My daughter, who is almost 3, has recently started twisting and twirling her hair, and then will proceed to pull out the knot, which also takes a big chunk of hair out. I was wondering if this might be a nutritional thing (like a lack of a certain vitamin?), because she was biting her nails at first, and since I started giving her children's vitamins, she has stopped this. I have also tried numerous things, such as her favorite blanket, etc., but she doesn't really sleep with a stuffed animal, and she doesn't really carry her blanket around with her for security. I also tried buying her a doll with long, silky hair thinking she might twirl that, but she didn't really take onto that either! So, any advice would be great, and the sooner the better since she is starting to go bald on one side!
Thanks for all the great advice. My daughter is still pulling out her hair, and we've talked about it, tried bribery, everything I can think of. Now I'm just going to ignore it I guess and see what happens, since she laughs and thinks its funny when I find her "twisty twirls" everywhere. I am taking her to a new pediatrician next week sometime for her 3 year old checkup, and we'll talk about the trich disorder, but I think she might be too young for that diagnosis, and she only does it right before falling asleep as a security thing. Her one side is about bald, except the top layer, so I am debating whether I should get her hair cut really short, or what I should do. I think her hair might look funnier if its shorter, but some people tell me to shave her head (yeah right!). Anyway, if anyone has any cute hair ideas let me know since I am really attached to the long blonde (used to be thick all around) hair that she has been born with!
This link may help, message me if you have further questions. http://www.trich.org/about_ttm/intro.asp
hello my name is kathy I am new to the group but I wanted to share with you on this topic. I have 5 children and the 2 little ones have been so diff. from the older 3 my son is almost 8 and he use to do that alot to the doc said it was nothing to worry about but being a mom I of course did worry. I can't really tell you how to get her to stop because nothing I tried worked but he did grow out of it he was 4 or 5 and he stopped doing it. now my 3 year old daughter is doing it. I tell her ouchy no don't do that. it has slowed her down a bit but she still does it. I no this isn't real good advice but maybe knowing that she will most likely grow out of it so will help comfort you some. Take care and good luck.
R. the only thing I can say is it is probably just a nervous habit. I played with my hair when I was little and I still do some. I would not make a big deal of it, it may pass.
My daughters and 1 son chews their nails and my youngest son shrugs his shoulders alot especially when you talk to him or look at him. You can tell her that it hurts when she does that it is something that she may grow out of.
Hey,
I had a friend in school that did that, My son also started when he was about 6months old. He has stoppped now. It is usually caused by stress or nerves. I know I wondered how could my 6 month old child be nervous, but he was there was alot of stress going on in my life, which he picked up on. If that's not the case, just talke her hand every time she does it and say no.... She will stop, hopefully. I had to do it for about a month with my son, but he understood. Hope this helps, if you need to talk let me know.
a friend of mine has trichytelemania, I'm not sure if i spelled it right, but she pulls out her hair constantly, especially in stressful situations, even her eyebrows and eyelashes. It isn't nutritional.
This reminds me of the thumb sucking ordeal that I had with my daughter, you just have to start making her stop doing it then. Sit her down and talk with her about it, come up with a signal that means to stop doing it and tell her that when you do that to her she needs to stop, that way you are not always telling her and getting on her and saying STOP, 100 times a day.
Oh my! She sounds just like me. I was born with my hands in my hair. I have always twisted my hair into knots and still do to this day. When I was a little girl, all my pictures are taken from one side because te other side is almost bare. I used to twist my dog's ears into knots. I don't know what to tell you except that I don't think it is a medical issue. Probably more of a nervous disorder.
