Beimao Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 She started a few weeks ago while taking eyelash wishing to extremes, and has become addicted. I know that some people do this as a behavioral issue and some because of allergies. I kind of think it's both- Lots of allergens in the air lately, the stress of a new little sib and started about a week after we started school. Yoga breathing helped for a few days, so did a reward system, now we've started some homeopathic eye drops to help with the eye itching- hopefully we ll get a hard frost any day now.:001_smile: DD really hates that she does this and I really want to help, but preferably not starting out with a therapist, as DH and I have mixed feelings about some. Does anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I've read/heard it is important to nip in the bud asap because it can kind of become more ingrained/automatic the longer it goes on. If it were my child I'd look at cognitive behavioral therapy ASAP before it becomes her go-to coping mechanism. You may want to also have someone rule out anxiety and or OCD. They can likely teach her some coping skills that would be helpful for the long haul. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/915057-overview Not sure if anything here would be helpful: http://www.trichotillomania.co.uk/Parents/small1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 One of my best childhood friends had a daughter that did this, just eyelashes at first..then her entire head and body. She had to wear a wig to school. Turns out it was hormonal. They put her an anti-anxiety med and volia, the end of it. They very much regretted not medicating sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 Oh my, at least she hasn't started on her hair! Thanks for the sites :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 :grouphug: I read on these boards that sudden onset OCD behaviour can be related to PANDAS. Not sure if this fits your pattern, but check it out, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeper Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 That is interesting! I noticed my dd8 had no eyelashes right before Easter. Strep made the rounds the Thanksgiving before. They haven't completely grown back even yet. I haven't caught her pulling them out, but have been wondering if she's just rubbing her eyes awfully hard because of allergies. Now I'm wondering if the strep had anything to do with it......... I've been giving her allergy meds and guess I'll see if that helps. If not, I'll have something else to check out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 :grouphug: I read on these boards that sudden onset OCD behaviour can be related to PANDAS. Not sure if this fits your pattern, but check it out, just in case. Hum, we just had scarlet fever last fall.... This is definitely a harder solution then I was hoping for:tongue_smilie: So many possibilities that could be causing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeslieAnneLevine Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 :grouphug: I don't know why your dd is doing it, but wanted to share that my cousin did this around the same age. First all of her eyelashes, then her eyebrows and then started on her hair, but she didn't get the point of pulling it all out, but she did have a bald patch. It was anxiety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 My middle child was 9 when this happened to her. She was pulling them out because they itched. It turned out she was having her first episode of Alopecia Areata. She wasn't yanking them out, they were in the process of falling out on their own. It also spread to the front of her hairline, which didn't itch, but those hairs fell out too. There is no cure or known cause of Alopecia Areata. Steroid injections at the site of a new episode can help some people, but obviously they can't do injections on the face. It's a good thing I ignore the ped who was pushing some sort of psychological issue/treatment. My kids would be doped up with unnecessary meds for an imaginary cause. It's always best to see a specialist-in our case a Pediatric Dermatologist for a qualified diagnosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 Thank you so much for all your input and stories! It's really is helping my daughter to hear that she's not the only one out there doing this. We HS, so peer pressure isn't a big concern, but she's been worried about being "not normal" because of this. Hearing about others, and my own, struggles may not be helping her to stop, but they do make her smile. It's snowing today :001_smile::lol::001_smile:, so her allergies are subsiding and her eyes are not so itchy and red. We'll see if the changing weather helps.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 my son does it too (asperger's/adhd)-----I've noticed he does it when stressed or is nervous.....sometimes he won't actually pull the lashes out but just rub them between fingers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 :grouphug: I read on these boards that sudden onset OCD behaviour can be related to PANDAS. Not sure if this fits your pattern, but check it out, just in case. :iagree: Yes. It can also be an anxiety disorder. It becomes a (poor) coping skill. I'd recommend a medical and mental health consult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 My daughter did the exact same thing at that age. She said she like doing it because it felt good... sort of an unconscious nervous habit like nail biting. But it's a bad habit, so I encouraged her to become more aware of when she was doing it so she could stop herself, with