How to Help a Child Who Pulls Hair or Picks Skin: Interview with Aneela & Ellen from Habitaware

[@gvitzman]

Our daughter started pulling her eyebrows and eyelashes when she was 3 or 4. It was heartbreaking. We tried lots of therapy, and then the Keen bracelet, but sadly nothing seemed to work. Then a friend of ours told us she went to a Hypnitherapist and it cured her of her bad habit. We were skeptical, but desperate. So after 3 or 4 years of nothing else working, we decided to take our daughter to the Hypnotherapist when she was 7. After about 3 sessions, she hasn't pulled for almost 4 months!! She says she has no desire to pull any more too. Well see if it lasts, but so far hypnotherapy is the only thing that seems to have worked. I wanted to share so hopefully if any of you struggle with trich too, you may want to find a good hypnotherapist and try it.

[@vparsadie5706]

Thanks soo much for this. My son is 3 and a half and has started cuticle picking. I didn't even know this was a thing! I stumbled on this by accident because I was searching about teaching him about feelings and read your article on anxiety. Thank you again!

[@psycheku]

Thank you so much for this. I am a therapist but I see only adults. I have a 5 year old who has started picking behaviors. He will will pick at his finger and toe nails. He will will pick and rub his lips, pick his nose, and rub his eyes. He rubs his face so much that his eyes, lips, and cheeks become red and blistered. I found this video after i yelled at him for picking at his face. Does the Keen bracelet work for kids who are 5 years old?

[@kaitlynmcguire4451]

Do you have child size bracelets?

[@HighImpactClub]

That’s great advice, thank you so much. What would you do with toddlers biting others?

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

I think that is a very different issue. Teaching toddlers to express their feelings long-term is the best help for that issue www.anxioustoddlers.com/teach-your-toddler-to-express-feelings/

[@kristen1324]

Some of us cover our mirrors. We end up looking in them for skin imperfections and do a whole lot more damamge.

[@rumcake19]

I really need help my daughter is really struggling with hair pulling. and I struggle with cuticle biting. Are there any support groups?

[@mrsreid7689]

My daughter eats her hair too. Like she pulls my hair to eat it too.

[@mrsreid7689]

My daughter pulls out her hair and sucks her finger. It's so bad and I cannot understand why she does that. She has bald spots and I dont know how to stop her. It's my concern that brought me here.

[@tinanjah1716]

Hi dear...my son does the same. Please could you share any remedies that have worked for your little one at stopping this?? Would be more than grateful!!

[@qbeezy4224]

My daughter does this and she will be 2 soon and she constantly pulls her hair and eats it, and advice on how to get her to stop

[@shivalibathani2506]

Offering a replacement behavior doesn’t seem to me as a solution but just the transfering of the behavior. Is it possible to solve /stop the pulling or picking disorder? I was a puller with trichotilomania as a child and it somehow stopped, but I still bite my cheek. Can it be stopped or can it only be reduced?

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

I have seen tons of success when people transition the behavior to something that is not harmful to their body. often the behavior then stops all together.

[@karenpottle9243]

My daughter (age 9) picks her skin in the same spot until it bleeds on her head and also picks off scabs and peels skin off her feet. I have watched this video and it is very helpful. Can you also make a short kid video that I could use with my daughter to help her further?

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

That is a great video topic! I’ll make it for this week. Check back on Thursday.

[@karenpottle9243]

Thank you! : )

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

I meant next Thursday. I forgot that this week was already recorded and will be able intrusive thoughts.

[@karenpottle9243]

I really appreciate your videos - looking forward to it : )

[@lynettebrinson8055]

Hi my 1 year old is pulling her hair from both sides of her head. She first started pulling my hair while I was sleep she would pull my hair string by string and when I would wake up I would catch her in the middle of the act and I would see my hair on my pillow. Then she went from pulling my hair to pulling out a whole braid so I stop braiding her hair and now she I rapidly pulling her hair from both sides of her head. how can I help my daughter with this?

[@azuritenuray1153]

My daughter is only 20months but has had several different evolutions of picking. She started after a two month hospital stay from 2-4 month when she was very ill and was constantly poked and prodded by doctors and nurses. I feel like this is a possible trauma. She started with nail picking while breast feeding at 6months, eventually leading to picking the skin around the nail causing constant hangnails, she had a stunt of sever hair pulling but has stopped and is now picking her lips to the point of drawing blood. What methods and practices can be applied to a child of her age other then distraction with toys and books?

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

Sorry to hear about her struggles. It can be really hard to stop that type of behavior in a toddler. Often treatment involves trying to block the child from that area by using bandaids, mittens etc. It might also be good to seek out the help of an infant-toddler mental health professional in your area. Especially if you think it is related to medical trauma.

[@roselenabiser1045]

My daughter is 4 and she has been pulling and eating her hair since she was 18 months old. I do feel it's a trauma related body harm habbit. Pulling your hair is painful. Her Dad and I are separated and I believe she started doing it when the marriage was failing. But she continues and it's been progressive in the last 6 weeks. She doesn't want to go to her gram's house, her dad's mom. Busy hands at pre-k and star chart doesn't work. Can the Keen bracelet work on a 4 year old? I'm worried she will damage it and it's expensive. But I'm desperate.

[@sofiapimentel-tonche2173]

I have one question, this is really embarrassing, but would thumb sucking be one of those? Also I wish my mom would see these videos, she doesn't understand that I have social anxiety, and insomnia, if I told her she wouldn't believe me. Would there be any way to get her to watch these or at least make her understand?? (I'm 10) also I always itch my hands and idek why, I once itched them so much they bled, the spots where they bled are still on my hand and Idk if it's a symptom to some type of illness or if it's just a habit.

[@Natashadanielsocdtherapist]

Thumb sucking is a hard habit to break - even for kids your age and older. No need to feel embarrassed. It is like hair pulling, skin picking and nail biting - it offers comfort and feels good. I wonder if you could just show your mom some of my videos? Also, I have videos just for parents and a podcast called The AT Parenting Survival Podcast. Maybe your mom would be open to listening to some of those episodes. They are for parents. She can start by looking at my website www.anxioustoddlerstoteens.com. I am not sure about your hands. If they truly itch you want to tell your mom and have a doctor check it out.