How do you help a 9 year old quit pulling out her hair?She is very embarrassed but can't seem to stop. She now has a bald spot behind her ear and can't put her hair up any longer. She is no kidding a beautiful girl, and an A student, plays sports, is well loved and taken care of by her parents. She has 2 sisters one older and one younger. Can anyone help?
Orviston, PA
Sounds like an anxiety problem. I am not sure how to get her to stop. A doctor maybe able to help.
Sharon
It sounds like it could be more of a habit than anything serious. Is she aware that she's doing this when it is happening, or is it being done unconsciously? Has she experienced any emotional situations that she might be internalizing? I have gone through this before myself, only I would tear at my scalp and cause open sores - it was mostly habitual and nothing more than that. She needs to be aware that she is doing this and make a cognitive decision to stop this on her own.
Reanna
When I was 9 I used to pull out my hair because I was very aggressive and self conscious.
Somehow show her the consequences of pulling out her hair and make sure to give her vitamins every day. Vitamins help her hair grow and become healthy. To hide my spot, I got a perm. Maybe you can find out a way to give her a perm? It helps distract from the spot. After a few months of taking vitamins, my hair successfully grew out and I could remove the perm. I hope that this helps!
Marinabean21
tell her how much you love her and that you can help her get through this. I would take her to a doctor to stop this behavior. Depression or anxiety are usually the cause of hair pulling. She could be hiding her feelings because she doesnt want anyone to know. It is a way to release feelings that she cannot express out loud. a therapist would probably help alot so that she can learn to cope with problems in a different way. she could be sad or anxious even though it seems that her life is "perfect". There is probably and underlying problem. Just dont be mad at her and tell her you support her and you love her so much. tell her she can talk to you about anything in confidence and you will be on her side. good luck! :) i hope i helped!
Jerry
I suggest professional EFT (an acupressure technique she can use). A previous answer follows: (meant for adults) Trichotillomania: View http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/1.html about OCD, anxiety, and stress, then pages f, i, and m; see the SJW, & HYPERICUM websites on page b about St. John's Wort, (preferably use a German variety; local ones may vary in efficacy - take with a meal; it usually takes at least 2, and up to 6 weeks, to begin reaching maximum effectiveness) which is believed to act by increasing the availability of the neurotransmitters; serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, moderately, rather than selectively giving the serotonin levels of the brain a large boost, as with antidepressants. Jarsin, Perika, and Kira brands have been recommended. S.J.W. may reduce your vitamin D3 levels; most people are deficient in it. See http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/12/16/my-one-hour-vitamin-d-lecture-to-clear-up-all-your-confusion-on-this-vital-nutrient.aspx Check out: http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.a… and Google: "anxiety; 5-htp" articles. Also consider trying inositol - (it's actually one of the B group vitamins, so you could also combine it with the wort, and possibly a low dosage of 5-htp [no more than 50mg daily] http://westsuffolkpsych.homestead.com/in… ) Use a form of occupational therapy, to keep your mind busy. Another suggestion, for when you catch yourself doing this. Carry a wide rubber band in your pocket: put it on your wrist; stretch, and release, as a means of reinforcing it, and speeding up the process, re-pocketing it afterwards, but I regard this as being purely optional. A support group is at: http://anxiety.wegohealth.com/ocd-support-group/trichotillomania/comments.html and also try: http://dailystrength.org
Cut your hair very short, and wear a wig for a while; then you would only be pulling the wig, while your hair regrows, and you unlearn the habit. Trichotillomania is a habit, which can be unlearned, preferably by replacing it with another, such as worry beads, or a stress ball, EFT*, etc. This may take 30 - 40 repetitions, to establish. Wear a bandanna to sleep, and put band aids on your finger & thumb. Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-… or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody… or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises only; no flexibility required) on page L, at Weebly. Tai Chi, regular yoga, or Qi Gong, suits others better. Give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at www.mercola.com "EFT" & "EFT therapists" - There is a version for use in public places, (if you want to, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I pull my hair/eyelashes out, I deeply and completely accept myself". The acupressure technique can also be used to replace the hair pulling, (and there is a variation for use in public places, for which you can reasonably claim to have a headache) so give it a good tryout. Professional EFT is always preferable. Try to find a therapist who uses Habit Reversal Training. Google: "Clinical psychologists; (your city); (your state)" Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has
some via their searchbar about hair or eyelash pulling, and controlling impulses.
View http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip570.htm Read: The Hair-Pulling Problem: A Complete Guide to Trichotillomania by Fred Penzel, & Stay Out of My Hair by Suzanne Mouton-Odum and Ruth Golomb, & Treating Trichotillomania: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Hairpulling and Related Problems by Martin E. Franklin and David F. Tolin, & Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work) by Douglas W. Woods and Michael P Twohig, & The Hair-Pulling Problem: A Complete Guide to Trichotillomania," Oxford University Press, 2003. You can find out more about it at: www.trichbook.com Try the searchbar at Amazon for more media.
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