4 Yr Old Constantly Pulling at Her Hair

Hmmm interesting. I would like to say it's just a phase and not to stress about it. But I guess there are some warning signs to indicate it's a bigger issue, like:

Is she obsessed with her hair for loooong periods of time?
Is she purposely pulling her hair out?
Do you see that she's pulling at her hair during times of stress (like, as a way to calm herself down, or as a soothing mechanism)?
Does she have any "hair rituals" that seem obsessive or compulsive to you?

If the things above are done IN EXCESS, and for long periods, I think it's something to be concerned with. At that point, I would contact a counselor to talk to regarding stress, anxiety, obsessive compulsive type stuff. (I'm a counselor, so my mind automatically goes there, but it definitely could be just a phase for her!)

Good luck to you!

If you think that she is trying to straighten her hair try and straighten it and see if that stops her from pulling it out.

Good luck

Actually this could be a serious issue. I actually went through a similar situation as a child. I pulled and tugged my hair to the point I had bald spots, before my mom realized how serious it was. Kids at this age are very vulnerable. Has anything changed in her life that may cause her a little stress? Kids can stress just like adults. My mother was told by my physician at the time that me pulling at my hair was stress related, I'm not saying that this is what is going on in your case but it could be a possibility. My daughter just turned 5 and I caught her doing the same thing when she gets mad, upset, frustrated,etc.

Have you tried ignoring it for awhile? It may just go away then. Otherwise I've found it helpful to pull my DD's hair back in a headband or ponytail. I've also had it layered shorter too. We have curls here too :-)

Is she pulling her hair or is her scalp dry? I have curly hair too. Sometimes it looks like I am pulling my hair out but really I have a dry scalp. And yes some hair comes out with me. I have to condition a lot. Good luck.

T. K.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/tricho...