Kids pulling out eyelashes

[karynnix]

My 6 year old DD has just started pulling out her eyelashes. She is also pulling out hair from a small spot on the side of her head by her ear. Have any of you had experience with this? She tends to do it when she is watching TV or reading. I have been trying to catch her doing it and making her stop. Should I see a doctor about it? Does it just go away?

 

[bananiem]

Trichotillomania.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Don't they find that same behavior in "cutters"?

 

[ducklite]

It's a manifestation of OCD, can be treated with therapy (and sometimes drugs) and yes, she needs to see a doctor. Early intervention is key. Good luck.

Anne

 

[DVCLiz]

I would call her pediatrician and discuss it with him/her. This is a disorder, I believe, and not just a random behavior.

 

[ducklite]

Don't they find that same behavior in "cutters"?

Cutting is an entirely different disorder. Cutting is probably one of the most misunderstood of all psycological disorders. Cutters cut to feel pain, to release pain. It's not obsessive, and the "cumpulsion" to cut doesn't stem from OCD. That's not to say cutters can't also be OCD, but the cutting isn't an OCD manifestation.

Anne

 

[Hillbeans]

There was a long thread on this topic a few months ago as well.

I used to do that to my eyebrow when I got nervous or stressed, but I really tried to cut out the behavior. I do have a DIS tag to show from it though.

It can be a very mild form or something you would want to seek medical treatment for. I would definitely ask your child's doctor about it. Does your Daughter realize she's doing it? Is she under a lot of stress lately?

 

[disneygoof]

This might sound silly, but as an adult I catch myself doing this when I have a migraine coming on. Eyelashes only. It's initially subconscious, and now can stop once I realize I'm doing it, but when I was younger I wouldn't stop until half the eyelashes on an eye were gone.

For a while I thought the pulling caused the headaches, but now know it's the opposite.

If she's a migraine sufferer it might be connected. If the hair pulling is relieving the headache or affecting the nerves associated with the headache, that may be why.

I knew a girl in college that pulled her hair out along her hairline in times of stress.

I was going to say OCD as well.

Good luck.

 

[golfgal]

My DD did this as a toddler/preschooler, she also ate her hair and ended up with a football sized hairball in her stomach that wasn't pleasant to have removed and pretty much cured her of the habit. Often with kids it is comfort thing and it is MUCH easier to deal with. Do a search for Trichotillomania and you should find some good information. You should also be able to find a psychiatrist in your area that specializes in treating this.

 

[dementia412]

My DD7 twists and pulls her hair... it got so bad at one point that she had a bald spot. When we see the doc next we may finally fold and get her on meds because behavior changes never helped (including buzzing her head last year). Once when we tried to stop the hair pulling she switched to eye lashes... it's very frustrating. Good luck with yours!

 

[SamIAm21]

As a sufferer from Trich (for about 10 years now), it is not considered an OCD, but an ICD or Impulse Control Disorder. It's usually triggered initially by a stressful time period or event. Believe it or not, I started pulling about six months before my wedding. It seemed harmless at first until I realized I couldn't stop. I loved doing it, it sort of calmed me and I felt a sense of release/relaxation while doing it.

Once you have Trich, it is extremely difficult to overcome. I still have not overcome it and pretty much don't expect to. It's something I have to live with and I can only control it by keeping busy and not thinking about it. Actively trying to control it makes me even more wound up and I tend to pull more. The key for me is to keep busy. Keep my hands busy and my mind busy.

Down times like TV watching or slow days at work are brutal. Heck I was doing it about five seconds ago before I started typing this...

 

[irishbosoxfan]

I did the same thing when I was younger and was more bald than just a spot--My mom told me that when she couldn't get me to stop and the areas were getting bigger she took me to the doctor and he informed her it was a nervous condition---I'm sorry to say I don't know what the treatment was.

It is best if you take her to the doctor for it-he will be able to better tell you the in and outs of it as well as where to go from there!!

I have to add here that my oldest DS15 has a crush on a girl and when I was asking him about her and asked about her haircolor he said he didn't know because she suffered from it and wore an Anime hat to hide her head-----In that moment I was so full of pride for my son because at his age he was able to look past that which others were making fun of and see the girl for who she was!! I am hoping he will get over his shyness and ask her out!!

Make an appt with her pediatrician and get all the information you can from him and let us know how everything works out!!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Sounds like Trich. Lots of good advice here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1024200&referrerid=&highlight=eyelashes

 

[Huggles]

My DD started this and had two large bald patches on her head. We went for the 'keeping hands occupied' route both at school and at home. We went out together and chose lots of lovely beads and stringing materials and she made 'worry beads' with which she could fiddle to keep her hands occupied. She took a few sets into school ( having discussed it with teachers) and has several at home. Bald patches are now away and so is the urge to pull out hair. We were lucky that the route we took worked first time, but it is worth considering, particularly if your DD likes pretty beads and things. Good luck.

 

[JunieJay]

My son pulled his hair from age 4 to 5, in the same manner as you have described your daughter doing it. When he was relaxed, watching TV, in that setting. I took him to the pediatrician who thought he would grow out of it, and he did. He does have some other issues though, mostly sensory. He's very sensitive to touch in general -- if it doesn't "feel" right, it really seems to bother him, otoh, other stuff you wouldn't think, like pulling his hair, did feel right. In his case, it wasn't related to anxiety, I know in some cases it is.

Call the doctor, you'll feel better about it. I know I did. Good luck.

 

[JunieJay]

My DD started this and had two large bald patches on her head. We went for the 'keeping hands occupied' route both at school and at home. We went out together and chose lots of lovely beads and stringing materials and she made 'worry beads' with which she could fiddle to keep her hands occupied. She took a few sets into school ( having discussed it with teachers) and has several at home. Bald patches are now away and so is the urge to pull out hair. We were lucky that the route we took worked first time, but it is worth considering, particularly if your DD likes pretty beads and things. Good luck.

What an excellent idea. For my son, what broke him of it was a squeeze ball.

 

[Luv'sTink]

A cousin of mine did this until they wouldn't grow back.

A friend of mine wears a head scarf because if she doesn't she pulls her hair out one strand at a time so now she has bald spots.

Yes, take her to the doctor it is a problem.

 

[karynnix]

Thank you all for your advice. I worry about my kids too much!! I will watch her for a few more weeks and if I notice that she is still doing it, I'll take her on to my son's psychiatrist. The only reason that it really bothers me is that my DS8 is high-functioning autistic and has severe OCD. DD is not autistic, but I worry about the OCD.

 

[crazee4mickey]

Consult a doctor to find out what you should do.
A friend of ours started pulling out her eyelashes then hair in high school (they think possibly stress related) and it has been almost 10 years and she still does it.
She wears wigs all of the time because she has very little if any hair left.

On the other hand, one day in school I walked past DD 8 while she was sitting in her desk(I work in her class) and noticed a pile of little black hairs. I asked her what it was and she replied rather nonchalantly "my eyelashes".
I was mortified thinking she may have what our friend has until she said "this way I can make lots of wishes" (you know how if you find one of your eyelashes you are supposed to blow on it and make a wish...crazy I know but I didn't make it up )
She stopped once I told her not to do this because then the wishes don't come true if you pulled the eyelashes out.

Hope its just a passing thing and not something more serious.