I've had trichotillamania (compulsive hair pulling) since I was 8 yrs old. AMA

[TheyDoItOnPurposeLynne]

I'm 44 and it's as bad as ever. It's a weird compulsive habit and nowadays I basically just live with it. Untill I got on the internet I was absolutely convinced I was the only person in the whole wide world who had ever thought of doing this.

My son does this, he is 4. I do it too on a lesser scale, I worry for him, he has done it since birth, he used to pull mine until his motor skills developed enough to pull his own. Has it given you bald patches? I compulsively pick the skin on my fingers til they bleed, I firmly believe compulsive behaviour is inherited.