fear of going bald

[Em.ma]

hello i have very thick hair
but when anxious and stressed i pull at it hard and sit their grabbing bits and pulling
i have short hair for a girl that gets trimmed every 3 weeks and my hairdresser hasnt noticed thinning but im convinced
if i notice im pulling at it i grab something else but sometimes i dont even notice when stressed im doing it and it happens a lot
i wash it every morning towel dry
i have to wash because its the only way i can get rid of morning hair

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sometimes the grabbing and pulling can be very vicious

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im convinced it will happen

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I also sit by the mirror pulling at it and combing it so roughly to see if I'll go bald for an hour sometime and then Panic after that ive caused morE damage

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Checking for thinning Etc

[KaoticKutie]

This sounds like it may be anxiety and OCD?? Some of my OCDs are tied into my anxieties. You won't actually go bald, but if you are pulling out your hair, it will be thinner.. but new hair will grow back. But you sound like you are in a very bad cycle with this.. getting anxious, pulling hair, checking your hair, obsessing over your hair pulling and worry over it going.. then more anxiety, more hair pulling... well you see the cycle. This reminds me a bit of when I used to cut myself during anxiety and panic attacks (which I have not done in years... it was hard to stop that).. my negative behaviour towards my body was related to my anxiety, and I would cut myself when I was anxious or upset, and then worry over what I had done.. the scarring, or if people noticed it, and that would lead to more anxiety. It is easier said than done, but the cycle has to stop. Do you receive any treatment or have had a diagonsis? Can you find an alternative to your need to pull things when anxious.. like going outside and pulling grass?? Maybe you can buy some yarn, and pull on it? Is it the pulling feeling or pulling out feeling? Maybe you can find a subsitute that won't harm you?

[PanchoGoz]

Trickolomania...but you will not lose all your hair, you have like 100 000 of them and they grow fast.

[Em.ma]

thanks both
pancho if im pulling though arnt i ruining them and then eventually ill bald as no hair will grow back
or will it just be thinner?

kutie
if i notice my self doing it ill stop my self and twirl something else like a bracelet etc
but sometimes i feel like i can sit their for hours pulling and not even notice
also i sit with a comb changing my parting for hours trying to spot bald patches
its something i feel i have to check
yet after i do i panic even more then i check agaian etc
doc knows about my ha not about this thouggh

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ps i never seen any hair on my hands though etc

[PanchoGoz]

no not necessarily. if you were doing it all day so that your carpet was thick with hair then you may have a problem - but i dont expect you do it that much do you? its something you need to stop doing though.
Try to replace the habit with a more helpful and rewarding one - its easier than just stopping.

[KaoticKutie]

Maybe you can talk to your doctor about it. It seems to me to be both anxiety and maybe OCD. I don't think you would go bald, as new hair grows when hair is cut, or pulled.. but depending on how much you pull, your hair will be thinner.. maybe not really noticeably thinner. I really think you should find a subsitute. You can buy hair extensions.. and keep them in your pocket, in your drawer by your bed.. things like that around your home and try to use them. But the root of this problems sounds like anxiety.. decrease the anxiety and your hair pulling will decrease. Easier said than done... but maybe seek treatment for your anxiety.

[BobbyDog]

I don't fully understand the psychology behind this, but as long as you are pulling your hair, you are not thinking about your anxiety. You panic when you stop.
Like self harming or bulimia, but without the serious health risks. Which causes uphoria initially and then down you come into depression or anxiety.

Its not doing you any harm.

But I would discuss it with your GP the next time you see him/her.

[chappers1980]

I took up knitting to stop me doing it, if i distracted myself with my hands, i didn't pull.

Its very common apparently where do you to think the phrase "tearing your hair out" comes from? :-)

[KaoticKutie]

I agree with chappers.. maybe finding something else to do with your hands? It depends on the reason why you pull... if it is for the feel?Pain?pulling sensation? something to do with your hands? Like I said.. find a substitute if you can.. this hair pulling seems to just cause more anxiety and worry.

[Em.ma]

i would say the pulling sensation
thanks for the advice though im trying to stop my self when i fin my self doing it x

[johnielov]

I think everyone have this kind of anxiety, I mean especially for the girls as we always says "hair is our crowning beauty" :)