"Some people touch their hair, play with their fingernails, or rub their arms, as a way to psychologically and physiologically calm themselves when they're feeling anxious, uncomfortable,or stressed," Blanca Cobb, body language expert and author of Method of the Masters, told GoodHousekeeping.com.
There is nothing wrong with setting your hair in place now and then. Still, if you touch your hair frequently all the time, this may be a symptom of anxiety disorder and can develop into trichotillomania – compulsive hair pulling that causes visible hair loss.
Both habits usually start from the same place: a feeling of anxiety or boredom. While it can be a harmless habit, if hair twirling continues for a long time and happens frequently, it can be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It may also lead to hair breakage and weak strands.
Hair-Pulling Disorder is considered an OCD Related Disorder, although it has also been conceptualized as an impulse control disorder. The typical onset of Hair-Pulling Disorder is between the ages of 9-13, although this behavior had been observed in small children and even infants.
The more you stroke your hair, the more your hair loses its moisture. Touching your hair effectively strips it of its natural oils, resulting in major dryness and breakage. Additionally, repeatedly tugging at your hair is a form of mechanical stress which can result in split ends and ultimately, hair thinning.
Since trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder, those affected with ADHD may begin hair pulling to relieve the tension caused by the impact of sensory issues. This compulsion can be both biological and psychological in nature.
Trichotillomania can be related to emotions: Negative emotions. For many people with trichotillomania, hair pulling is a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, anxiety, tension, boredom, loneliness, fatigue or frustration.
Nervous energy: Hair twirling can be a self-soothing mechanism, especially in situations that induce nervousness or anxiety. It offers a way to release pent-up tension and provide temporary comfort. Flirting and seduction: Playing with hair can be an intentional flirtatious gesture.
Drumming your leg when you're bored, biting your nails when you're nervous, or twirling your hair for the fun of it – that's what's known as stimming. And yes, you probably do it a fair bit. Stimming is a completely natural act of self-stimulation that almost everyone engages in – often without knowing it.
It could be: your way of dealing with stress or anxiety. a chemical imbalance in the brain, similar to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) changes in hormone levels during puberty.
Touching of the hair, head and scalp are especially intoxicating as there are “Specialized sensory neurons located at the base the hair follicles,” says Williams.
Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and hair twirling, or in self-injurious behavior such as biting or head-banging.
In reality, neurotypical people stim, too - they just might not realize it. Common examples of stimming include rocking, clenching fists, tapping fingers, and humming. Some people stim in response to anxiety or stress, while others stim when they're bored or fatigued.
"We often play with our hair unconsciously. It can be when we are bored, deep in thought, nervous or stressed — hence the term 'tearing out your hair,'" says trichologist Anabel Kingsley of Philip Kingsley. “Hair pulling may be used as a coping mechanism, and as a way to initially alleviate feelings of anxiety.”
Females playing with their hair can mean a lot of things, such as she's grooming herself, it makes her feel comfortable, or she's flirting with you.
It can sometimes speed up hair loss
Due to your frantically touching your locks, your hair can sometimes get weakened, even at the roots. Without wanting to be alarmist, in very rare cases your hair can end up falling out. This can also happen when excessively brushing your hair, causing even healthy hairs to fall out.
Coping mechanism.
Many people with TTM describe it as starting after a stressful time in their life. Others describe it starting because of boredom and that pulling their hair became a habit over time.
Because of this, people with ADHD often engage in what's known as dopamine-seeking behavior. For some, that can look like indulging in food, sex, or drugs; but repetitive behaviors, like hair-pulling, can also provide a dopamine boost.
When it comes to hair pulling, you might find a certain texture of hair that you are over responsive to and that excites the need to pull. Dr. Miletic suggests that sensory discrimination might play a role too. A hair that feels different might be misinterpreted as a hair that needs to be pulled.
For kids with ADHD, chronic hair pulling and skin picking doesn't necessarily mean they are stressed out or upset. Lots of complex kids (and neurotypical kids for that matter) are not even aware that they are pulling their hair out as a kind of fidgeting behavior.
Dermatillomania is a mental health condition where a person compulsively picks or scratches their skin, causing injuries or scarring. Also known as excoriation disorder or skin-picking disorder, this condition falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs).
While people on the autistic spectrum often have comorbid trichotillomania and other BFRBs, the reverse correlation does not appear to hold true, and no scientific evidence could be found indicating that autism causes trichotillomania.
Stimming – or self-stimulatory behaviour – is repetitive or unusual body movement or noises. Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping.