Content

• Steps
• Warning

Tug-of-hair syndrome is a term that describes a habit that drives the urge to pluck hair, eyebrows, or, in general, body hair. The habit of pulling hair leaves patchy bald patches on the head, and people with this syndrome go even further when trying to hide those bald patches. Approximately one percent of the adult population is diagnosed with signs of hair pulling syndrome, with the majority of patients being women. The habit of pulling hair is often started in the early teen years, although it happens earlier or later. When accompanied by depression, this habit can adversely affect work efficiency in social and work life. You often feel powerless when you cannot fight hair pulling syndrome, but it is actually completely treatable.

Steps

Part 1 of 6: Identifying the Motivating Cause

1. 

   
   
   Keep track of when you want to pluck your hair. Consider situations where you may have to pull your hair. Do you only pull your hair when you are depressed? Do you do that when you are angry, confused, or upset? Understanding what triggers the urge to pull your hair can help you find a more effective way to cope.
   • Over the course of two weeks, jot down every time you catch yourself pulling your hair. Take note of what happened before pulling the hair and how it was feeling.

2. 

   
   
   Take note of how you feel when pulling your hair. In the process of looking for triggers, you should note down the signs that could be the cause of the behavior. If you pull your hair out when you're anxious, and thus relieve your anxiety, that release of emotion is the key factor in the hair pulling behavior. Note all emotions during the pluck and as soon as the hair is pulled.
   • When you realize this, you will behave better the next time you worry, which is to adopt a different confrontation strategy to help you feel more comfortable and turn it into a natural way of interacting with restlessness. for choosing how to pull hair.
   • There are three distinct stages that a person with epilepsy usually goes through, but not all of them go through the three fully. Maybe you only see one or a few of them:
     • 1. At first, you feel tension with the urge to pull out a few strands of hair.
     • 2. You start pulling hair. The feeling is very pleasant, like it relieved and a bit euphoric.
     • 3. When you've finished the extraction you feel guilt, regret, and shame. You try to hide the bald patches with towels, hats, wigs etc. But in the end they still show up in front of people, and now you tend to hide. There are times when you feel extremely ashamed.

3. 

   
   
   Examine where your hair is pulling. Are you pulling your hair because you don't like a certain type of hair? For example, a person feels reluctant to pull their hair when they find gray hair, and since they don't like gray hair, "they all have to go".
   • One way to tackle this trigger is to reshape your perceptions of that hair type. In essence no hair is bad, all serving its own purpose. Trying to change your way of thinking can help reduce your urge to take the habit.

4. 

   Consider childhood influences. The primary cause of hair pulling syndrome can be genetic or environmental. Researchers found a similarity to the causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and they viewed hair pulling syndrome as a result of a turbulent experience, childhood insecurity, or relationship. not good to parents or carers as a child.
   • One study found that more than two-thirds of the victims had experienced at least one major event in their life, and one in five of them were diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder. This led to the speculation that pulling hair was a way for them to soothe themselves.

5. 

   Check family history. When looking for the cause of hair pulling syndrome, pay attention to whether anyone in your family has this syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder or an anxiety disorder. You have a much higher chance of getting hair pulling syndrome if you have a family history of it. advertisement

Part 2 of 6: Developing Strategies to Fight Hair Plucking

1. 

   Develop your own plan. The "Pay Attention, Stop and Choose a Plan" tactic can help you stop pulling hair. This process requires you to notice when you feel the urge to pull your hair, stop the chain of emotions and desires through listening to the positive prompts in your mind. Then you can choose something else to do, in a way that feels more comfortable and calmer.

2. 

   Keep a diary or chart of hair pulling stages. By writing it down you become more aware of the timing, the causes, and the impact of this behavior. You need to record the date, time, position and number of hair pulled, the tools used to pull it out. Also, write down your feelings and thoughts at the time. This is a way to express your shame and clearly show the impact of pulling hair on your life in general.
   • After counting the hair plucked, does the actual test result surprise you? How long will it take you to pull all that hair out, is there more than you think?

