Hair pulling or trichotillomania is one of several recognised, body focused repetitive behaviours that can be associated with anxiety. Other forms include skin picking or nail biting.
For some, this compulsive habit can induce pleasure and relieve stress, but it can also have a negative impact on people’s lives, leading to shame and feelings of low self worth.
Some sufferers target their body hair, or the hair on their heads, leaving them with bald patches, while others compulsively pull out their eyebrows and eyelashes.
My solution focused hypnotherapy treatment can break the cycle of hair pulling by using hypnosis to deal with the root cause of the trichotillomania symptoms.
In just a few sessions, my hypnotherapy practice can help boost a person’s self esteem, ease anxiety and allow them regain control of their lives.
What is trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM, is a disorder in which people affected are compelled to pull out their hair.
This behaviour often emerges in children aged between 10 and 13 years, and can affect every part of the body where they have hair, including the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and pubic area.
Sufferers with trichotillomania will feel an increasing urge or compulsion to pull out their hair. They may feel self-conscious, nervous or anxious, and hair pulling eases those emotions, providing temporary relief before the urge begins to rise again.
Hair pulling and self-soothing
Hair pulling not only eases that feeling of anxiety and provides short-lived relief, it can be followed by a wave of pleasure or be self-soothing.
Most people whose trichotillomania helps them deal with anxiety, find they rely on it more and more, rather than dealing with the issues that are causing them stress.
My solution focused hypnotherapy allows people to address unconscious problems behind unwanted or negative behaviours, like hair pulling, while under hypnosis.
Why are we compelled to pull hair?
The reasons behind impulse control disorders like trichotillomania are unclear, and while it affects both genders, most sufferers are women. The symptoms can be caused by several factors:
- A coping mechanism
- A chemical imbalance in the brain
- Fluctuating hormones during puberty
- Genetic condition
- A hard-to-break habit
Whatever the reason behind hair pulling, unlike other compulsive behaviours, like nail-biting or thumb sucking, it can have serious consequences.
Bald patches on a person’s scalp or in their eyebrows, or having no eyelashes can make them even more self-conscious or lead to feelings of shame and low self-esteem.
If the person with trichotillomania also eats their hair, it can result in hairballs forming in their stomach and potentially serious illness.
In the constant search for relief against the urge to pull out our hair, affected areas can also lead to skin irritation or infection, knocking their confidence about their appearance even further.
My solution focused hypnotherapy for trichotillomania can put an end to this negative cycle of behaviour.
Managing your hair-pulling triggers
Medication isn’t usually prescribed for compulsive hair pulling, but there are some ways in which people with trichotillomania can manage their condition.
Keeping a diary of when you pull out your eyelashes or tug your hair, identifying triggers and learning how to avoid them can help reduce your instances of hair pulling.
Replacing hair pulling with alternative self soothing strategies to trichotillomania, like squeezing a stress ball, or wearing a tight-fitting head covering; focusing on breathing exercises to achieve a deeply relaxed state, or getting more exercise can also be beneficial in stopping hair pulling.
It’s also important to get support and encouragement from family and friends as you try to avoid pulling your hair.
Alternatively, you can use hypnotherapy for trichotillomania.
Can hypnotherapy help me stop pulling body hair?
Trichotillomania affects many people. For some, it’s something they do without thinking while in the almost hypnotic state of watching TV. For others, the urge to pull hair is a response to unpleasant emotions, and is almost an act of self harm.
Whatever the cause, hypnotherapy is a tried-and-trusted way of easing anxiety and breaking negative cycles of behaviour.
In many cases, hypnotherapy can have a positive impact from the first session.
How a solution focused hypnotherapy session works
My solution focused hypnotherapy approach can help stop hair pulling in just a few sessions.
Treatment begins with a free 25-minute Zoom consultation during which I find out all about you, potential causes for why you are pulling hair, and what you want to achieve via hypnotherapy.
During each session, I will place you in a trance-like state: you’ll feel a sense of deep relaxation during hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy works by giving your subconscious mind all the tools it needs to overcome compulsive desires to pull hair. After each session, you will be better equipped to manage your emotional responses.
Habit reversal therapy
Apart from working on releasing from the cause of the hair pulling, I also use habit reversal suggestions during the hypnosis part of the session.
This comprises:
Awareness
I use suggestion to allow you to become consciously aware of your hand/ arm movements in the moments before pulling so that you can release your arm back down and away from your hair.
Competing response training
I will help you work to replace hair pulling with healthier behaviours that are just as soothing.
Motivation and compliance
By defining the issues driving the urge to pull hair, you can stay focused at challenging times.
Relaxation training
I will introduce you to deep breathing and mindfulness techniques to keep emotional triggers at bay.
Inner conflict resolution
I use suggestions during hypnosis that allow inner conflicts to be resolved between the part of you that wants to stop hair pulling and the part of you that compels you to continue. This can be a very powerful technique.
Generalisation training
By practicing your skills, they will become automatic, enabling you to beat trichotillomania and prevent more hair loss.
Ending hair pulling can be the same as trying to stop smoking or any other habit that is damaging for your self-confidence or physical health.
I have helped many clients affected by negative behaviour patterns, and reclaim their lives without falling back on hair pulling as a coping mechanism.
I can help you too.
Contact me
Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment, helping you move on from hair pulling or any other body-focused repetitive behaviour, such as nail biting or skin picking, allowing you to live life to the fullest.
I hold online sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and you can find my hypnotherapy practice at Salus Wellness Clinics Wednesday-Friday.
If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help you overcome your skin picking habit and make it a thing of the past, book your initial consultation.
