Why is my 7 yr old daughter pulling out her hair?

Question

I have a 7yr old daughter who began about 8 months ago pulling out her eyelashes, she then moved on to her eyelashes and eye brows, now she does both of them and about 3 wks ago she began pulling out her hair straind by straind, and she has a huge bald spot at the crown of her head, and just two days ago she made a spot in the middle front. I am so concerned about this, I have researched it on the net and it says it can be linked to bi-polar and adhd combination, is there anyone out there that can help me or has anyone ever had anything like this happen with themselves or with a family member and if so what was the problem, and what is the solution??????????????

Answer 1

Stress

Answer 2

I think you need to seek professional help. Dont panic but just matter of fact tell her that you need to get some help. Call your pediatrician who should know a referral for you and if he/she doesnt then call the pediatric psychiatry department of your nearest academic hospital

Answer 3

I remember doing this as a kid,, mostly out of boredom... I'd pull on all my hair (eyelashes, brows, head....)   I never did it enough to noticeablebly have a bald spot,, i dont really know why I done it :)

But I'm 23 and fine now.

The worst thing was when I went through a few years where I'd chew on the sides of my cheeks (inside) and theyd get raw... this was a really hard habit to break

again I really believe it was all out of boredom, and maybe stress...trying to keep my feelings inside?. I'd do it while sitting in class (I was straight A's and generally bored by everything....) and especially when stressed out by my dad, (arguing, getting a "talking to" etc)  I believe you should take her to the doctor and they may be able to give her medication because if she doesnt realize that she needs to stop then it will only get worse....

interestingly enough, i never sucked my thumb or bit my nails.

good luck

Answer 4

I've never had it happen to someone I know but I would definately take her to see her pediatrician and have them take a look.  I could very well be that she needs to see a therapist.

Answer 5

It sounds to me like a nervous disorder. My step brother use to twist his hair until it would come out. He has autism and other problems. He is not like "Rain Man" and I guess would be a higher functioning autistic person. But suffered for years before he got the proper help. Your doctor would be the best first step. Please do not ignore it. She needs help and needs to learn how to cope with what is causing the problem.

It is not a reflection on us if our children have these disorders (most of the time) it is however a reflection on us if we do not get them the proper help they need.

Good luck and remember to love her for who she is quirks and all.

Answer 6

my daughter went thru a bout like that when she was around 9, it seemed me divoricing her father really stressed her out, i took her to see a dr and she talked it through with a good child psyc, trichotillomania is prob the cause, and needs medical attention right away...and open communication between you and her is also great

Answer 7

I used to do the very same thing when I was a lot younger, it was a habit that I gained and soon I had a bald spot on my head too!

I don't know if this might be the same for your daughter but for me it was stress. Whenever I would get stressed I would start pulling out my hair a lot! For me it was a case of OCD.

It was a habit that I slowly needed to work at to break, this might sound really weird but what my mother did for me is she had me take Chinese traditional medicine (CTM), or Chinese herbs, from a professional Chinese herbalist, it worked for me and some of my friends parents started using it too.

I know it sounds really crazy, but I soon got over the habit and learned to control myself better, and it made me more relaxed. I hope this helps!!

Answer 8

See a doctor... There is a condition called trichotillomania where people get a 'kick' out of pulling their hair out, could be behavioural.  She might be stressed or worried about something.  Good luck x

Answer 9

I am sorry but you say this has been going on for 8 months , have you done nothing??? This is a major thing and she needs help now. The longer you leave it the harder to treat her for it will be. Get to a pychiatrist now.

Answer 10

yea i think u should take her to psychiatric .. that is just not normal.....

or maybe she rebelling against something u or some one did ... just go to the doc... OK  do not let it get any worse.... take good care of her!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

i hope you're okay, that must be traumatic, see a doctor who will refer you to a child psychologist

Answer 12

trichotillomania

see a psych

Answer 13

wow!

go to the doctor.

Answer 14

STUPID THAT SAYS IT ALL\

CONTROL HER !

Answer 15

it is a disorder get her to a docter soon

Answer 16

Good Question.

Answer 17

It's called trichotillomania. Some consider it a form of self injury, but it doesn't seem like your daughter is really doing it to inflict pain upon herself, so I wouldn't really classify it as that.

My brother used to do it. It's related to stress and OCD. Does your daughter have any OCD tendencies? Perfectionist, repeating things, etc? That could be checked out.

My brother just took the time to force himself to stop. He said his head felt "dirty" so he picked at and pulled out his hair, and to get rid of that he'd go shampoo if he needed to get rid of the urge.

Try to locate when your daughter does it, and think of alternative behaviours for her to replace that habit with. Ask her to tell you when she has an "urge" to do it, and help her overcome the urge or help her wash her hair to "clean" it.

Answer 18

theres an actual disorder for that kind of thing, trichotillomania. check it on google and take your kid to get checked out.

Answer 19

I agree with jenna b.

Answer 20

You need to make an appointment wit your child's pediatrician to rule out anything physical going on ..Your pediatrician will also set up a referral to a child psychologist

She may have developed a "condition" called trichotillomania.

http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets...

http://www.trich.org/articles/trich_guid...  

Please see your Doctor.  Good Luck .

Answer 21

i would take her to the doctor as soon as possible that is a disorder.  chances are they will send her to a psychiatrist and prescriber her some medication. but i would take her soon.

Answer 22

Apart from trichotillomania which most of the other contributors have informed you about it is also a sign of anxiety. I know of a good friend who's sister didn't begin to do it until she was in her early twenties. I think visiting a therapist to eliminate any possibility of underlying trauma/anxiety would be my first step before I saw a psychiatrist who will most likely label and then prescribe.

Best of Luck.

Answer 23

See a psychologist. She could be suffering from a disorder called trichotillomania (not sure about the spelling, but it's a real disorder), which manifests as a compulsive urge to pull out one's hair.