Pulling Out Hair One Strand at a Time

I would see a psychologist or psychiatrist. Sometimes SSRI antidepressants are prescribed for that. It can help. I think the most credible treatment is cognitive behavioral treatment. That just means a specific type of therapy. Get a recommendation for a good therapist that specializes in the condition and go from there. I am sure it is not easy to deal with but just make a pact with yourself that you are going to get help before it takes over your life. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

My sister does this. She says that it helps if you wear your hair UP and/or in a hat to remind yourself NOT to do it. Also, she wears gloves at night to prevent her from doing it in her sleep.

My sister goes a step further, though, and pulls each individual hair through her teeth (biting it loosely) so it curls up like Christmas ribbon. Eww!

I hope the above suggestions help.

Blessings,

P. <><

You have gotten some great feedback so I hope that you are not feeling so alone or anxious. A doctor may recommend medication but part of it is being aware of it and making yourself not do it so one thing you might keep in mind is that you don't want your kids modeling the behavior or picking up some type of nervous habit that is not genetic.

Stress is a big factor and that third kid, seems to be a sort of tipping point for most people. Even if you have a great husband, most of the house and child care falls to you so try to make sure you are not hypercritical of yourself and make sure you are getting some time away from the kiddos either by yourself or enjoying some dates with dad.

First of all, there are a lot of people who do this. I am one of them as is my sister and mom. I have been doing it since I was 12 yrs old. I actually started getting bald patches on the back of my head (after I had my first child) and realized I was pulling out hair faster than it was growing. That is when I started looking into it. Researchers actually think it is a gene defect which means it is genetic, it definitely looks like it in my family! It is important to understand it is not a psychosis and it is not a type of OCD but if you have OCD you're more likely to have trich too. There is therapy to minimize the urge to pull out your hair and antidepression/antianxiety medications that can reduce stress which also can help. Overall, I have been able to slow it down considerably by myself just by becoming aware of why I am doing it (stress, boredom, etc.) but the urge has never fully gone away. Here is the website: http://www.trich.org/index.asp
If you feel that it is a big problem in your life talk to a doctor. Hope this helps!

I have trich as well and have been pulling out my hair ever since I was seven. Like another lady mentioned, it can be controlled by being self-aware. I did counselling and medicine, but those options did not work for me personally. Negative reinforcement only made me worse. My husband has always known about my habit and has been patient and supportive. Ask your husband to be supportive too and have him help you change your surriounding or what your doing if he sees you in the midst of it instead of him telling you that you're doing it becuase it will only make you feel more embarrassed or guilty. I remember I started out because I found a crinkily hair and it went from there. It may not be post partum depression, but you may want to see what is going on in your surroundings once you realize you're doing it. It can be triggered by stress, anger, boredom as essentially when you pull your hair it feels like an emotional release. The official trich site was mentioned, and if you do an online search, you can find other information as well as personal stories.

Hi C., I don't know about this particular thing, but I pick at my head alot and I also twirl my hair alot. I think many people do things like this and we just think we're the only ones. I think if I were you, I'd go see a counselor about it, it sounds like maybe you need some medicine, at least for a little while. Please know you are not alone. Let us know how it goes.

I am a licensed counselor, and I definitely recommend seeking some counseling to deal with this. I agree that is probably in some ways stress related, and counseling can help you with some coping skills and ideas to avoid this behavior. I agree that CBT can be helpful, and meds can help too for some people. You are definitely not alone, but I recommend you seek treatment, as it is rare for a compulsion like this to go away on its own.

Good luck to you!

My sister used to do that when she was a teenager. She did it so much that she had bold patches on her head. We used to tell her to stop doing it but she didn't realize what she was doing. I think it was due to stress. Definitely psychological. When she left home to go study at University, the stress went away and with it her habit of pulling her hair. I guess that what I would advise you is analyze truthfully whether something in your life is bothering you. Something that you are shutting off. Sometimes you can't ignore a problem, it will come back to you in one form or another.
I hope this helps.

Hi C.,

I know a man who does hypnotherapy (I'll have to track down his info) and I remember that he helped a young lady overcome a nervous habit of pulling out her eyebrow hairs.

Also, like many others already mentioned, stress can be a major cause of many issues. Before going on any prescription drugs, I highly recommend that you look into adaptogens! My husband and I ordered an incredible book off Amazon titled Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by Winston and Maimes. It is fascinating. From the book "There is a category of herbs called adaptogens that help the human body adapt to stress, support normal metabolic processes, and restore balance. They increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and promote normal physiologic function".

The 10 most potent adaptogens on the earth, with the highest therapeutic properties available, are now delievered in a fast acting oral spray, called Tunguska Mist. Go to www.TunguskaMistNow.com to learn more.

Tunguska Mist Pure will help reduce the negative effects of stress on your body (weakened immune system, decreased energy, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and fatigue), and help restore balance, or homeostasis. Tunguska Mist tastes great and with the intra-oral spray you get over 90% of the nutrients absorbed immediately, which go to work within seconds.

My husband and I have been taking adaptogens for a while now, and they have made a huge difference for our health and our family. Please let me know if you have any questions. We are passionate about helping people reduce the damaging effects of stress on the body and restoring balance naturally, without medications. Good luck and God Bless:)

Best regards,
N.