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When Does Trichotillomania Occur? Insights Into When Hair Pulling Starts.

January 20, 2018 By: Lesley

This post contains affiliate links.

When Does Trichotillomania Occur? Insights Into When Hair Pulling Disorders Start. Articles showing when this hair pulling disorder happens based on research.

When Does Hair Pulling Start?

For me, it started when I was just a little girl.

There was some traumatic things happening in my childhood that brought it on.

For a lot of people with trichotillomania, it starts in an early adolescence age.

The typical age reported by Mental Health America is between 9 and 13 years of age.

I however, was much younger than that.

I was a toddler when I was sucking my thumb and pulling my hair to cope with the situations going on around me.

According to the Encyclopedia for Children’s Health,

“Trichotillomania usually begins in the preteens but has been reported in children as young as one year old and has been seen first in adults over 50 years old. Patients in their seventies may suffer from trichotillomania. The mean age of onset is 12 years of age in girls and eight years of age in boys. This condition is seven times more common in children than in adults.”

What causes the onset of hair pulling varies; childhood trauma, body chemistry and genetics are all factors to look at.

Traumatic Events

Childhood trauma seems to be one of the most prevalent, it’s a coping mechanism for anxiety and stress children are dealing with.

Environmental living factors can also play a role in how secure a child feels growing up.

Divorce, death, abuse, abandonment, lack of affection all affect the security a child feels.

Hair pulling is like a security blanket, so is thumb sucking.

Body and Brain Chemistry

Body chemistry can play a role in hair pulling, I’ve seen diets and supplements that have helped reduce hair pulling completely.

Removing foods like gluten and sugar have been known take away trichotillomania in some people.

Supplements like NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) have also been know to reduce and/or eliminate hair pulling.

Medications like Adderall have been reported to cause trichotillomania in children.

Related: My Review of NAC for Trichotillomania. The Dosage & Side Effects.

Genetics

Genetics is believed to play a role in trichotillomania, could it be, that they are products of environment generation after generation?

I can only speak for what I’ve seen but in my family, generations have been effected by what my grandfather did to the girls in his family.

Many people in the same families live in the same conditions generation after generation.  Maybe what seems genetic, is really environmental or body chemistry or a mix of both?

A body chemistry imbalance could be greatly influenced by environment, relationships and diet.

There is no exact cause of trichotillomania, every person is different but you can see similarities and patterns the more people you talk too.

I’ve joined a lot of groups on Facebook (as well as created my own) just to get to know others with trichotillomania too.

Hang around awhile, it’s educating.

I think therapists and doctors who treat this would learn a lot by being a fly on the wall of groups where people with trichotillomania hang out.

Related: How To Stop Hair Pulling, Even If You’ve Tried Before.

When Does Trichotillomania Occur?

When Sitting Idle

It happens when a lot of us are sitting idle.

It could happen just about anywhere, but the most common places for me is in bed, in the car, reading, watching TV or sitting in class or church.

Idle hands are an enemy.

If I sit idle too long I start scanning the horizon for hairs.

The reason that trichotillomania resembles OCD is because if my hands are not busy doing something, they will find hairs to pull (or skin to pick, nails to bite, boogers to eat, etc).

I have a whole list of related behaviors that occur with my hair pulling.

Thumbsucking and hair pulling occur together anytime I’m tired and my hands are not working.

Sitting idle is just about the worst thing a person with a hair pulling disorder can do.

I have found a whole slew of things to keep my hands occupied.

Food Allergies

Certain foods are also be a trigger for more hair pulling occurrences.

Sugar increases the hair pulling in a lot of people, myself included.

Gluten is another one that has an affect on me and others.

Anxiety

Stress and anxiety increase hair pulling occurrences in children and adults.

I know my work can be very intense sometimes and I try not to let stress get the best of me.

Hair pulling works like a coping mechanism, similar to overeating, it’s comforting for a lot of us to pull hair out in stressful and anxious moments. 

Fatigue

Lack of sleep and fatigue are big triggers for hair pulling because when I’m tired, I just lay there and stroke my head and pull out the hairs.

It’s very hard to resist hair pulling when you’re over tired and laying down.

Lack of sleep also leads to more anxiety and anxiety is definitely a trigger for hair pulling.

Related: Can Hair Pulling Be Cured? Success Stories of People Overcoming Trich


Find Out When Trichotillomania Occurs!

If you’re like I was, maybe you don’t even realize when your hair pulling is occurring?

I would catch myself doing it and always condemn myself for not catching myself sooner.

Awareness is important if you want to know when Trichotillomania occurs.

