You're not the only one
Specialist therapy for hair pulling (trichotillomania) and skin picking, understanding the urge without shame, and finding what actually helps.
Gentle Help to Stop Hair Pulling & Skin Picking
If you pull your hair or pick your skin and feel unable to stop, please know this: it is not a lack of willpower, and you are far from alone. These are recognised, treatable conditions. With warm, confidential support, you can understand the urge, ease it, and feel back in control.
You are not alone in this
Trichotillomania is the urge to pull out your own hair, whether from the scalp, eyebrows, lashes or elsewhere. Dermatillomania, or skin picking, is closely related. Both are known as body-focused repetitive behaviours, and they are far more common than most people realise. They often happen without you even noticing, and the urge can feel overwhelming, however much you want to stop.
These behaviours frequently intensify during stress, or when feeling anxious, bored or low. They are nothing to be ashamed of, and importantly, they respond well to the right support.
Understanding the pattern, with compassion
Pulling or picking can bring a moment of relief, but it is often followed by frustration or a sense of losing control, which can feed feelings of guilt or embarrassment. Those feelings then add to the very stress that triggered the urge, creating a cycle that can be hard to break alone.
Therapy gently interrupts that cycle. By understanding what sits underneath the behaviour and treating yourself with kindness rather than criticism, real and lasting change becomes possible.
How we help you regain control
There is no single right answer, so we match the approach to you, and often blend more than one. During your free consultation, we listen with care and guide you toward what will help most.
Hypnotherapy
Works gently with the subconscious to ease the urge, calm the stress behind it, and build healthier responses in its place.
Counselling & hypnoanalysis
Explores and resolves the underlying feelings driving the behaviour, in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space.
Greater awareness
Helps you notice the moments and triggers that lead to pulling or picking, so you can respond differently.
Calmer under stress
Gives you practical tools to stay relaxed and in control of your responses during difficult moments.
Imagine the freedom of letting go
Picture no longer spending extra time each morning covering bald patches or sore areas, and no longer feeling anxious on windy or rainy days in case they show. Many people describe that freedom as truly life-changing.
By easing the habit, you can move through everyday life with far less worry and self-consciousness, feeling more comfortable, more confident, and more like yourself.
The benefits people notice
Freedom from an unwanted habit that has felt beyond your control.
Resolving the underlying issues behind the pulling or picking.
Feeling calmer and more in control during times of stress.
Healthier ways of handling difficult feelings and situations.
Time for hair and skin to recover, and for confidence to grow.
Less time spent concealing, and more time simply living.
Award-winning care from people who understand
Voted Hypnotherapy & Counselling Centre of the Year, with over two decades of experience helping people break free from unwanted habits with care and compassion.
Hair pulling & skin picking FAQs
Can therapy really help me stop?
Yes, for many people it is very effective. Because these behaviours are driven by subconscious patterns and stress, hypnotherapy and counselling work at that deeper level to ease the urge, resolve what sits underneath, and build healthier responses. Results vary from person to person.
Why do I pull my hair or pick my skin?
These are body-focused repetitive behaviours, often a way of relieving stress, anxiety or boredom, and they usually happen unconsciously. It is not a weakness or a flaw. Part of the work is gently understanding your triggers so you can respond to them differently.
Will I be judged?
Never. Our therapists are warm, experienced and completely non-judgemental, and everything you share is confidential. So many people quietly live with these behaviours, and there is no shame in seeking support.
Does it work for children and teenagers too?
Hair pulling and skin picking can begin in childhood or the teenage years, and gentle, age-appropriate support can help. Do get in touch and we will happily talk through whether it is right for your child.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies from person to person, depending on your situation. We will give you an honest, realistic idea at your free consultation so you know what to expect from the start.
Can I have sessions online?
Yes. You can be seen in person at our Fareham practice or online from anywhere in the UK. Many people find online sessions a comfortable, private way to take part, from the calm of their own home.
You can feel free of this
Book a free, no-obligation consultation and we will gently talk through how we can help. Every call and message is completely confidential.
Prefer to talk first? Call 0800 970 4776 or email hello@oliptherapy.co.uk
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