my 7 year old daughter pulls out her eyelashes and her eyebrows , why and what can i do to stop this ????

Answer 1

That is an actual disease (Trichotillomania) and you need to talk to her doctor about it NOW and get it in check before kids start making fun of her and it cause even more problems.

Answer 2

Child Pulling Out Eyebrows

Answer 3

When I was a teenager I used to pull out my eyelashes, and hairs on my legs. I don't know why I did it. I don't think I was particularly stressed, or no more than an average teenage girl dealing with homework and crushes on boys etc. I do think a lot of it was boredom. If I was by myself I would sometimes sit and pick at hairs I saw on my legs for hours. I found it oddly satisfying when they came out. Probably because of doing that I used to get a few ingrowing hairs, and I used to feel a sense of achievement when I managed to gouge them out. For a couple of years I must have permanently had little scabs all over my legs. As someone else said I did also sometimes pluck out pubic hairs. Looking back it seems very weird, and I don't get desires to do it anymore. With me it seemed to just be a 'phase' that I went through. Fortunately I never plucked so many eyelashes that it was noticeable, and I never pulled out hairs on my head, so it didn't end up with me looking 'different' or anything, and I just gradually outgrew it. I can't remember making a conscious effort to stop, or when I did stop, but I know I haven't done it for years. Also, I like to think I am a pretty normal adult. I am married and am now a teacher, so it didn't affect my life in the long term, and so hopefully it won't for your daughter. Sorry I can't be much help with regard to triggers or treatments, but I would say that having nothing to do was a big part of mine so try to keep your daughter active and occupied, and try to tire her out so that she simply can't be bothered to pluck! If she does it while she's sitting still, maybe when watching the TV, maybe try to get her interested in something that will keep her hands busy, such as knitting or sewing. Good luck.

Answer 4

It is labeled as a neurotic habit called Trichotillomania (but it could be something else, read on).

Don't jump the gun and have her put on meds, talk with her to find out if anything is bothering her. If there are constant arguments in your house, or worry about money or uncertainty, or stress at school, or violent movies. All can add up to stress.

There is much falsification of psych drug properties, it is like a corporate run political machine that promotes psych drug use in children.

If she already is on meds, that might be the cause, but it takes weeks for the drugs to wash out.

bug infestations might also cause this, get out a magnifying glass and look carefully.

Answer 5

Sounds like ttm my son has this, he pulls his hair out when he is stressed or needs to relax. Weh ave changed his diet, no peanut butter and no sugar. We have done behavior modification. Do a search for ttm and hang in there its a very difficult thing to deal with.

Answer 6

Trichotillomania (pronounced: trik-oh-till-oh-may-nee-ah) is a type of psychological condition that involves strong urges to pull hair. I have struggled with it since the 4th grade and I am 27 now. Its usually brought on by stress or anxiety. She needs to see a Dr.

Answer 7

When I was in middle school I had a friend who did the exact same thing. We all thought it was funny and made a joke out of it with her, but later we realized it was a serious problem. You should take her to a pediatrician soon.

Answer 8

There is little you can do short of waxing her head, eyebrows included. Some medical professionals will suggest psychotropic medication to counteract the compulsion, but this may lead to outright self-mutilation (i.e. removal of fingernails, picking of scabs and scars, etc.) Best to leave well enough alone and be glad she's not drinking gasoline.

Answer 9

I agree with Gem....
(I was actually surprised someone got the name of it to you before me)
My older son had this- and it got so bad that he was pulling out his hair and some of it wasn't growing back in- because he pulled the actualy root out. He spend most of his middle school years with a buzz cut- to hide it.
Your child needs to be diagnoised and begin therapy immediately.
Good luck to you.

PS my son never had to take meds to resolve this

Answer 10

try to convince her that she will not look like a pretty princess if she kept in pulling out her eyelashes , but any how the eyelashes and the eyebrows can grow again