Sometimes at the salon we see clients who want to know “how do I

stop compulsive hair pulling”.  This is an issue that not many people talk about but it happens more than we care to admit!

One of the problems in many afro-centric communities is the unwillingness to admit that we also

have issues.  We do avoid putting labels on things which makes others feel that we do not suffer from similar issues as them but they are there.  Trichotillomania is one such issue.  Trichotillomania, also called the compulsive hair pulling disorder, occurs when someone cannot stop pulling their hair.  

The cases of trichotillomania I have seen were relatively minor in that it is usually at one corner of a

person’s head.  It was normally at the nape or the back of the ear.  Most of them were students carrying strenuous university courses and did not have close family nearby but a few were normal, working women.  Similar situations occurred after 2020 where many were isolated for that lengthy period.  It is important to note that at first glance, you cannot know these persons have an issue.  They become adept at covering the area and only as hairstylists do we usually see it and they may be open to talking about it.

Trichotillomania, as we described, is caused by:

• Stress – often from work where people are feeling micro-managed and under-appreciated.
• Anxiety – factors such as bad relationships with family
• boredom – the person starts by massaging the area when they are bored or alone and escalated from there.

If you are wondering “how do I stop compulsive hair pulling” , here are a few reasons that should

motivate you to address it:

• You may have to cut your hair if the area grows any larger.
• You need to notice what triggers the behaviour e.g boredom, comfort, stress, feeling unloved etc.
• Hiding the area gets more difficult with time.

You may have to seek help to correct this condition if identifying the triggers early is not enough.  Habits are annoying to break if you leave them too long.  In one case the client did take the plunge and did a pixie cut  which helped her figure out “how do I stop compulsive hair pulling.  Also, she finished her degree  and happily returned home!

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, Filling My Head” & Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest.