Here is an excerpt from an article published in ACTA Paediatrica
Hypnotherapy: an effective treatment modality for trichotillomania*
This study describes a non-pharmacological treatment modality for children with trichotillomania. Three children with trichotillomania were treated using a hypnotherapy technique. All patients were observed in the outpatient clinic for 8 consecutive weeks and subsequently followed for 12–18 months. All children were cooperative in performing the hypnotherapy technique (relaxation/ mental imagery). Two patients reported complete resolution of their complaints after 7–8 weeks and 1 patient after 16 weeks. The latter, reporting recurrence of the complaint after 4 weeks due to stressful school problems, was resolved after successful retreatment over 3 weeks. During a mean follow-up period of 16 months, there were no recurrences. In conclusion, hypnotherapy may be considered as a primary treatment modality for trichotillomania in children without associated emotional disorders.
This is consistent with my experience, as in the more than twenty five years that I’ve been a Clinical Hypnotherapist, of the dozens of cases I’ve treated, from young children through to adults, I have never encountered a case of Hair Pulling that did not respond very well to Hypnotherapy.
- Cohen, H., Barzilai, A. and Lahat, E. (1999), Hypnotherapy: an effective treatment modality for trichotillomania. Acta Paediatrica, 88: 407–410. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb01131.x