and never took the time to understand.  The school had to be perfect with little tin soldier students in perfect lines, with perfect hair, face, teeth, etc.  Well, my daughter marched to the beat of a different drummer, and we had to pull her out and home school her.  She has now completed 2 years of high school and the teachers/counselors/kids at the high school have all been great-with a few exceptions of course.  She continues to pull her hair out and it gets better during the summer, gets worse during school.  There's no medication that works, believe me, I know from experience.  Just love them and tell them to stop pulling.  My mother-in-law stopped putting my daughter's pictures out on display after she started pulling her hair out, which broke my heart.  I have my daughter's pictures out hair or no hair.   All I can say is just love your child, and hope that he stops it eventually.

[777boo]

my friend has this disorder sevierly all his life and he says that it releases chemicals in his brain and he won't stop and i wan't to help him, how can i help him please someone tell us if there is anyone medicine to help or therapy or hypnosis to help him, as he is in  terror and i love him before it's too late!!
love, cindy his best friend

[Debbie42]

Unfortunately, my 15 year old daughter had a sudden onset of trichatelomania.  she has done a great deal of damage in pulling the left side of her hair out.  Yes, you're right, there are no meds for this disorder.  I have spent a fortune over the last 3 month in seeking help.  Let me tell you what has helped.   My daughter wears a bandaid on each of her index fingers to school everyday.  This helps remind her not to pull.  Also, when she is home, she wears a hat on her head.  Yes, this sounds silly, but works.  Whatever it takes, we'll try.
Fell free to email me.
Debbie

[high_schooler]

i am a 18 year old male high school student and i have suffered from this since first grade. i've had bald spots on my head, legs and the worse was when i started pulling out my eye lashes. i went through 3 years of hell in middle school since i pulled out all of the eye lashes on my top eyelids. I went to a psychologist who tried everything from medication to hypnosis and nothing worked. i have finally calmed down in high school but it has never fully gone away. i still have small bald spots on my legs and i pull out my eye lashes every now and then buts its not really noticeable. this habit happens uncontrollably and i used to zone out for 30 minutes plucking hairs and not even know until i was finished, which just depressed me more. It was also hard to go through middle school which is already hard enough for "normal" children. i did get ridiculed but never that badly. I am friendly with majority of the people at my school, and now a days people seem to rarely care (except from time to time i get the "hey aren't you the kid with no eye lashes"). This is a hard topic to talk about for me personally but if any one would like to email me feel free to at ***@****

[Singingthroughit93]

I am 15 years of age and suffer from this disorder also. I have been "picking" since I was about 7 years old. It has been so hard and stressful on my family and I. My sister, 12, and first cousin, also 15, has trich too. I first picked out all my eyelashes and then eyebrows. Then when I was between 11 and 12 I let them all grow back somehow... But when I was 13 I started picking from my head. This has been the worst! I still continue and you could probably say it's at it's all time worst. I have seen specialists for this but they just told me things to do instead of pick. Recently I went to pediatric sychiatrist and she prescribed Prozac.. But my family and I are very nervous about taking it. We have it but I haven't taken it yet. Does anyone know if it has made a possitive effect?

[4Bree]

Counciling, with others with the same disorder, talk about everything.  High_Schooler you may be the one to open a group where you will feel safe to talk about how you feel, has to be in person, not on line, I have worked in the industry of Hair Care for 20 + yr. and have seen clients with this, totally bald on the top, or where ever the hair is pulled.  Stress Alipicia, the root will be shocked into a permanent dormant state.  You may also try a dermatologist, but best to brain storm with others who share their person stories.  Meditation, also a strong avenue to look into.  If your brain is telling you to do something, & your unaware of the behaivior at the time, Meditate and tell your brain to stop.  Yes I am serious, it has been proven medicaly to work with many health concerns. If you decide to meditate, you must go into it open minded, not, I'll try but this will never work, you must see yourself stopping the behaivior, through meditation, and knowing this is my cure.
Best of luck to all.