pulling strands of hair out

LegacyUser

Hi, I'm really getting annoyed with myself, I seem to be both consciously and unconsciously pulling individual strands of my hair out, every time I am relaxing at home or stressed I find myself feeling my hair for damaged strands or ones that feel crinkly. Not enough that I have any bald patches or anything because I don't pull clumps at a time just individual ones dozens of times a day, but i'm afraid I am weakening the hair around it and am worried it will effect me in later life, but I just can't stop. I really want to stop but its like I can't stand knowing I haven't checked it that day, sometimes I only become aware i'm doing it because my arm feels strained from reaching up. Does anyone else do this? or can advise me on how to stop, or even become aware i'm doing it

Peggypeg

Hey OP,

That sounds like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), it's when a person continually does something, i.e. turning on/off lights, washing the kettle etc. I think it's associated with stress. I have heard of people having OCD with hair pulling, it can get very bad if left unaddressed. I think you should visit your GP and get some advice.

Best of luck.

dublingal80

I knew a girl that used to pick at the crown of her head... its like what the above poster said, its ocd. She usually did it if she was stressed but it then got to the stage where she wouldnt even know she was doing it. She would be talking to me, having a laugh, while trying to pull out some hair. Definitely go to your GP and talk to him/her about it. Better now than a few more weeks/months down the line when its worse

The Recliner

The term for it is Trichotillomania

Have a read of this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

I think a lot of people have mild forms of it, I do to a certain extent when I grow facial hair, it would only be a concern if it became obsessive

martdalto

I'm no expert (just a mild hair puller myself!) but I don't think it's OCD, or anywhere near it... well not yet anyway.

I do it alot, pulling loose hairs from the bottom of my hair. Sometimes I reach around the top and pull out the "crinkly" ones too, and then play with it for a while.

It's a habit that a lot of people have - I have a friend who's a hairdresser, she does it too, and says the amount of people who do sit around pulling out the loose strands, or breaking off split ends, is huge!

If you are REALLY worried about it and find you can't break the habit, THEN maybe go about seeing is it OCD, but I think at the moment, you just have a habit... nothing more. Again, I'm no expert, I'm basing this on what I do myself, and on what I know alot of people with long hair tend to do.

It's a habit, that you can try break - maybe tie your hair up more often so it's not as easy to pull out, or treat yourself to a brand new "do". Try to distract your hands by doing something else.. take up knitting for example (!) I'm not being funny by the way, it doesn't have to be knitting, but something that would keep your hands busy. Try to substitute the hair pulling with something else.

(Now, all I have to do is take my own advice, and stop it myself!)


EDIT: By the way I was told that as we get older, so does our hair (obviously) and the "crinkly" hair is just hair that is drier. So when you condition it.. use a bit more conditioner than you normally would and leave it in for a bit longer. This might cut down on the crinkly ones, and stop you pulling those out for a start?

Nevyn

If it's distressing you then talk to your dr about it.
Only a dr can refer a person for a diagnoises of OCD.

I'm have some of those issues myself, it tends to be stress related and you can keep yourself busy with other things.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I know what you mean, I do it with my eyelashes, i know! it sounds mad! but when im chillin out i pull at them and if they are itchy i just pull at them its weird, i felt like a freak for years about it, i know lots of my friends who have similar habits, one of my other friends cant touch the ends of her trousers! and she washes her hands till they bleed, another friends cant stop saying four fours in her head over and over,

mine was really bad years ago i started when i was 13 and i would try and hide it by drawing a line on my eye because i would have gaps in my eyes, i looked like a sap, but it was so hard to stop, i actually got hypnotized a few years ago and that worked, but recently i have just started doing it again, i always feel it is related to my anxieties and its a comfort thing, you kind of go into a trance and before you know it you've done loads. I think its along the same lines as cutting and self harming, new age habits!!

The best advice i can give is to try not to feel shame about it or that you are weird, to accept it as part of you but if you feel you would like to get further advice to see a doctor, then do.


Best of luck anyway.

havana

I do this too. Alot, especially if i am stressed in anyway. But also out of boredom. The hair on the crown of my head in now really broken and thinned out, and looks terrible. It's a job every day to style it so It's not so obvious. It really got me down a couple of weeks ago and i've been working really hard to stop it. Now have no nails but willing to pay that price :-) one thing that does help is to have something to fiddle with, like a stress ball or a ball of blu tak.

If you haven't yet reach the point where It's noticeable then act now. For me it became a vicious circle. I was stressed so i pulled at my hair, which caused me more stress, adding to the problem.

good luck

LegacyUser

Thank you for the replies. One thing that struck me from the recliners post was when I looked up Trichotillomania one of the syptoms is rubbing the hair along the lips which I do and getting imense pleasure from pulling as I do, but I think that's going a bit too far because I can control it in the sense that I wouldn't do it in public on a bus or anything; but if I am honest with myself it is becoming a bit of a problem because I have this incredible feeling of apprehension if I haven't done it enough. I also have to wash my hair everyday, and can't wear it tied up. I'd be reluctant to go to the doctor about it now as it seems a lot of people do it and it might just be a habit that I can't shake, I've been doing this a long time and have made a conscious effort to stop but the want to pull seems to win over the concern I have for my hair weakening or falling out. Does anyone know if pulling in strands and not clumps can lead to hair falling out or anything?

Wibbs

Look IMHO there's been way too much online diagnosis so far, so lets ease off on it please. *Mod hat off*


frenchie3 any behaviour that you find difficult to stop and that is affecting your life is important enough to seek an experts view of it. It may be nothing, a phase or whatever, but they can give you ways and means to reduce it's impact on your life, coping strategies to deal with the stress and help you stop. Go to your GP and get a referal to a counselor. It's a common enough issue so there's much out there that can help you nip this in the bud.

Kooli

It certainly sounds like Trich.

OCD Ireland provide a lot of information and support. Check it out:

http://www.ocdireland.org/trich.shtml

They do public lectures in St. Pat's hospital about lots of different topics including this - it looks like they're having one in January called 'An overview of Trichotillomania'. That might be something to pop along to to find out more and then maybe go and see a professional if you want to nip this habit in the bud.

Best of luck with it!

havana

From what i've read about hair pulling it will nearly always grow back unless the problem is so excessive that you've damaged the folicle. My hair does come out alot but i'm not sure if it's related to my hair pulling.
And thanks for that info kooli. I'll hopefully get along to that. Very close to me which is handy

Anti

Heh i actually do this myself when i feel down or am stressed over anything. I thought i was alone in it too, seems not. I did it a few times with my sideburns where there was a noticeable patch missing out of it. Now i just keep in mind when im doing it and try to stop myself. I wouldn't consider it OCD tbh, some people bite their nails, twizzle hair etc etc. Its just a natural way of dealign with things i guess.

LadyMayBelle

frenchie3 wrote: »

ut i'm afraid I am weakening the hair around it and am worried it will effect me in later life, but I just can't stop.

I do it, and now the people around me don't even realise I do it as it has become a part of me. But I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to stop it. I have had short hair around certain parts of my head for years, again people don't notice as it isn't bald patches, but new hairdressers ask if I took the scissors to myself or have I overdone the straightener....I have done neither. For me it has become a burden for sure, as I have done it for near 13 years now. It's embarrassing as mine is hidden more so than eyelashes or eyebrows but equally as distressing for me .So if you find it is bothering you PLEASE get some help for it. My hair is now an inch below my ears which has taken 5 years of hard, hard non-pulling dedication.

kjl

take up knitting

LegacyUser

Well OP, your definitely not alone on this one.

I myself used to do it. I used to be really bad where i would twist the hairs out at the tops of my legs and pull out my eye lashes(I also liked the feeling of rubbing them between my fingers.Weird i know:o)It was mostly out of boredom . The thing is i could always stop when i know i was going to far , so i've never had a gap in the eyebrow or bald spot on the head.

Now i'm a lot less picky :rolleyes: . but if there's a tiny wire-like hair out of place ... IT MUST GO... I could be ages just trying to pull it out with my nails

With some people there is a connection with Trichotillomania and OCD . Sadly i'm one of them i have a mild form of it e.g a thought would pop in to my head saying did you lock the door.I would then have to walk back even if it was a 20 min walk back to make sure the door was locked. I also have to wander around the house making sure the taps are all tightly sealed , windows are closed and to make sure i really turned off my laptop.

Anyway sorry mods , going off topic !!

The thing is i wouldn't called it OCD if you just have a habit of hair picking. If you do any thing else kinda strange . it wouldn't hurt to go to a doctor

Link on OCD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder

cailindana

o my god, i do the exact same and didnt realise so many people do it! i find its worse around the times when i would have exams etc and often without realising it I could pull out a whole lot of hair and have a big pile of it on the floor beside me. Like the other posters I usually search for the 'crinkly' ones first! beginning to develop a slight baldy area on my left side of my head which is probably a sign I should try stop this but I find it a comfort even though it hurts sometimes!

ella87

Hi!
Your a trichster so they say I have it myself.
it's an overwhelming feeling that you have to pull out "abnormal" hairs like crinkly ones or ones with split ends I did it so bad when I was a teen I had really bald spots and had to use a special hairspray to hide them until it grew back
it was a total blow to my confidence and still is! it's extremely hard to beat it you want to pull out your hair so much and when you do you feel so guilty it's horrible! it's so embarrassing going to the hairdressers too!
It's a lose lose kinda situation.
mine gets worse when I'm stressed or just sitting around doing nothing I don't even realise I'm doing it half the time.
I just try and beat it by wearing a hat inside or putting up my hair so I can't get at my hair.
good luck with it all your not alone just try and think about what your doing when you start and stop also try keep your hands busy play the xbox or something like I do
Btw It's not a habit for whoever said that.