3. 

   Choose another way of showing affection. Once you have identified the warning signs and triggers, write down a list of alternative behaviors for hair pulling. Whichever method you choose, the alternative to hair pulling should be easy to follow and accessible. Some suggestions for expressing your feelings and emotions are:
   • Take a few minutes to get rid of all thoughts.
   • Draw or scribble on paper
   • Draw a picture
   • Listen to music that is related to the feelings at that moment
   • Call you
   • Volunteer
   • Cleaning
   • Play video games.

4. 

   Use reminder objects to discourage behavior. If pulling is unconscious, you need a reminder to stop it. To find a barrier, you should wear ankle weights on your hands, or wear rubber gloves to make it difficult to pull hair.
   • You can even put sticky notes in places where you pull your hair, which is a reminder to stop.

5. 

   Stay away from motivational factors. While it's not possible to completely eliminate all of the factors that motivate you to pull your hair, you can still reduce your exposure to them. If your girlfriend was the cause of the problem then you should probably reconsider your relationship. Was the boss the one creating all that tension? If so, it may be time to find new career opportunities.
   • Of course, for many people it's not just about finding and avoiding the cause; In some cases, hair pulling is caused by reluctance to pull hair due to reasons such as: changing schools, being abused, recognizing a new sex, family conflict, death of a parent, or because of a change. puberty hormone. These are very difficult, even unavoidable, factors. If you find yourself unable to avoid a motivator for the reasons above or otherwise, try to find ways to accept, limit your habits and make a list of people who can help you cope. with this syndrome.

6. 

   Reduces itching and strange feeling on the head. Use essential oils with all-natural ingredients to sooth pores and relieve itching, but more importantly, change the pulling behavior to brushing and brushing. You must use purely natural products such as a mixture of essential oils and castor oil. Never use products of chemical origin.
   • Also watch out for products that promise quick effects. Treatments that promise immediate results are often unreliable, as plucking cannot be cured in the future.
   • You can ask your doctor to prescribe an anesthetic to use on the head, which is helpful if the pull is caused by "itching" or a feeling of confusion on the head. When studying on a 16-year-old girl, it was found that the temporary use of anesthetic cream in combination with psychotherapy successfully cured the girl's hair pulling behavior.
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Part 3 of 6: Accepting Yourself and Raising Self-esteem

1. 

   Accept the present. Hair pulling is often caused by rejection of unpleasant emotions or negative emotions. Use awakening techniques to help you confidently accept that negative emotion as an obvious part of the human experience. You don't have to stay away from them. As the urge to avoid negative emotions subsides, hair pulling also subsides.
   • To do the awakening technique, sit quietly somewhere comfortable and take deep breaths. Take a breath and count in your head for one to four, hold your breath for the next four counts, and exhale for the same four counts. During such breathing your mind begins to wander, accept them without judgment and let the thought drift gently. Continue to pay attention to your breathing.

2. 

   Build self-esteem. Many people with plucking are also less confident and lack self-esteem. To build self-esteem and self-acceptance, use acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is a psychotherapy approach. This method helps people realize their worth and focus on life goals. Building self-esteem is an important step in the healing process.
   • Remember that you are a wonderful and unique person, everyone loves you, and life is priceless. Regardless of what others say, you must love yourself.

3. 

   Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Negative self-esteem can easily lower your self-esteem and trigger the urge to pull your hair. Lowering yourself, fear of failure, and other negative thoughts make you always feel like you don't have enough. Begin to change this mental habit to build and boost your confidence. Here are some examples to help you change the way you think about yourself:
   • For example, you have the thought, "I don't have anything good to say, so it's easy to understand why others think I'm pitiful". Grab those bad thoughts and try to change them by correcting yourself. Tell yourself, “Sometimes I don't have much to say, but it's okay. I don't have to entertain others, or have to lead this talk ”.
   • Replace critical thinking with constructive thinking. The following example is a critical thought: “I won't be able to go out to dinner with everyone. The last time I went out to eat with them, it was embarrassing because I had words that offended everyone. I am stupid". You replace it with a more constructive thought: “I was ashamed of last dinner, I know I made a mistake but it's okay. I'm not stupid, but just mistaken for being too honest ”.
   • As you practice grasping and changing those thoughts, you will find your self-esteem also increases with your confidence.

4. 

   Write down your achievements and strengths. Another way to accept your emotions and boost your self-esteem is to write down a list of your accomplishments and strengths, and then read them regularly.
   • If you can't think of what to write, talk to a close friend or family member. They can suggest you. No achievement is so small that it is not worth mentioning, you just put it all on that list.

5. 

   Learn to communicate assertively. Practicing assertive communication techniques can help you navigate through situations where you feel challenged. For example:
   • Learn to say no. If someone asks you to do something that you don't want, affirm this desire by saying no.
   • You don't have to please them. Don't do things just to get someone's approval. You have to find out what is really important to YOU, ask for what you want.
   • Use "I" statements. This expression helps you convey a message that asks them to take responsibility for their feelings and reactions. For example, instead of saying, "You never listen to me," you should say, "I feel ignored every time I talk because you keep looking at the phone."
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Part 4 of 6: Reduce Stress

1. 

   Eliminate the cause of your stress. Many patients with this condition find the stress that drives the desire to pull hair. Try to reduce the stress in your life and learn to manage its causes using more effective techniques.
   • Make a list of the causes of your stress. It could be serious matters like money and work, or just the trivial things like having to wait a long time when checking out at the supermarket. While you may not be able to avoid all the stressful things, at least reduce your exposure to them.

2. 

   Methods of dynamic relaxation, muscle tension - relaxation. You can reduce stress by using a method of dynamic, stretching - relaxation relaxation. This technique helps to reduce the tension in the muscle, and sends a signal to the body to begin to relax. By tensing and relaxing your muscles, you slowly bring your body to a calm state.
   • Tighten your muscles for six seconds, then release for the next six seconds. Pay close attention to the individual muscle relaxation.
   • Do this from head to toe, until you feel all of your body relax.

3. 

   Practice meditate. Meditation can also help reduce stress. A normal meditation regimen, or just 10 minutes a day, will also help your mind clear and restore your energy.
   • You should meditate in a quiet place with a sitting or lying position. Begin to breathe deeply and slowly. Also try visualizing meditation, which means imagining a peaceful place like a beach, a winding river or a forest.

4. 

   Get enough sleep. Get in the habit of getting enough sleep at the right time and time, meaning you should get at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night.
   • If you have trouble sleeping, try listening to soft music before going to bed. Do not use a device with a screen for at least 15 minutes before going to bed.

5. 

   Do exercise. Research shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce stress. When you exercise your body produces endorphins, which are substances that contribute to your euphoria.
   • You don't have to run for an hour a day, but you can join the exercise method you enjoy. It can be yoga, martial arts or other activities, even gardening also energizes the spirit.
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Part 5 of 6: Getting Support

1. 

   Talk to a close friend or family member. Find someone you can trust and tell them about your hair pulling. If you can't put it into words then write to them. If you are afraid to talk about your suffering with the disease, at least tell them about your feelings.
   • You can also tell friends or family about the causes of hair pulling.This way, they will remind you when they realize you're about to pull your hair. They can also help you find an alternative to hair pulling.
   • Ask friends and family for a boost when you see you successfully using another alternative behavior.

2. 

