5 year old tearing HER hair out! Help!

[alzymama]

My 5 year old daughter tore her hair out in big chunks today. It was prompted by essentially not getting her way when requesting a piece of gum (a special treat in our house). She literally sat in her car seat and started pulling her hair out! She's a very strong willed child and is going through quite a bit lately (a move to a new state, kindergarten, she's the middle child and so probably struggling with alone time with mommy or daddy). My DH and I are worried about her. We don't want to freak out but it's hard NOT to when your child is so distraught. She even said, "I don't care if I hurt myself."

Please help me understand what she may be going through. And more importantly, how I can help her.

Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do?

Thank you.

Worried Mom.

[PrairieBohemian]

Oh no. I don't know what to say. This is exactly the behaviour that started my life-long story of self-injury.

Just make sure she really knows you love her and that will love her even if she is imperfect.

I wish I could give you real advice.

[mahogny]

There is something called trichotillomania, which is basically compulsive hair pulling. (I developed it as a pre-teen, and have battled it ever since, even today.) It's usually brought on by stress.

[KMK_Mama]

I started doing this at age 8 because we moved to a new city, new school, my grandfather had just died.....

If she is only doing it when she is angry I would keep an eye out for if she is doing it on a regular basis. If so, I would get her into couseling ASAP. I truly believe that if my parents had done that, I wouldn't be where I am today. I have known another Mommy in my play group who's DD started this at age 3, and she just suddenly stopped. Age 5 is pretty tricky because a lot of young kids do this and then just "grow out of it" but the older they get the less likely that is.

There was another girl in my 5th grade class with it, and her parents must have gotten her into couseling, because it grew back right away and she never had anymore trouble with it.

I have struggled with this for 20 years.