Head Scratching

[Violettwin]

:(
I have a terrible stress habit of scratching at my scalp until it bleeds, I have done this for years and I don't even realise i'm doing it (I often wake up on the morning with blood under my nails).I keep my nails super short but this hasn't made a difference.I so want to stop this but its become a compulsive behaviour of its own.

Has anyone else experienced head scratching or hair pulling?How do I stop it?I feel embarassed to even admit to doing this but I would be greatful of some LHC advice & support :)

[bobbsi]

Try putting plasters or tape on your fingers at night and when your home. As you cannot scratch it then maybe you'll stop eventually. ...?

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

Maybe you have dandruff or Seborrhoeic dermatitis?
I experienced the SAME things and would have trouble sleeping unless I washed my hair daily or used head and shoulders, then i later found out I have dandruff.
I started using tea trea shampoo by natures gate, and i havent found out if it will soothe my scalp because i just started using it today, but i hear good things about it, so I would go to a doctor and ask them what they think.

[RedDevil]

You should see a doctor. This is a compulsive behavior that can certainly be treated. Some others that experience a more severe form of this condition will actually pull out eyelashes and pubic hair.

[Flying Penguin]

I have a similar problem but it only happens when I sleep. Lately I've found myself scratching my head in the middle of the night, and waking up with gunk under my fingernails. I've been stretching my washes, and I think it only happens on like day 3... I think I subconsciously feel like my head is dirty and want to scratch off the dirt or something? Or more likely my scalp is just itchy and I scratch it without even realizing. I've thought about wearing gloves to sleep, but I think my hands would get too hot. Meh...

[luztrella]

I don't scratch obsessively but I do scratch if I itch and I itch frequently. It itches more often if I don't wash daily. I have been prescribed luxiq which absolutely provides temporary relief from the itching but it has not stopped it and my insurance doesn't pay for it and it costs $70 for a small mouse bottle. Scalpicin works as well I think for the itching. I am not sure what causes the itching for me but it seemed to start with the night sweats that have come on with menopause. I have the swelling for sure, sometimes I wish I could shave my head, it can make you crazy.

OP if your scratching is compulsive you might be able to take an ocd med that will stop it, but I would try a psychiatrist instead of a gp if it is not from itching.

[Yozhik]

I don't have any advice for the compulsive bit, but how about wearing something (like socks) over your hands. I know that's what some people do with babies to make sure they don't scratch themselves at night -- maybe it'll work for you. :flower:

[Violettwin]

Thanks everyone, some good tips & advice :)
I will speak to my doctor,I am being treated for general anxiety disorder so maybe she could change my meds.
I'm gonna try everything!Will put socks on my hands tonight see how that works (its cold so I don't mind!) xxx

[Fairlight63]

Also maybe wearing a silk cap at night might help. In the day time, maybe wear a cotton snood to keep fingers out of your hair until you break the habit.

[ktani]

I agree with seeing your doctor and looking into stress relief methods.

Try also to file your nails to make them more blunt. What you are doing can also damage hair but that is the least of it.

You may also want to consider a sleep cap you cannot scratch through, which has already been mentioned.

[LindsayNichole]

In the beauty section of stores, you can get gloves to wear overnight. You're supposed to put lotion on your hands, then wear the gloves, and it softens your skin. A double benefit! ;)

I hope something helps! I understand the compulsive behavior part, and it's tough.

[heidi w.]

:(
I have a terrible stress habit of scratching at my scalp until it bleeds, I have done this for years and I don't even realise i'm doing it (I often wake up on the morning with blood under my nails).I keep my nails super short but this hasn't made a difference.I so want to stop this but its become a compulsive behaviour of its own.

Has anyone else experienced head scratching or hair pulling?How do I stop it?I feel embarassed to even admit to doing this but I would be greatful of some LHC advice & support :)

You might consider hypnosis therapy?

In truth there are plenty of people the world over with hair pulling habits. It has a medical name: Trichotillomania.

Here's what wikipedia has to say about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

I've known people who pulled their body hair, eyebrow hair, eyelashes, and so forth. It's usually a form of relieving some kind of stress. I tend to think that if one addresses the stressor and somehow resolves it, that somehow the compunction might decline, at least a little. You may need stress management techniques, such as breathing, for example.

Here's an article from Time Magazine on potential solutions for chronic hair pullers.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1909704,00.html

Here's a find from the Mayo Clinic. Often buried in subsequent pages are cited solutions to this problem.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trichotillomania/DS00895

I think talking to a qualified physician about your disorder may be in order for finding adequate help. A physician may not understand because in a given practice, it may be a bit of a rarer problem they have encountered. But a quality doctor will help you find information and help.

Good luck, and I'm sorry you suffer from this,
heidi w.

[sassyholiday]

I do the same thing! By like, the 2nd or 3rd day after a wash my head seems to get a little itchy, and when I itch it there is some dry skin under my nails. I don't have dandruff. I have heard that exfoliating your scalp, just like you'd exfoliate your face can help with this! I have exfoliated my scalp in the past and it did seem to help. I think I will go back to doing this once every month. I use brown sugar mixed with a little conditioner and applied right away (otherwise the brown sugar starts to melt!)

[Krentje]

In the beauty section of stores, you can get gloves to wear overnight. You're supposed to put lotion on your hands, then wear the gloves, and it softens your skin. A double benefit! ;)

This is a very good tip! I do the scratching too, on head and feet.. And wearing gloves really makes you more conscious about the urge. It is not gonna stop magically, the urge i mean, but you don't need to suffer from the consequences and might get more conscious and tone down the urge a bit.

(i still scratch.. yes, but the gloves very much helped to prevent bleeding)

[Violettwin]

You might consider hypnosis therapy?

In truth there are plenty of people the world over with hair pulling habits. It has a medical name: Trichotillomania.

Here's what wikipedia has to say about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

I've known people who pulled their body hair, eyebrow hair, eyelashes, and so forth. It's usually a form of relieving some kind of stress. I tend to think that if one addresses the stressor and somehow resolves it, that somehow the compunction might decline, at least a little. You may need stress management techniques, such as breathing, for example.

Here's an article from Time Magazine on potential solutions for chronic hair pullers.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1909704,00.html


Here's a find from the Mayo Clinic. Often buried in subsequent pages are cited solutions to this problem.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trichotillomania/DS00895

I think talking to a qualified physician about your disorder may be in order for finding adequate help. A physician may not understand because in a given practice, it may be a bit of a rarer problem they have encountered. But a quality doctor will help you find information and help.

Good luck, and I'm sorry you suffer from this,
heidi w.

I was going to have hypnosis to help this (ive already seen someone before for my anxiety) - unfortunatly i've now lost my job so can't afford it :(
I'm determined to beat this,i'm more aware of the habit now i've discussed it on here so when I notice im doing it I shout stop to myself (in my head!) I think if I persist I might get somewhere! xxx

[Lici1209]

Don't be embarrassed! I had a slightly different experience, I used to pull my eyelashes out compulsively. There were times where I got down to barely any and it was noticeable :( I don't have much advice, over time I got better (probably due to my family and friends being aware of it and telling me to stop when I was reaching for my eyelashes), so now I rarely get the urge. Seeing a doctor might be helpful, but I just want you to know you aren't weird!

[KwaveT]

I have never had scalp itching problems until I opted to go conditioner only. My scalp itch like crazy to begin with but has slowly getting better. I am just glad I don't have the compulsive scratching problem or my long nails would have had me bleeding in a very short time. I agree though a barrier between your hands and your head would help control the compulsion to scratch. Scratching becomes unnatural at that point.