How to stop a child from chewing her hair?

Question

My 7 year old daughter chews on her hair ALL THE TIME and it is constantly crusty looking. If I pull it back into a pony tail, she just pulls the whole tail into her mouth. If I keep it up in a bun or something that she can't get in her mouth, then she licks her lips instead! And she will l**k her lips until they are red and sore all around her mouth. I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to cut her hair because she would l**k her lips all the time then! She has some kind of oral fixation I swear!

Answer 1

Spank her butt

Answer 2

I have a friend whose daughter actually pulls and eats her hair constantly.  She has been diagnosed with an actual disorder called

Trichotillomania.

You may want to talk to your doctor specifically about this, if the below information is consistent with your daughters behavior.

    Common trichotillomania symptoms include...

    1. Obsessive hair pulling that results in serious hair loss...

    2. A sharp increase in tension right before you beging pulling your hair out.

    3. An immediate sense of pleasure when pulling hair out.

    4. Extreme distress in your social life, job, and every area of your life is affected by this condition.

    

This is the dangerous cycle of trichotillomania, it actually becomes addicting to pull your hair out.

Some people don't even notice or know when they are pulling their hair out...

People with trichotillomania pull out more than just the hair on their head...some with this condition even pull places like their scalp, eyebrows, pubic area, and even eyelashes. Most people with this condition put the hair in their mouth after pulling it.

Trichotillomania is a medical condition...its not easily stopped with common practices.

Trichotillomania is classified as a compulsive behavior this means that you probably feel an overwhelming urge to pull your hair out, even when consciously you know you shouldn't.

    What Are Secondary Symptoms Of Trichotillomania?

    * Other common symptoms of trichotillomania include skin picking, nail biting, high levels of anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts.

      

    * Most trichotillomania suffers have embarrassment, frustration, shame, and depression about the condition...plus was worst is most people never want to share this condition with anyone, which makes it very difficult to get others to help you.

      

    * Denial of the condition is very common.

      

    * A bowel infection will be caused if the hair that is pulled is eaten on a consistent basis.

Answer 3

don't spank her, that's ridiculous. Just give her something to chew like sugarless gum.

Answer 4

My 7 year old daughter does the same thing.  She has always been a chewer (clothes, hair, etc.)  I've found that gum does help.

Answer 5

im 23 and I still do that time to time.. Just remind her to stop and not to do it.

Answer 6

I cut my 6 yr old daughter's hair and now she bites her lip...all the time! It drives me nuts. At her yearly check-up last week the doc said give her something else to chew. You might try that. I have been keeping sugar-free gum on hand and also been giving her straws to chew. Seems to be working pretty good. Not too sure about school though. I guess she'll be a pencil chewer. Good luck.

Answer 7

I still say cut it short and be sure to put lip balm on her lips a lot to keep them from getting chapped. Make sure she is getting enough fluids. Sometimes oral habits like that come from dehydration.  

But if she likes long hair then insisting on it being short until she stops her habit will help immensely.