varying degrees of success. It eventually stopped on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I would go to the therapist if this has lasted more than a week. The therapy they would do for this isn't "tell me all your feelings/problems" therapy but very targeted to stopping the behavior. Look for a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 I would go to the therapist if this has lasted more than a week. The therapy they would do for this isn't "tell me all your feelings/problems" therapy but very targeted to stopping the behavior. Look for a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in children. I think this may be the route we take, as I feel she is either doing this because of her allergies or childhood anxieties. She just doesn't seem to be fitting into syndromes, unless it some very mild case. :confused: I am curious about something- Does anyone know, will her lashes grow back as before or are they like eyebrows and will be spars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 My DDs eyelashes did grow back, but it took some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 She may have Trichotillomania and both of my kids have it. This site has a lot of great information: http://www.trich.org You can not become the pulling police. You will want to be the pulling police. You must resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the4Rs Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I developed this habit between 5th and 6th grade. I saw a girl do it in my class. Wondered what the big deal was so I tried it and then it just sort of became my weird little habit. But it got really out of control in junior high. I hate my school pics from that time. I started with eyelashes and graduated to eyebrows. My eyebrows have grown back in and so have my lashes but I can tell, even to this day if I am over stressed or tired, I will catch myself pulling at an eyelash and I have to make myself stop. If I look back I realize that 6-8th grade was very hard for me. Homelife wasn't very good. I developed as a girl very early, much earlier than my other classmates. I had a mom who wouldn't talk to me about the changes. I gained weight and felt horrible about myself. Etc. Try to get her help to stop it ASAP. My family just pretended it never happened but if you look at pics of me from then, I have very little eyebrows and almost no eyelashes. High school, I pretty much stopped more or less, like a flip switched and I was mostly over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 My niece, who is 6yrs old, has trich , but she also has Aspergers. The strange thing is that I've had a feeling she saw a child doing this and then began to do it and now its become a habit. She started with her eyelashes and now is graduating to her eyebrows. My sister is trying so hard to get her to stop. I will have to give her the link to this post so she can read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 You can not become the pulling police. You will want to be the pulling police. You must resist. :iagree:I admit the first few days I freaked out a little about this, but I am now trying to help her be more aware of it. We talk about it, but I'm trying to do it nonjudgmental. Today she told me, "My eyelash was itchy, but I didn't pull it out"! Not a cure, but something positive for both of us. I started doing some kid yoga with her this morning and a bedtime visualization last night, something to try until we have a course of action or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 It helped my ds to keep a journal. When he realized he was pulling he wrote down what time of day it was, what he was doing, what he was feeling, and if he knew-how long he was pulling and how many hairs. It helped us identify his triggers. I also give my kids inositol powder and 5HTP which help control/soothe the impulse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 It helped my ds to keep a journal. When he realized he was pulling he wrote down what time of day it was, what he was doing, what he was feeling, and if he knew-how long he was pulling and how many hairs.It helped us identify his triggers. I also give my kids inositol powder and 5HTP which help control/soothe the impulse. I've never heard of inositol powder before, but looking into it it sounds interesting. How do you know the dosgae for your children? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Everyone has given you some good advice. You really need to rule out any biological issues -- get the pediatrician to do some blood labs just in case. If it is a medical issue, erratic behavior can be a symptom. If it is anxiety/OCD/BDD (Body Dismorphic Disorder)/Trichtillomania... etc, then it is best to see a specialist who works with children and can teach your ds some CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) skills to "train" her what to do when the impulse/compulsion hits her due to stress or whatever. Meds may be needed along with counseling and CBT. There are also support groups for parents/children/teens: http://www.ocfoundation.org/find_a_support_group.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I'm glad you've got some good ideas OP. I did this as a child too. Major home-life issues so anxiety/depression related. I eventually realised on my own that it wasn't normal and I did want eyelashes (I watched a mascara add and realised that people want LOTS of eyelashes, not less!) and I slowly stopped. But I do notice occasionally if I'm stressed I start doing it a little bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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