Hair pulling — known as trichotillomania (trik-eh-til-eh-MAY-nee-uh) — is a strong habit that causes people to pull or tightly twirl their hair when they feel frustrated, stressed, or bored. They may pull or twirl the hair from anywhere on the body, including the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or body hair. The pulling and twirling causes bald patches or areas with short, broken-off hairs.

With help from a health care provider and support from family, most kids can learn to pull their hair less often or completely stop.

To help your child: 

• Follow your health care provider's recommendations. Help your child take any medicines as prescribed and go to all follow-up care visits. 
• Offer emotional support. Do not scold or punish your child for hair pulling. It's not their fault, and they may be trying very hard to stop a strong habit. If they're interested in finding a support group, help them look online to find one.
• Reward effort. Set up a reward system with your child. For example, if they don't pull their hair for a few days, you can watch a movie, go for a bike ride, or do something else that your child would like.
• Offer activities to keep hands busy. When your child has the urge to pull hair, offer an activity to keep hands busy, such as drawing, knitting, playing with a beaded bracelet, or squeezing a stress ball.
• Find ways to manage stress. Stress doesn't cause hair pulling, but it can make it worse in kids who do it. Help your child to eat healthy, get plenty of physical activity, and get enough sleep. Encourage your child to take time to rest, relax, meditate, and do activities that they enjoy.

Your child:

• seems depressed or anxious
• has signs of swallowing hair, such as throwing up, belly pain, not being hungry, weight loss, or diarrhea
• does not seem to improve after following the health care provider's directions

You know your child best. Call your health care provider if they have any signs that worry you.

Your child has signs that swallowed hair is blocking digestion, such as severe belly pain, throwing up a lot, or bloody or black vomit or stool (poop).

Why do some people pull their hair? The exact reason isn't clear. Genes (inherited traits) and hormones (such as puberty or stress hormones) may play a role. Many people with trichotillomania feel an itch, tingling, or an urge to do it. When they pull their hair, they feel some relief and the habit gets stronger and becomes harder to stop. Most kids who pull their hair feel stuck in a habit they don't want. They may feel frustrated that they can't control it.

Can trichotillomania cause health problems? Hair pulling can leave bald patches or areas without hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes. It can cause the skin to get sore or infected and can leave scars. If people chew or swallow hair, it can cause a "ball" of hair (called a bezoar) to form in their stomach. This can lead to stomach pain or other health problems.