My 3.4yo dd has for the last year or so been a hair twirler. She twirls the very front side pieces round and round her fingers til they get into a really bad knot. I wasn't too worried and thought "Ah well, another phase she'll grow out of".....but have been horrified recently to discover on brushing her hair that she is actually getting little bald patches on the one side and it's getting a bit think as a result. What she is doing is twirling til it gets in a knot then, literlly, pulling the knotted bits of hair out - I keep finding little clumps of knotted hair on the carpet.
I've tried telling her that what she is doing is really bad for her hair, it's falling out, she won't have lovely long princess hair if she keeps pulling it out etc etc - I've even showed her a picutre of a bald person to shock her out of it!! Have also tried bribery - but nothing seems to be getting through. I think it's become such a habit, she dosn't realise she's doing it til you point it out then she actually looks shocked that she's doing it!
Am thinking of having her hair cut into a really short bob so she hasn't got the length to twirl - but am worried what that might do to her phsycologically. She adores the fact that her hair is growing and is longing for it to be as long as my friend's little girls hair who is a few years older than her. If I do take this drastic action, I'll use a hairdresser I've never been to before as I don't want her to bear a grudge against the one I use! Would this be too cruel to do - I'm seriously worried that she's going to end up damaging her hair - it's really thin and brittle looking - and also that she's going to end up with visible bald patches.
Any advice greatly received. Thanks!