When does trichotillomania occur? When does a hair pulling disorder start? This article gives insight to when hair pulling disorders happen. What age trich starts and how you can find out when it's happening now.I got myself a Keen bracelet for each hand because they alert me when I’m pulling my hair.

The bracelets catch me almost immediately.

After 6 months of wearing them, I practically catch myself every time it’s about to happen!

Once I became aware of when my hair pulling was happening, I started recording things down in a therapy journal.

I could track things like the foods I ate, the amount of sleep I got and what my anxiety levels we’re like each day.

The journal kept track of when I pulled my hair, where I was, what was happening, how I was feeling and who I was with!

Sounds exhausting, I know, but it really wasn’t once I knew what to track for myself.

I basically made a couple prototype journals and kept track of when my trichtoillomania was occurring and I pieced together the different patterns in my life that were increasing my urges.

I’ve been able to really take a look at my external surroundings and make some positive changes to reduce my hair pulling.

I’ve also done a lot of inner work this year on realizing my self worth and value as a child of God.

I combined all that I learned from the journals I created and the inner work I’ve been doing while attending bible school and I created a therapy journal to help others with trichotillomania.

The journal is special because it’s loaded with the love of God and the healing promises He’s made.

It’s a health tracking journal specialized for people with trichotillomania.

If you want to know when trichotillomania is occurring, I encourage you to start looking at these things.

If you’re not aware when your pulling your hair, think about using a device like Keen to help.

There are lots of ways to counteract hair pulling if you know when it is happening!

Related: What Causes Trichotillomania? Reflecting Back on 30+ Yrs of Hair Pulling

When does trichotillomania happen? When Does Hair Pulling Start? Insights into this hair pulling disorder and the different ages and instances when it occurs.
When Does Trichotillomania Occur? Insights into when hair pulling starts. Hair pulling disorders happen when? What age? People with trichotillomania wonder when it starts, as children, adults, teens? Find out more about this form of OCD anxiety related behavior.
When Does a Hair Pulling Start? When does trichotillomania occur? Insights into when hair pulling disorders happen.

You Might Also Like:

Depression and Trichotillomania: The Vicious Cycle of Self Loathing and Hair Pulling
Cooling Products That Can Help Reduce Hair Pulling In People with Trichotillomania
The Connection Between Trichotillomania and Anxiety - Cause or Trigger?
Does PMS Make Hair Pulling Worse? Increased Urges Before Period.
7 Ways I'm Growing My Hair Back Thicker and Stronger From The Roots!
The Greek Meaning of Anxiety - And Why Someone with TRICH Might Care to Know!
What Does Trichotillomania Feel Like? 4 Feelings Hair Pulling Causes.
Entrepreneurial Stress and Trichotillomania .. I can see a connection there, can you?

Did You Miss Something?

  • When Does Hair Pulling Start?
  • Traumatic Events
  • Body and Brain Chemistry
  • Genetics
  • When Does Trichotillomania Occur?
  • When Sitting Idle
  • Food Allergies
  • Anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Find Out When Trichotillomania Occurs!
    • Related: What Causes Trichotillomania? Reflecting Back on 30+ Yrs of Hair Pulling
    • You Might Also Like:

I am not a medical professional, just a blogger.

Disclosure:  I am not a doctor, health professional or your mother.  I am a blogger who talks about her experiences with a hair-pulling disorder and the things that have helped me try to overcome it.   None of the methods or products talked about are intended to cure anything.  None of the methods or products are intended to replace your medications or treatments.   You must take responsibility for your own health and actions and nothing here is meant to treat or diagnose anyone or anything.  I am just a blogger, if you have questions about your physical or mental health, it’s best to seek professional help.

Trichotillomania Products

 Grace & Faith Overcoming Trichotillomania Journal The Hair Pulling Habit and You: How to Solve the Trich Puzzle Trichotillomania Health Tracking Diary

About Lesley

My name is Lesley and I have been battling a hair pulling disorder my entire life.  I'm Jesus obsessed and I'm currently writing through my journey here on this blog.  I hold an Associate in Theology and I've written a faith-based trichotillomania therapy journal for people with this hair pulling disoder.  You can read a lot more about me on the home page and I have a private group on Facebook where you can find other like-minded people who understand what it's like to have trich.

Hi I’m Lesley!

 

Trichotillomania Blogger

Trichotillomania Blogger. Naturally-Minded.  Jesus Obsessed. Empath.

I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. There’s going to be typos, sarcasm and lots of emotional rants I’m sure… try not to judge me based on the chapter of my life that you walk in on. 

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