18M old pulls her hair out so hair, developping bald spots. I don’t want to shave her hair again. Please help me.
I’ve done all the things. I don’t want to frustrate my baby because it clearly helps her soothe herself but it causes so much distress inside of me and I am worried about her developping traction alopecia.
My daughter was born with so much hair, I could braid it together by the time she was 9 months. Around 6 months she started pulling her hair out any time she’d suck her thumb and it went from her just twirling a bit with it to trying to take out huge chunks with her fist. I would find balls of hairs in her crib, and in her clothing. Everytime I’d detangle her hair, there was so much hair in the brush.
I bought eczema sleeves for her daycare and for at home. They didn’t help, she could still pull.
I bought her a doll with hair and multiple things meant to divert her attention from the pulling. No interest. I would braid her hair together and she would manage to pull out hair to rip out, still.
I asked her pediatrician what to do and she recommended shaving it. So I did, hoping it’d give her enough time to break the habit. We went to a barber who took it all off. That did nothing, she kept trying and now 5 months later and her hair has grown back quite a bit, I’m noticing some parts of her hair are more sparse than others because she keeps picking at them.
I don’t know what to do anymore, the pediatrician keeps giving me « tips » that are unhelpful. I don’t want to shave her hair again, I don’t want her to have pulled so much she permanently damaged her hair and I don’t want her to feel ostracised when she’s older because she doesn’t have long hair. Please help me.