   Get help from a mental health professional. A counselor or therapist can also help you cope with the illness. They also deal with depression or other problems that are contributing to self-destruction.
   • If this person can't help you feel better, find another professional. You do not have to undergo treatment with a doctor or specialist. It is important that the person understands you and solves your problem.
   • Treatments that benefit you include behavioral therapy (especially inversion training), psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, hypnotic therapy, and behavioral therapy. cognition and antidepressants.

3. 

   Ask about medication. Many drugs have been shown to be effective in treating epilepsy syndrome. In particular, people have used drugs such as Fluoxetine, Aripiprazole, Olanzapine and Risperidone. They help regulate chemicals in your brain to reduce anxiety, depression, and other emotions that make you want to pull your hair.

4. 

   Get help from the online or telephone support group. If you cannot find a direct consultant, you should approach other facilities. The American Center for Teething Syndrome (based in the US) has many online support groups.
   • In the United States, for example, there is a Seven Counties Services company that provides a toll-free hotline.
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Part 6 of 6: Diagnosing a Condition

1. 

   Watch for actions or reactions that indicate signs of illness. Trichotillomania is officially classified as a disorder of desire control, with a group of fire mania, obsession with stealing and gambling addiction. Other typical behaviors if you have this condition along with pulling hair include:
   • Chew or eat your hair after pulling.
   • Rub the strand of hair over your lips or face.
   • Feeling very tense right before pulling your hair or resisting this behavior.
   • Comfort, satisfaction, pleasure when pulling hair.
   • Pulling your hair without realizing you are pulling (called "automatic" or unconscious plucking).
   • Knowing you are pulling your hair intentionally (called "focused" hair pulling).
   • Use tweezers or other tools to pull the hair.

2. 

   Recognize physical signs of the disease. There are several signs that you have hair pulling syndrome, including:
   • Much hair loss is evident due to frequent hair pulling.
   • Bald areas on the head or elsewhere on the body.
   • Sparse, even absent, eyelashes or eyebrows.
   • Pore ​​infection.

3. 

   Observe other reluctant behaviors. In some patients they also bite their nails, suck their thumbs, bang their heads, and be reluctant to scratch or pry their skin.
   • Keep track of the above behaviors for several days to determine if it's a habit. Pay attention to when and how often you do those habits.

4. 

   Determine if you have another disorder. The question is, are you just hair pulling? Many people with this condition also suffer from depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, personality disorder, and in some cases suicidal signs. . To find out if you have other medical conditions you should see your doctor or a mental health professional.
   • However, it is difficult to say which disease is the primary cause. Is hair loss a cause of depression, because at that time you feel very embarrassed that you often want to hide from other people and avoid fun activities?
   • Usually, in order to successfully treat hair pulling, you must also treat the diseases that accompany it.

5. 

   Ask your doctor about hair loss. Those who believe they have hair pulling still need to see a doctor to rule out the cause of hair follicle disease. This could be hair loss or scalp fungus, both of which manifest as hair loss. Your doctor will look for uneven hairs, frizzy hair and other hair abnormalities that are signs of twitching syndrome when you see your doctor.

6. 

   Acknowledging hair pulling is a disease. The first thing you need to know is that this problem is treatable, it is a disorder that has nothing to do with willpower or lack of determination. Disorders arise due to genetic characteristics, current moods and past life circumstances. When you get sick you need treatment, instead of tormenting yourself.
   • Brain scans show that people with hair pulling syndrome have abnormalities compared to the average person.

7. 

   Understand that this is a self-destructive disease. It's okay not to deceive yourself, or that pulling your hair is “normal”. Hair pulling syndrome can be seen as a form of self-destruction even though it is so quiet. As with all forms of self-destruction, hair pulling can make you addicted. Over time the illness gets worse and worse and you can hardly resist, which is why you must control the situation as soon as possible. advertisement

Warning

• Substance abuse or alcohol abuse can be traced back to hair pulling, as the sufferer wants to find a way out of shame, unhappiness, or guilt. If you think you are starting to have a tendency to drink a lot of alcohol or use drugs, get help right away.