Hair Pulling Problems? How to Stop Trichotillomania

How to Stop Trichotillomania

Many people will pull at stray hairs or find themselves absentmindedly picking at strands. This is normal and inconsequential behavior for many people, but for some people, this picking can get out of control and may be a sign of other serious problems.

What is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania is a mental health disorder characterized by excessive hair pulling including hair on top of the head as well as eyebrows, eyelashes, and occasionally other parts of the body. It is sometimes also called hair pulling disorder and can range from mild to severe. Although the result of this unnecessary hair pulling can become noticeable, many people with this disorder struggle to stop and control these strong urges. In some cases, people with trichotillomania may also bite their nails or pick their skin excessively.

Anxiety and hair pulling can often be connected, but trichotillomania may also be a response to stress, loneliness, or other negative emotions. Hair pulling becomes a form of relief, so the person will continue this behavior despite negative consequences later. Mental health care can usually help people learn other ways of coping with their emotions. Some people with trichotillomania may also engage in hair pulling without realizing it in the moment.

How to Treat Trichotillomania & Stop Hair Pulling

Unfortunately, this excessive hair pulling can lead to noticeable and even embarrassing changes to a person’s physical appearance. Instead of trying to hide these bald patches, these tips on how to stop trichotillomania could help you quit the hair pulling for good.

Occupy Yourself with Something Else

People with more milder cases of trichotillomania may be able to stop pulling hair by simply replacing this repetitive action with something else. Keep a fidget spinner or stress ball on hand. When you feel the desire to start hair pulling, use one of these gadgets instead.

Recognize Triggers

When you do feel the desire to pull at your hair, take a moment to think about what brought on this urge. When you can recognize these triggers more easily, you can prepare for them and eventually change how you react to them.

Meditation

Especially if hair pulling is brought on by stress or anxiety, taking a moment to collect yourself and regain control of your racing thoughts may be able to decrease your urge to hair pull. Meditation is often an effective reliever of stress and anxiety so it can help people cope with the triggers that bring these urges on. Eventually, meditation may become your new form of coping and replace hair pulling altogether.

Pull Back or Cover Hair

If you are struggling to stop pulling your hair, make your hair less accessible. A hat or tight braid makes it harder to get at the hair at your head, and this one added obstacle can give you enough pause to stop yourself before you start. Eyebrows and eyelashes may be harder to cover, but some hats or glasses can help.

How Does Sensory Input Trigger Hair Pulling or Skin Picking?

Sensory input plays a critical role in triggering hair pulling or skin picking behaviors. It's often a visual or tactile stimulation that sets off the urge.

Visual Stimuli

• Seeing an Imperfection: When you notice an out-of-place hair, a piece of flaky skin, or an uneven nail, your brain registers it as something that needs correction. This visual cue can rapidly escalate into an overwhelming urge to remove the perceived flaw.

Tactile Stimuli

• Feeling an Irregularity: Sometimes, merely touching a rough spot on your skin or a jagged nail edge is enough to induce the urge to pick or pull. The tactile sensation creates a need to smooth things out, leading to repeated behaviors.

The Psychological Mechanism

Once the sensory input is received, it triggers a psychological feedback loop:

1. Recognition: Your brain identifies the imperfection or irregularity.
2. Urgency: A growing sense of discomfort emerges, compelling you to fix the issue immediately.
3. Action: You pull the hair or pick the skin to alleviate the discomfort.

Emotional Relief and Reinforcement

• Momentary Satisfaction: Performing the action provides brief emotional relief, reinforcing the behavior. This makes you more likely to repeat it the next time you encounter similar sensory inputs.

Understanding these triggers can be the first step in managing and reducing these behaviors. By identifying what prompts you to pull or pick, you can develop strategies to counteract them and promote healthier habits.

How Can the Environment Trigger Hair Pulling or Skin Picking?

The environment plays a pivotal role in triggering hair pulling (trichotillomania) and skin picking (dermatillomania).

Here are some common environmental factors:

1. Location-Specific Triggers:

   • In the Car: The isolation and long periods of inactivity can prompt these behaviors. Without external engagement, the mind often turns to self-soothing actions.
   • In Bed: As you wind down from the day, the quiet and lack of distractions can lead to increased awareness of bodily sensations and heightened urges.
   • Watching TV: The passive nature of watching television can lead to fidgeting and unconscious habits, as the mind is not fully engaged.

2. Social Situations:

   • Social Gatherings: Anxiety or stress in social settings can serve as triggers. The need for a coping mechanism in such high-stress environments can lead to these behaviors.
   • Being Alone: Conversely, solitude can also be a trigger. The lack of social interaction and accountability may make it easier to engage in these behaviors unnoticed.

3. Emotional States:

   • Stressful Environments: High-pressure situations, whether at work or home, can amplify the urge to pull hair or pick skin as a means of releasing tension.
   • Relaxed Settings: Paradoxically, calm environments where one feels secure and unobserved can also trigger these actions, as the mind may seek out familiar comforting rituals.

Tips to Manage Environmental Triggers

• Mindful Awareness: Being conscious of where and when the urges occur can help in managing them. Keep a journal to track patterns.
• Environment Modification: Altering your environment to reduce triggers can be highly beneficial. This could include keeping hands busy with stress balls or fidget toys.
• Engagement in Activities: Keeping occupied with activities that require active engagement, such as reading or puzzles, can divert attention from these urges.

By understanding the environmental factors contributing to hair pulling and skin picking, one can develop strategies to manage and reduce these behaviors effectively.

Get Professional Help

Especially because people with trichotillomania often have co-occurring anxiety or other mental health disorders, these at-home tricks to stop hair pulling anxiety may not be sufficient. Trichotillomania treatment itself may require a combination or psychotherapies and medication. There may also be deep-seated problems at play that only a professional can address or other problems present as well as substance abuse. Our dual diagnosis treatment in Florida can help people address all of these issues together for lasting relief.

If you’ve tried, but still do not know how to stop trichotillomania on your own, we are here. At Banyan Mental Health, we help people with various mental health problems find relief from their symptoms and improve their lives.

Whether you struggle with poor mental health yourself or have a loved one with a mental health disorder, reach out to us today for help at 888-280-4763.