Hypnotherapy for Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania)
If you struggle with hair pulling, you will know it can feel pleasant and satisfying in the moment but soon followed by physical pain and embarrassment. Learn how with the help of hypnotherapy the underlying causes can be tackled, and the frequency of episodes reduced.
Overcoming Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania) with Hypnotherapy
If hair pulling is affecting your quality of life, you are not alone! Hair pulling (Trichotillomania), is a compulsive, obsessive disorder which can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem and shame. The obsession can destroy your confidence and leave you feeling out of control. If you’ve tried other therapies, for example CTB, and are still struggling to stop the compulsion to hair pull, then maybe hypnotherapy can provide the answer you are looking for.
Similar to habits such as thumb-sucking or nail-biting, hair pulling is a compulsive habit that often starts in adolescence, around age 12 when changes are happing to both the brain and body. Studies show that 90% of reported sufferers are women but this may be because men are less likely to seek help.
The areas affected by hair pulling are usually the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, beard or other parts of the body. As with any compulsive habit, the reward is a momentary sense of satisfaction or instant gratification that relieves some sort of internal conflict, such as anxiety, stress, boredom or self-doubt.
Most people who pull out their hair are totally oblivious to their habit as the process of hair pulling is generated unconsciously. Typically, a person will only discover they have pulled out a strand of hair after the event, and find themselves wondering, “Why did I do that?” They will often feel a little embarrassed or ashamed of the habit, which only goes to increase the tension around hair pulling. The habit gets reinforced every time the behaviour is repeated.
Some people go to great lengths to cover up the damage and the habit, for example wearing scarves or saying they have a skin condition if someone asks.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Hair Pulling?
The main symptom of Trichotillomania is pulling out your hair, often to the point of hair loss or bald patches. People with Trichotillomania usually pull out their hair with their fingers, but they might also use tweezers or other tools.
The compulsion to pull may be so intense that they are unable to resist it. They also say that the habit has caused negative effects on their lives, self-esteem, or well-being.
The following are common symptoms associated with hair pulling:
- An intense urge to pull hair from your head, eyebrows, eyelashes, face, genitals
- Feeling relieved, satisfied, or pleased after acting on the impulse to pull hair
- Bald patches, scars or damage to your skin, scalp, or hair follicles
- Avoiding situations where people might find out that you pull hair or have hair loss
- Self conscious and an avoidance of social situations where you may feel embarrassed due to your hair pulling
- Searching for the ‘perfect’ hair
- Changes in the way you look because of your hair loss
- Distress or problems at work, at school, or in your social life due to hair pulling
Donna Marie Thomas
Hello, my name is Donna, I am a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and Registered Member of BACP based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
I have a passion for helping people to enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life via a person centred approach to therapy tailored to meet each individuals specific needs.
Get in touch to find out more or book an appointment with me today.
How can you stop pulling out your hair?
Remember, the habit is not your fault. It’s generated by the unconscious mind as a means of releasing tension of some sort.
The steps below will help you to start to notice the triggers and the times when it happens, and then interrupt the pattern and change the behaviour.
- Keep a habit journal for a week and write down every time you become aware of the habit
- Write a list of times when you are more likely to do it, and plan ahead for a counter-strategy
- Be objective about the habit and every time you notice the urge or the behaviour, point it out and say what’s happening, out loud or under your breath
- Rate every urge on a scale between zero and 10, where 10 is totally uncontrollable and zero is no urge at all. Focus on 0-5 as these will be the easiest opportunities to break the habit
- See the act of stopping pulling out your hair as a computer game that you want to win. The urge is the villain and you are the hero who has to save the hair before the villain pulls it out
Hypnotherapy for Hair Pulling
Overcoming hair pulling requires some self-exploration and reflection. You will need to get to know yourself and what are the underlying causes of the unconscious habit. Hypnosis works with the part of the mind responsible for hair pulling and can help you to stop the habit of hair pulling far quicker.
Hypnosis helps you to enter a deeply relaxed state of mind. When you are in this state, your subconscious is open to suggestion and new associations are formed easily. Using hypnotherapy techniques, allows us to interrupt the old destructive pattern and replace it with a new positive pattern of thought and behaviour.
It’s incredibly debilitating to live when you are always dictated by fear, however, through a process of hypnotherapy you can regain control and a sense of balance in your life.
It may feel difficult at first, but through the guidance of hypnotherapy, you can better show up as your true self without the shadow of fear.
Here are some of the positive outcomes that hypnotherapy can offer you:
- Get to the root of your compulsive hair pulling
- Change the way you think and feel
- Learn valuable coping techniques and skills
- Live a confident, happier life
How Innerworth Counselling Can Help
Hypnotherapy can provide you with a safe, soothing, compassionate and confidential space where you can begin to discuss and understand the root causes of your hair pulling.
Take the First Step Now
I offer private hypnotherapy, and take a person-centred approach, meaning that I’m non-judgemental, see clients as equals, and collaborate on your healing journey together.
If you feel hypnotherapy could be beneficial for your problems with hair pulling please book an initial consultation. You don’t have to prepare for this, just come as you are and we can look into how I might be able to help.
Additional Information
Here are some links that you may find helpful:
Samaritans
The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on: 116 123.
www.samaritans.org
Mind
The team at Mind provide information on a range of mental health problems.
www.mind.org.uk
Contact me today to book a confidential consulation
What My Clients Say
Jason Osborne
I shall be forever bewildered by the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. I had always remained sceptical until my very last session, then the “weight” that suddenly lifted was both physical and emotional and continues to benefit both myself and those around me three years on – thank you Donna.
Jason Osborne
Abigail Johnson
I’ve finally found a solution to my dependency on food. Your weight-loss therapy sessions have seriously transformed my life. Honestly, I could cry, I am so happy and feel like a totally new person, inside and out! Truly amazing Donna.
Abigail Johnson
Charlotte Dickinson
I went to see Donna because my anxiety and depression had spiralled out of control. I now have skills and techniques that I can use for the rest of my life to help me cope with any challenges. Thoroughly recommend psychotherapy from Innerworth Counselling. Donna is warm, professional and clearly passionate about what she does.